Valley Blue Sox

Valley Blue Sox

Team Logo
League NECBL (Northern Division)
Location Holyoke, MA (2008-present)
Concord, NH (2001-2007)
Ballpark Mackenzie Stadium (2008-present)
Year founded 2001
Nickname(s) Sox, Blues
League championships 0
Former name(s) Holyoke Blue Sox (2008-2013)
Concord Quarry Dogs (2001-2007)
Former league(s)
  • NECBL
    • Northern Division (2002, 2004-2008)
    • National Division (2001)
Former ballparks Warren H. Doane Diamond (2001-2007)
Colors Dark blue, Red
         
Mascot Paws
Ownership Clark Eckhoff, President
Management Hunter Golden, GM;
Manager John Raiola
Website valleybluesox.com

The Valley Blue Sox are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The team, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, plays its home games at Mackenzie Stadium.[1] The Blue Sox were founded in 2001 as the Concord Quarry Dogs but moved following the 2007 season to Holyoke[2] to fill the void left by the departure of the Holyoke Giants to Lynn, Massachusetts.[3]

Team history

Concord Quarry Dogs

Logo of the Concord Quarry Dogs (2001-2007)

The Concord Quarry Dogs were founded in 2001, as the second NECBL team in the state of New Hampshire. The team led the league in attendance their inaugural year.[3] Despite making the postseason in both 2002[4] and 2003,[5] the fan base slowly began to dwindle. Attendance slipped dramatically in 2004[6][7] with the arrival of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire.[8] In 2006, average attendance was only 503 per game.[9] Following the 2007 season, the team was purchased by the brother-sister team of Barry Wadsworth and Karen Rella who had hoped to help keep the team in Concord. But shortly thereafter, citing increased rent costs and low attendance, they began their search for a new home.[10]

Move to Holyoke

Blue Sox Logo (2008-2013)

With the departure of the Holyoke Giants after the 2007 season, the new ownership group decided to move their team to Holyoke, Massachusetts.[11] Their first year in Holyoke, the Blue Sox finished just under a .500 record and 8 games behind the division winning and eventual NECBL champions Sanford Mainers.[12]

In 2009, the Blue Sox enjoyed far greater success than their inaugural season in Holyoke, finishing with a 20-21 record,[13] earning the fourth and final West Division playoff spot after a one-game playoff with the Danbury Westerners.[14] The Blue Sox then upset the #1 seeded Keene Swamp Bats in the Division Semifinal round, becoming the first ever #4 seed to defeat a #1 seed in the playoffs.[15] However, the Blue Sox were then defeated by the Vermont Mountaineers in the Division Finals.[16] The 2009 season was highlighted by Holyoke's hosting the 2009 NECBL All-Star Game at Mackenzie Stadium. The game saw a record-breaking attendance figure for the event of 4,906.[17]

In 2011, the team finished with a 28-14 record, sharing the West Division regular-season title with the Keene.[18] The team's attendance figures made a dramatic jump, rising from 39th in 2010 to 3rd in collegiate summer baseball.[19] An average of 2,510 spectators attended each game.[20]

New ownership and name change

Blue Sox logo (2014–present)

In 2013, former Wisconsin Woodchucks owner Clark Eckhoff purchased the team and assumed the role of team president. The 2013 squad advanced to the postseason by winning a play-in game with the Saratoga Brigade before falling 2–1 in the West Division Semifinals to the eventual champions, the Keene Swamp Bats.

In May 2014, the organization announced it would be changing the team's name to the Valley Blue Sox.[21]

In September 2013, Eckhoff hired General Manager Hunter Golden. Despite winning only 12 games in 2014, the team made a 7-win improvement under Golden in the 2015 season. The team also saw its attendance grow to second in the NECBL in their tenure and 29th nationally among all summer collegiate teams according to Ballpark Digest.

Postseason appearances

Year Division Semi-Finals Division Finals NECBL Championship Series
Concord Quarry Dogs
2002 Mill City All-Americans L (1-2)
2003 Keene Swamp Bats L (0-2)
Holyoke Blue Sox
2009 Keene Swamp Bats W (2-1) Vermont Mountaineers L (0-2)
2011 Vermont Mountaineers W (2-0) Keene Swamp Bats L (1-2)
2013 Keene Swamp Bats L (1-2)

Accolades

Records

Below is a list of New England Collegiate Baseball League records set by players of the Concord Quarry Dogs and Holyoke/Valley Blue Sox, as of the end of the 2009 season.[22]

Note: An asterisk (*) denotes the record being held by a member of the Concord Quarry Dogs.

Individual

Team

Awards

Below is a list of awards won by members of the Concord Quarry Dogs and Holyoke/Valley Blue Sox.

End of season awards

All-NECBL Team

Professional alumni

Below is a list of Concord Quarry Dogs (2001–2007) and Holyoke Blue Sox (2008–2012) alumni who have gone on to play professional baseball at the AA level or higher. The alumni are sorted by peak level of baseball in which they have participated.[29]

MLB

Player Year w/ CON/HOL Current/Most recent team Active
Matt Tupman[30] 2001 Lancaster Barnstormers (Indy) Yes
Chris Lambert[31] 2002 Norfolk Tides (AAA) No
Stephen Lombardozzi, Jr.[32] 2008 Washington National (MLB) Yes

AAA

Player Year w/ CON/HOL Current/Most recent team Active
Ryan Roberson[33] 2002 Toledo Mud Hens (AAA) No

AA

Player Year w/ CON/HOL Current/Most recent team Active
Derek Miller[34] 2001 Huntsville Stars (AA) No
Cory Haggerty[35] 2002 Birmingham Barons (AA) No
Emary Frederick[36] 2004-2005 Binghamton Mets (AA) No
Michael Moras[37] 2005 Bridgeport Bluefish (Indy) Yes
John Mariotti[38] 2006 Quebec Capitales (Indy) Yes
Joe Testa[39] 2007 Potomac Nationals (High-A) Yes

References

  1. ↑ Holyoke Blue Sox at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  2. ↑ Concord: The Concord Quarry Dogs baseball team is expected to move to Holyoke, Mass., for next season at entrepreneur.com, Retrieved November 23, 2008
  3. 1 2 About the NECBL at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  4. ↑ 2002 Playoff Statistics at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  5. ↑ 2003 Playoff Statistics at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  6. ↑ 2003 Concord Quarry Dogs Statistics at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2009. Archived 1/3/10
  7. ↑ 2004 Concord Quarry Dogs Statistics at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2009. Archived 1/3/10
  8. ↑ Spinners sister club the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Ready to Open Thursday, April 15 at oursportscentral.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  9. ↑ 2006 Concord Quarry Dogs Statistics at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  10. ↑ Quarry Dogs planning to leave town at concordmonitor.com
  11. ↑ Welcome: Holyoke Sox at masslive.com
  12. ↑ 2008 Standings at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  13. ↑ 2009 Standings at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  14. ↑ Wood and Rosenbeck Power Blue Sox to Postseason at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  15. ↑ The 2009 Vermont Mountaineers Season In Review at necbl.com, URL accessed September 1, 2009
  16. ↑ Holyoke Loses game two, Ends Great Season on 5-3 loss at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  17. ↑ West Wins All-Star game in Holyoke, Hometown Hero gets MVP at necbl.com, URL accessed January 3, 2010. Archived 1/3/10
  18. ↑ "2011 NECBL Season - Standings". NECBL.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  19. ↑ "Ballpark Business Releases 2011 Summer Collegiate Attendance Rankings". Ballpark Biz. 23 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04.
  20. ↑ "Per Game Average Attendance - Top 50". Ballpark Biz. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  21. ↑ The Valley's team takes the Valley name at holyokesox.com, URL accessed May 7, 2014.
  22. ↑ NECBL Record Book at necbl.com, URL accessed January 1, 2010. Archived 1/1/10
  23. 1 2 2001 Awards at necbl.com, URL accessed January 1, 2010. Archived 1/1/10
  24. 1 2 2002 Awards at necbl.com, URL accessed January 1, 2010. Archived 1/1/10
  25. 1 2 2003 Awards at necbl.com, URL accessed January 1, 2010. Archived 1/1/10
  26. 1 2 2009 Awards at necbl.com, URL accessed January 2, 2010. Archived 1/2/10
  27. ↑ 2004 Awards at necbl.com, URL accessed January 1, 2010. Archived 1/1/10
  28. ↑ 2005 Awards at necbl.com, URL accessed January 1, 2010. Archived 1/1/10
  29. ↑ "NECBL Alumni". NECBL.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-13. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  30. ↑ Matt Tupman at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed May 29, 2010. Archived 05-29-10
  31. ↑ Chris Lambert at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed May 29, 2010. Archived 05-29-10
  32. ↑ "Steve Lombardozzi". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-13. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  33. ↑ Ryan Roberson at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed May 29, 2010. Archived 05-29-10
  34. ↑ Derek Miller at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed May 29, 2010. Archived 05-29-10
  35. ↑ Cory Haggerty at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed May 29, 2010. Archived 05-29-10
  36. ↑ Emary Frederick at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed May 30, 2010. Archived 05-30-10
  37. ↑ Michael Moras at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed May 30, 2010. Archived 05-30-10
  38. ↑ John Mariotti at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed May 30, 2010. Archived 05-30-10
  39. ↑ Joe Testa at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed May 30, 2010. Archived 05-30-10

External links

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