Rare c1941 Early Bridgeport Bees Baseball Team Photo Connecticut New Haven For Sale

Approximate size: 10 inches x 7.25 inches

This rare collectible is a photo of a baseball team believed to be the Bridgeport Bees, posing for a picture perhaps after a practice. There is a field and trees in the background, so likely not at a stadium, but likely a practice field.

The assessment is based on research of the age of the photo and their uniforms featuring the \"BB\" and the \"NH\" arm patch, which likely stand for Bridgeport Bees and New Haven (see the map in the pictures to see the geographical proximity between Bridgeport Connecticut and New Haven Connecticut). There is also \"Cardinals\" across one of the jerseys in the picture, which could possibly be an affiliate team of the Bridgeport Bees.

The Bridgeport Bees, a minor league baseball team, played in the Colonial League and Inter-State League between 1941 and 1950. Most wins in a season: 73 in 1949. Most losses in a season: 79 in 1941. This photo seems to have been made earlier than the team\'s later years, which is why I\'m estimating the age of this at 1941, near the beginning of the team\'s status.

The year 1947 marked two noteworthy events in the city’s baseball history: the opening of Candlelite Stadium and the return of the Bridgeport Bees. Candlelite Stadium was not so much a new ballpark as the renovation of an old one, Schwarz Field, which was owned by local businessman John Schwarz and located on River Street at North Washington Avenue. An earlier version of the Bees had played in 1941 at Newfield Park as an affiliate of the Boston (now Atlanta) Braves. That version of the Bees went under after one season largely due to the United States’ entry into the Second World War.

The driving forces behind the new Bees of 1947 and Candlelite Stadium were Bobby Sherwood and Carl Brunetto. Sherwood was a long-time Bridgeport area athlete while Brunetto was a local businessman. Brunetto’s holdings included the Candlelite Restaurant that sat immediately adjacent to the right field line of the ballpark and from which the refurbished stadium got its new name.

The 1947 Bees played in the newly-formed Colonial League and had a working agreement with the Washington Senators, who now play as the Minnesota Twins. The Colonial was designated as Class B, which meant it was four steps removed from the major leagues. The league consisted of six teams: the Bees, Stamford Pioneers, Waterbury Timers, New London Raiders, Poughkeepsie Chiefs and Port Chester Clippers. The Colonial was a quality league that featured a number of players who eventually made it to the major leagues, including two Bees, as well as long-time major league umpire Ed Sudol.

Though the Bees opened the 1947 season with a victory at Candlelite, they soon sank to the bottom of the standings. New players were brought in on a regular basis in an effort to improve the team and at least forty men played for the team during the season.

See the pictures for newspaper clippings of the Bees, such as a news article about Joe Di Maggio, cousin to the Yankees slugger Joe Di Maggio, pitched a poor game against the Bridgeport Bees. Another is about manager Frank Silva traded George Handy to the Boston Braves. Another is about how Joe Campini, rookie catcher for the Waterbury Timers, with train with the Bridgeport Bees. These clippings are for reference only and are not included in the purchase, which is only for the one, main photo.

After the Bridgeport Bees, professional baseball would not be played in Bridgeport for about another half-century, until the arrival of the Bluefish in 1998.

Track record:

B Interstate League 1941 Bridgeport Bees (Bost.-NL) 47-79 7th

B Colonial League 1947 Bridgeport Bees 46-76 6th,last

B Colonial League 1948 Bridgeport Bees (Wash.) 61-72 5th

B Colonial League 1949 Bridgeport Bees 73-54 3rd

B Colonial League 1950 Bridgeport Bees 23-41 6th,last League folded July 16th.

Purchase this photo today and have it be the newest addition to your collection.

Please inspect the pictures, as they give the best representation of condition.May have discoloring, edge or corner wear, marks, creases, fading, smudges, corner or edge bends, tears, or corners missing.

In particular, there are four holes in the four corners and damage on the back, likely from tape at one point.

(B10 inventory number)