James O’Rourke
Bridgeport’s Scholar-Athlete James Henry O’Rourke 1850 – 1919 “Orator Jim” O’Rourke, one of the most colorful, popular and accomplished baseball ballplayers of the 19th century was born in East...
View ArticleBridgeport Baseball
By: Michael Bielawa, Baseball Historian The fields and shoreline of Bridgeport, Connecticut possess a magnificent baseball heritage. Since its inception, “base ball” profoundly impacted the city. In...
View ArticleNewfield Park
Newfield Park: Home to One of New England’s Most Sacred Baseball Sites by Michael J. Bielawa Of all the lost stadia across the long history of New England’s minor leagues, Bridgeport’s Newfield Park is...
View ArticleCivil War College Baseball & Those Fabulous Jones Boys
By Michael J. Bielawa photo: Seth Jones 1863 Most fans in tune with collegate baseball’s heritage are familiar with the College World Series played each June in Omaha. Many may discuss outstanding...
View ArticleThe Ghost of Pembroke Street
One hundred and forty-nine years old and Orator Jim O’Rourke still kneels on deck in his turreted Pembroke Street home behind windows dark muttering seven syllable adjectives over his Bridgeport...
View ArticleBridgeport Train Wreck, July 11, 1911
On July 11, 1911 the Federal Express Train wreck, one of the worst railroad wrecks in Bridgeport’s history occurred around 3:15 that summer morning. On board was the St. Louis Cardinals National...
View ArticleThe Bridgeport Home Oilers
By Andy Piascik Before there were the Sound Tigers, there were the Home Oilers. Before there was Webster Bank Arena, there was the Wonderland of Ice. The Wonderland of Ice is still there and now with...
View ArticleThe Night Broadway Joe Brought His Act to Bridgeport
By Andy Piascik There’s an old expression in Broadway theatrical circles that goes something like “Everything outside of New York is just Bridgeport.” Perhaps Broadway Joe Namath felt that way when he...
View ArticleViola Louise Smith Bridgeforth: Making the Most From Extraordinary Times
By Mary K. Witkowski, Editor: Ann Marie Virzi In her 99 years on earth, Viola Bridgeforth, born in 1897, lived through many if not most of the profound changes that African-Americans and women in...
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Bridgeport Baseball, 1947: Candlelite Stadium Opens and the Bees Return
By Andy Piascik Bridgeport has a long, rich history of pro, semi-pro, African-American and minor league baseball. The city has played host to barnstorming major league teams, teams from the old Negro...
View ArticleBridgeport’s Original Little League
by Andy Piascik Little League baseball was established in the United States in 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. From humble beginnings, Little League has expanded over the decades to many countries...
View ArticleKiddo Davis
by Andy Piascik One year when I was a teenager, I had a summer job pumping gas at a local gas station. Business at the station fluctuated and on one afternoon when it was quite slow, a distinguished...
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