New Haven County Cutters
Encyclopedia
The New Haven County Cutters were an independent baseball
team based in New Haven, Connecticut
. From 2004 through 2007, it played in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
(the "Can-Am League," formerly known as the Northeast League in 2004), an independent league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
or with the Minor League Baseball
organization.
Originally based in Lynn, Massachusetts
, the Massachusetts Mad Dogs were named during an event that included students from Lynn and nearby Nahant, Massachusetts
. The students having the winning name was a joint effort by Anthony Silva and Sarah Benson of Nahant. The Mad Dogs were members of three different independent baseball leagues. They began play in 1996
as an expansion team in the North Atlantic League. They dominated the NAL, going 56-21 and winning the pennant by 13 games, but fell 2-0 in the best-of-3 playoffs to the Catskill Cougars. The Mad Dogs drew the most fans in the league with 52,384.
When the NAL folded after the 1996 season, the Mad Dogs jumped to the Northeast League and went 45-37, tying for the second half northern lead (23-17) with the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs
. Massachusetts lost in the playoffs 2 games to 1 to Albany. The first year in the Northeast League drew 72,681 fans, second to Albany's 72,985.
The Mad Dogs fell to 39-45 in 1998 and they were next to last in attendance, drawing only 47,123 fans. In 1999, the Northeast League merged into the Northern League to form the Northern League East Division. The club was 41-45 in a tight division. They finished one game out in the first half; they tied for last place in the second half but were just 4 games back. Attendance fell to last in the Northern League's Eastern Division with 38,528. Following the 1999 season, the team suspended operations citing major issues with the team's home in Lynn, Fraser Field
.
After a three year hiatus, the franchise was resurrected, this time in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
as the Berkshire Black Bears, playing at historic Wahconah Park
. Despite the change of location, the losing continued and the team drew minimal support from the area. Following the 2003 season, the team moved again, this time to New Haven, Connecticut
. Owner Jonathan Fleisig attributed the move to criticism of the team from the Pittsfield civic leaders.
in a one-game playoff at Yale Field. The bad streak continued, and the Cutters fell to last place in the division in the second half and cost first-year manager Jarvis Brown
, a former Minnesota Twins
prospect, his job.
In 2005, led by first-year manager Mike Church
, The Cutters' fortunes started out badly in the first half with an 18-28 record. However, in the second half, they had a complete reversal of fortune and won their first half-season division championship, with a 28-18 record, and qualified for the Can-Am League playoffs. However, the Cutters' luck ran out in the first round of the playoffs, as they were eliminated 3 games to 1 by the eventual league champion Worcester Tornadoes
.
In 2006, the Cutters kept pace with league-leading North Shore Spirit
with the second best overall record in the league. The Cutters once again were defeated in the first round of the Can-Am League
playoffs by the Brockton Rox
three games to one.
On October 30, 2007, Cutters' President David Boyle, Chairman Jonathan Fleisig, and Vice Chairman Rick Handelman announced that the team would "not be playing baseball at Yale Field in 2008." The Cutters were joined by the North Shore Spirit
in no longer being part of the Can-Am League in the 2008 season.
On November 9-10, 2007, the Cutters held a sale at Yale Field to sell-off any remaining Cutters merchandise to those interested in getting their piece of New Haven baseball history.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team based in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. From 2004 through 2007, it played in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional, independent baseball league located in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is...
(the "Can-Am League," formerly known as the Northeast League in 2004), an independent league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
or with the Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
organization.
Massachusetts Mad Dogs
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
, the Massachusetts Mad Dogs were named during an event that included students from Lynn and nearby Nahant, Massachusetts
Nahant, Massachusetts
Nahant is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,632 at the 2000 census. With just of land area, it is the smallest municipality by area in the state...
. The students having the winning name was a joint effort by Anthony Silva and Sarah Benson of Nahant. The Mad Dogs were members of three different independent baseball leagues. They began play in 1996
1996 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; John Wetteland, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Bernie Williams**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Javy López...
as an expansion team in the North Atlantic League. They dominated the NAL, going 56-21 and winning the pennant by 13 games, but fell 2-0 in the best-of-3 playoffs to the Catskill Cougars. The Mad Dogs drew the most fans in the league with 52,384.
When the NAL folded after the 1996 season, the Mad Dogs jumped to the Northeast League and went 45-37, tying for the second half northern lead (23-17) with the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs
Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs
The Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs were a minor league baseball team based in Albany, New York from 1995 to 2002. The team played at Heritage Park in Colonie. The Diamond Dogs competed in the Northeast League from 1995-98 and then in the Northern League when the two leagues merged prior to the 1999...
. Massachusetts lost in the playoffs 2 games to 1 to Albany. The first year in the Northeast League drew 72,681 fans, second to Albany's 72,985.
The Mad Dogs fell to 39-45 in 1998 and they were next to last in attendance, drawing only 47,123 fans. In 1999, the Northeast League merged into the Northern League to form the Northern League East Division. The club was 41-45 in a tight division. They finished one game out in the first half; they tied for last place in the second half but were just 4 games back. Attendance fell to last in the Northern League's Eastern Division with 38,528. Following the 1999 season, the team suspended operations citing major issues with the team's home in Lynn, Fraser Field
Fraser Field
Fraser Field is a baseball park in Lynn, Massachusetts which was built in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Fraser Field has played host to many minor-league baseball teams over the years. The North Shore Navigators of the New England...
.
Berkshire Black Bears
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
as the Berkshire Black Bears, playing at historic Wahconah Park
Wahconah Park
Wahconah Park is a city-owned baseball park located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and nestled in a working class neighborhood. One of the last remaining ballparks in the United States with a wooden grandstand, it was constructed in 1919 and seats 4,500. The stadium is now currently home to the, yet...
. Despite the change of location, the losing continued and the team drew minimal support from the area. Following the 2003 season, the team moved again, this time to New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. Owner Jonathan Fleisig attributed the move to criticism of the team from the Pittsfield civic leaders.
New Haven County Cutters
During their four seasons in New Haven, the Cutters had varying degrees of success. Their first season saw them leading the Northeast League South Division for most of the first half of their season, but the team severely faltered down the stretch of the first half and ended up losing the division to the eventual league champion New Jersey JackalsNew Jersey Jackals
The New Jersey Jackals are a professional baseball team based in Little Falls, New Jersey, in the United States. The Jackals are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
in a one-game playoff at Yale Field. The bad streak continued, and the Cutters fell to last place in the division in the second half and cost first-year manager Jarvis Brown
Jarvis Brown
Jarvis Ardel Brown was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, and Baltimore Orioles. He won the World Series with the Twins.-Career:...
, a former Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
prospect, his job.
In 2005, led by first-year manager Mike Church
Mike Church
Mike Church is a radio talk show host, and singer/songwriter. In 2006 Church was named to Askmen.com's list of the "Top Ten Shock Jocks in America . He has been called the "American Badass of Talk Radio" and has been called the "The King Dude" by listeners since 2001.The Mike Church Show was the...
, The Cutters' fortunes started out badly in the first half with an 18-28 record. However, in the second half, they had a complete reversal of fortune and won their first half-season division championship, with a 28-18 record, and qualified for the Can-Am League playoffs. However, the Cutters' luck ran out in the first round of the playoffs, as they were eliminated 3 games to 1 by the eventual league champion Worcester Tornadoes
Worcester Tornadoes
The Worcester Tornadoes are a professional baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States. The Tornadoes are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
.
In 2006, the Cutters kept pace with league-leading North Shore Spirit
North Shore Spirit
The North Shore Spirit was a minor-league baseball team based in Lynn, Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. The Spirit played in the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball , an independent league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or with the Minor League Baseball...
with the second best overall record in the league. The Cutters once again were defeated in the first round of the Can-Am League
Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional, independent baseball league located in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is...
playoffs by the Brockton Rox
Brockton Rox
The Brockton Rox were a professional baseball team based in Brockton, Massachusetts, in the United States. The Rox were a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 2002 season to 2011, the Rox played their home...
three games to one.
On October 30, 2007, Cutters' President David Boyle, Chairman Jonathan Fleisig, and Vice Chairman Rick Handelman announced that the team would "not be playing baseball at Yale Field in 2008." The Cutters were joined by the North Shore Spirit
North Shore Spirit
The North Shore Spirit was a minor-league baseball team based in Lynn, Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. The Spirit played in the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball , an independent league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or with the Minor League Baseball...
in no longer being part of the Can-Am League in the 2008 season.
On November 9-10, 2007, the Cutters held a sale at Yale Field to sell-off any remaining Cutters merchandise to those interested in getting their piece of New Haven baseball history.