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Springfield Ponies

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Springfield Ponies
Minor league affiliations
ClassA (1893–1900, 1919–1932, 1939–1943)
B (1902–1914, 1916–1918, 1934)
Independent (1915)
League
Major league affiliations
TeamNew York Giants (1943)
Washington Nationals (1939)
New York Yankees (1932)
Minor league titles
League titles (2)1895, 1927
Pennants (4)1895, 1908, 1911, 1932
Team data
Previous names
  • Springfield Rifles (1932, 1942–1943)
  • Springfield Nationals (1939–1941)
  • Springfield Green Sox (1917)
  • Springfield Tips (1915)
  • Springfield Maroons (1895)
BallparkHampden Park

Springfield Ponies was the primary name of minor league baseball teams based in Springfield, Massachusetts that played between 1893 and 1943. The team competed as the Ponies through its history except for single seasons as the Maroons (1895), Tips (1915), and Green Sox (1917); and three seasons each as the Rifles (1932, 1942–1943) and Nationals (1939–1941). The team played its home games at Pynchon Park (also known as Hampden Park).[citation needed]

The team was a member of several baseball leagues, including three that were known as the Eastern League. The team's longest tenure was in the second Eastern League, in which it played from 1916 to 1932. During most of its history, the team had no farm-team arrangement with a Major League Baseball team, as much of its history predated formal affiliations. When operating as the Rifles, the team was affiliated for one season with the New York Yankees (1932) and for one season with the New York Giants (1943). When operating as the Nationals, it was affiliated with the Washington Nationals for the 1939 season.[citation needed]

The team finished atop league standings three times at the end of a full regular season (1895, 1908, 1911) and once at the end of a truncated regular season (1932). The team won playoff series twice (1895 and 1927), although it played mostly in leagues without postseasons.

Three of the team's managers were later inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in recognition of their major-league playing careers: Roger Connor (manager in 1902–1903), Billy Hamilton (manager in 1914), and Rabbit Maranville (manager in 1941). Two fellow inductees played for Springfield late in their careers: Dan Brouthers (1896–1899)[1] and Jim O'Rourke (1903, 1907).[2] Brouthers had a .415 batting average in 126 games for the Ponies in 1897.[1]

Earlier teams

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Prior to 1893, teams from Springfield competed in six minor league seasons, each in a different league:[3]: 75 

These early teams were simply known as Springfield or the Springfields. The teams of 1879, 1885 and 1887 failed to complete their seasons.

Records by season

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The following table lists each season between 1893 and 1943, when teams from Springfield competed primarily as the Ponies.

Year League Class Record Finish Manager Postseason (games) Ref.
1893 Eastern League1 A 64–44 (.593) 2nd of 8 Thomas E. Burns none held [3]: 163 
1894 Eastern League1 A 57–54 (.514) 4th of 8 Thomas E. Burns none held [3]: 165 
1895† Eastern League1 A 79–36 (.687) 1st of 8 Thomas E. Burns defeated Providence Grays (4–2) [3]: 167 
1896 Eastern League1 A 54–64 (.458) 6th of 8 Thomas E. Burns did not qualify [3]: 170 
1897 Eastern League1 A 68–55 (.553) 4th of 8 Thomas E. Burns did not qualify [3]: 173 
1898 Eastern League1 A 48–63 (.432) 7th of 8 Billy Lush / Billy Barnie none held [3]: 176 
1899 Eastern League1 A 52–56 (.481) 5th of 8 Tom Brown none held [3]: 179 
1900 Eastern League1 A 61–63 (.492) 5th of 8 Thomas E. Burns none held [3]: 181 
1901 no team  
1902 Connecticut State League B 65–45 (.591) 2nd of 8 Roger Connor none held [3]: 187 
1903 Connecticut State League B 40–61 (.396) 7th of 8 Roger Connor none held [3]: 190–191 
1904 Connecticut State League B 69–46 (.600) 2nd of 8 Daniel O'Neill none held [3]: 193 
1905 Connecticut State League B 74–44 (.627) 2nd of 8 Daniel O'Neill none held [3]: 198 
1906 Connecticut State League B 70–56 (.556) 2nd of 8 Daniel O'Neill none held [3]: 203 
1907 Connecticut State League B 72–49 (.595) 3rd of 8 Daniel O'Neill none held [3]: 207–208 
1908 Connecticut State League B 84–41 (.672) 1st of 8 Daniel O'Neill none held [3]: 213 
1909 Connecticut State League B 60–63 (.488) 5th of 8 John Zeller none held [3]: 219 
1910 Connecticut State League B 58–68 (.460) 6th of 8 John Zeller none held [3]: 224 
1911 Connecticut State League B 71–45 (.612) 1st of 8 John Zeller none held [3]: 231 
1912 Connecticut State League B 50–70 (.417) 5th of 6 John Zeller none held [3]: 237 
1913 Eastern Association B 60–70 (.462) 6th of 8 Frank Corridon / Jack O'Hara none held [3]: 242–243 
1914 Eastern Association B 63–61 (.508) 5th of 8 Billy Hamilton / Simon McDonald none held [3]: 252 
1915† Colonial League Ind. 47–50 (.485) 5th of 8 Henry Ramsey none held [3]: 260 
1916 Eastern League2 B 70–53 (.569) 3rd of 10 John Flynn none held [3]: 263 
1917† Eastern League2 B 48–57 (.457) 7th of 8 William Carey / John O'Hara none held [3]: 267 
1918 Eastern League2 B 21–35 (.375) 6th of 8 Freddy Parent league suspended July 22 [3]: 269–270 
1919 Eastern League2 A 54–52 (.509) 5th of 8 Ed Holly / Jack O'Hara none held [3]: 271 
1920 Eastern League2 A 74–63 (.540) 2nd of 8 John Flynn none held [3]: 277 
1921 Eastern League2 A 70–82 (.461) 6th of 8 John Flynn none held [3]: 280 
1922 Eastern League2 A 77–76 (.503) 5th of 8 John Hummel none held [3]: 284 
1923 Eastern League2 A 76–77 (.497) 4th of 8 Patsy Donovan none held [3]: 288 
1924 Eastern League2 A 87–66 (.569) 2nd of 8 Eugene McCann none held [3]: 292 
1925 Eastern League2 A 76–76 (.500) 5th of 8 Eugene McCann none held [3]: 296 
1926 Eastern League2 A 78–71 (.523) 4th of 8 Eugene McCann none held [3]: 300 
1927 Eastern League2 A 86–68 (.558) 2nd of 8 Joe Benes defeated Albany Senators (3–0) [3]: 305 
1928 Eastern League2 A 78–73 (.517) 6th of 8 Joe Benes none held [3]: 309 
1929 Eastern League2 A 71–83 (.461) 6th of 8 George J. Burns none held [3]: 314 
1930 Eastern League2 A 78–89 (.467) 3rd of 8 Kid Gleason did not qualify [3]: 321 
1931 Eastern League2 A 65–74 (.468) 3rd of 8 Frank "Bud" Stapleton none held [3]: 325 
1932† Eastern League2 A 53–26 (.671) 1st of 8 Billy Meyer league disbanded July 17 [3]: 329 
1933 no team  
1934 Northeastern League B 41–62 (.398) 6th of 8 Bobby Murray did not qualify [3]: 337 
1935–
1938		 no team  
1939† Eastern League3 A 74–66 (.529) 3rd of 8 Spencer Abbott lost in first round [citation needed]
1940† Eastern League3 A 68–69 (.496) 5th of 8 Spencer Abbott did not qualify [citation needed]
1941† Eastern League3 A 50–85 (.370) 8th of 8 Rabbit Maranville did not qualify [citation needed]
1942† Eastern League3 A 33–107 (.236) 8th of 8 Les Bell did not qualify [3]: 388 
1943† Eastern League3 A 46–88 (.343) 7th of 8 Spencer Abbott did not qualify [3]: 392 

† designates a year in which the team's nickname was not Ponies: 1895 as Maroons, 1915 as Tips, 1917 as Green Sox, 1939–1941 as Nationals, and 1932/1942/1943 as Rifles.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Dan Brouthers Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  2. ^ "Jim O'Rourke Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
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