Bridgeport Bluefish
From SoSH
| Location: | Bridgeport, CT |
| Established: | 1998 |
| MLB Affiliation: | None |
| League: | Atlantic League of Professional Baseball |
| Level: | Independent |
| Ballpark: | The Ballpark at Harbor Yard |
| Championships: | |
| Division Titles: | |
| Wild Card: |
The Bridgeport Bluefish are a professional baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in the United States. The Bluefish are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 1998 season to the present, the Bluefish have played their home games at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard.
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Team History
The first game of the Bridgeport Bluefish was May 21, 1998, and continued to have winning seasons throughout its playing history. The team has been to three of the Atlantic League Championship Series, and won in 1999 versus the Somerset Patriots. They were runners-up in 1998, losing to Atlantic City, and in 2002, losing to Newark.
The Bluefish, and the Atlantic League itself, tend to attract life-long minor leaguers as well as the occasional Major Leaguer at the end of his career. Some of the marquee names who have sported Bluefish jerseys include José Offerman, Edgardo Alfonzo, Deivi Cruz, Junior Spivey, Quinton McCracken, and Mariano Duncan.
The original founders of the Bluefish were Mickey Herbert, Jack McGregor, Mary-Jane Foster, and Bridgeport Waterfront Investors. Herbert brought control prior to the 2000 season and anchored the team through a mayoral scandal and difficult financial circumstances. Prior to the 2006 season, the franchise was purchased by Get Hooked, LLC, a group of investors from Fairfield County (a group that includes McGregor and Foster). Charlie Dowd served as the team's General Manager from its inception until the end of the 2006 season. Former Kane County Cougars General Manager Bill Larsen took over in his place.
"Bluefish" refers to the kind of fish that resides in the Long Island Sound, on which the city of Bridgeport is located. Sometimes the team is called by the unofficial nicknames, the Park City Blues or the Park City Nine, in reference to the city of Bridgeport's nickname.
Another interesting part about visiting Bluefish games are at every game, two bearded Bluefish season-ticket holders, also known as the "Sign Guys," walk around the ballpark and hold up signs that support the Bluefish, and encourage their fans to sign it. They have been rumored to do this at every game and most Bluefish fans would say they are the most die-hard Bluefish fans ever.
Former Major Leaguers on the Bluefish
Teams and Records
- 2007 72-54 Manager: Tommy John
Attendance
- 2007.....167,372...2,426 per game
Current Roster
Field Management
- Manager - Tommy John
- Bench Coach - Brian Warren
- Hitting Coach - Terry McGriff
Front Office
- Owner - Get Hooked LLC
- CEO - Mary-Jane Foster
- General Manager - Todd Marlin
- Front Office Staff
The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
The Ballpark at Harbor Yard is a 5,300-seat baseball-only stadium in Bridgeport, Connecticut that opened on May 28, 1998 with a loss to the Aberdeen Arsenal. The stadium is the home of the Bridgeport Bluefish baseball team and is located next to the Arena at Harbor Yard. It was named "Harbor Yard" as a subliminal reference to the Baltimore Orioles' ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The Ballpark at Harbor Yard was the home field of the Bridgeport Barrage of Major League Lacrosse from 2001 to 2003. The Barrage relocated to Philadelphia after the 2003 season.
Harbor Yard hosted two different All-Star games in its history: the first MLL All-Star Game in 2001, and the 2006 Atlantic League All-Star Game
Stadium Dimensions
Left Field: 325 Feet
Center Field: 405 Feet
Right Field: 325 Feet
Trivia
- Jose Offerman played for the Bluefish in 2003
