The Bridgeport Bluefish are an American professional baseball team based in Bridgeport, . They 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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History of Bridgeport baseball

Baseball Comes to Bridgeport

The game of baseball was first played in Bridgeport, Connecticut soon after the Civil War ended. Other teams that called the city home were the Victors, Mechanics, Bolts, Americans, and the Bears. Bridgeport was the home of Major Leaguer, James "Orator" O'Rourke, who signed the first African-American to play for a professional baseball team in 1895. Visiting Major League and Negro League teams often played exhibition games in Bridgeport in the shadow of the city's smokestacks. Professional baseball would not be played in Bridgeport for about another half-century, until the arrival of the Bluefish in 1998.

Bridgeport Bluefish

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 four of the Atlantic League Championship Series, and won in 1999 versus the Somerset Patriots. They were runners-up in 1998, losing to Atlantic City, in 2002, losing to Newark, and in 2006, losing to Lancaster.

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 Bluefish won their first league championship in 1999, and have won the most games in Atlantic League history. The land under The Ballpark at Harbor Yard was purchased by the city of Bridgeport from Donald Trump for $1 and with the forgiveness of back taxes owed on the property. The Jenkins Valve plant was destroyed to make way for the stadium. The success of the Bluefish led to major redevelopment of the South End, including construction of the Arena at Harbor Yard and a multi-use parking garage. ^[1] In many ways, the renaissance of Bridgeport was started by the Bluefish. ^[2]

The original founders of the Bluefish were Mickey Herbert, Jack McGregor, Mary-Jane Foster, and the Bridgeport Waterfront Investors. Herbert 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 that included McGregor and Foster. However, Get Hooked dropped the Bluefish prior to the 2008 season in favor of seeking a new ballpark for the city of Yonkers, New York. The Bluefish were purchased by Frank Boulton, who is also the owner of the Long Island Ducks and the founder of the Atlantic League.

Before the 2009 season, the Bluefish hired Willie Upshaw, a Major League Baseball alumnus and Fairfield County native, as their bench coach. He was Bridgeport's first manager from 1998 to 2000, as well as the first base coach for the Cleveland Indians from 2000–2005, and the San Francisco Giants for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Upshaw spent nine of his ten playing seasons in the Majors with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he led the team with 21 home runs and 75 runs batted in (RBI). The following year he became the first Toronto player to top 100 RBI in a season with 104. ^[3] On July 8, 2009 manager Tommy John announced he was stepping down and Willie Upshaw was picked to take his place. ^[4]

Logos and uniforms

The official colors of the Bridgeport Bluefish are navy blue, aqua, and silver. The primary logo consists of the "Bluefish" wordmark in navy blue with aqua outline superimposed over a depiction of a cartoon bluefish holding a baseball bat.

The Bluefish wear caps produced by The Game Headwear and uniforms by Wilson Sporting Goods. The home cap is navy blue with aqua trim on the ventilation holes and an aqua button, with the cap logo depicting a bluefish interwoven with a capital "B" centered on the front. The away cap is navy blue with an aqua brim and button, with the same cap logo. The home jersey is white with traditional navy blue piping below the collar and around the sleeves. The "Bluefish" wordmark is centered across the front in navy blue with silver outline and aqua drop shadow. The number on the back is in solid navy blue, and the interlocking "BB" logo centered on the left sleeve. The away jersey is grey with navy blue piping, and the "Bridgeport" wordmark centered across the front in navy blue with white outline. The Bluefish also have navy blue alternate jerseys, with aqua piping. The interlocking "BB" logo is centered on the left-side chest, with the number on the back in aqua outlined in white.

Season-by-season records

Bridgeport Bluefish - 1998 to 2008 [5]'''
Season	First Half W - L Record	First Half Winning Percentage	First Half Finish	Second Half W - L Record	Second Half Winning Percentage	Second Half Finish	Overall W - L Record	Overall Winning Percentage	Overall Finish	Playoffs
1998	31-18	.633	1st in Atlantic League	32-18	.640	1st in Atlantic League	63-36	.637	1st in Atlantic League	1-3 (lost league championship to Atlantic City Surf)
1999	43-17	.717	1st in Atlantic League	35-25	.583	2nd in Atlantic League	78-42	.650	1st in Atlantic League	3-0 (won league championship)
2000	35-35	.500	4th in North Division	43-26	.623	1st in North Division	78-61	.561	3rd in North Division	1-2 (lost first round to Nashua Pride)
2001	30-33	.476	3rd in North Division	36-27	.571	3rd in North Division	66-60	.524	3rd in North Division
2002	36-27	.524	1st in North Division	35-28	.556	1st in North Division	71-55	.563	1st in North Division	2-4 (lost league championship to Newark Bears)
2003	34-29	.540	2nd in North Division	39-24	.620	1st in North Division	73-53	.579	1st in North Division	1-2 (lost first round to Nashua Pride)
2004	38-25	.603	2nd in North Division	34-29	.540	2nd in North Division	72-54	.571	1st in North Division
2005	33-37	.471	2nd in North Division	22-48	.314	4th in North Division	55-85	.393	4th in North Division
2006	38-25	.603	2nd in North Division	37-24	.607	1st in North Division	75-49	.605	1st in North Division	2-3 (lost league championship to Lancaster Barnstormers)
2007	35-28	.556	2nd in North Division	25-38	.397	4th in North Division	60-66	.476	3rd in North Division	-
2008	33-37	.471	3rd in Liberty Division	34-36	.486	3rd in Liberty Division	67-73	.479	3rd in Liberty Division
Totals (1998–2008)	386-311	.554
372-323	.535
758-634	.545
10-14

• 1 Atlantic League Championship (1999)

Ferry Cup

The Bridgeport Bluefish contend with the Long Island Ducks over the Ferry Cup, which is sponsored by the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company. The two teams border on the Long Island Sound, and many fans of both teams regularly cross it to support them. The current Bluefish/Ducks rivalry record is 85-83, in favor of Bridgeport. ^[6]

Mascots

One of the Bridgeport Bluefish official mascots is an anthropomorphic bluefish named B.B. He wears the team's alternate jersey with white sneakers. B.B. was born on May 29, 1997 in Cape Hatteras. He later migrated to the Long Island Sound, and joined the Bluefish soon after. The mascot's name alludes to the initials of the team and its nickname. ^[7]

Cap'n L.I. Sounder is another source of entertainment at Harbor Yard. He dons the uniform of a sailor, and has a short beard. Cap'n L.I. Sounder's name refers to the nautical rank of captain and the name of a Long Island Sound resident.

Current roster

Active (25-man) roster				Coaches
Pitchers  4 Rick Asadoorian  7 Rob Semerano 12 Andrew Weimer 16 Matt Pike 17 Patrick Ryan 28 Kyle Jackson 32 Jonathan Plefka 35 Gary Knotts 36 Casey Hoorelbeke 38 Dan Reichert 40 Hector Carrasco 41 Esteban Yan Catchers  9 Luis Rodriguez 22 Shea Harris		Infielders  8 Tim Johnson 15 Ryner Bautista 19 Luis Lopez (third baseman) 27 Jesse Hoorelbeke 30 Wilson Batista Outfielders  2 Tyrone Pendergrass  5 Adam Greenberg (baseball) 11 Colin Roberson 18 Ryan Radmanovich 23 Brandon Sing		Coaching Staff 51 Willie Upshaw (Manager)

Retired numbers

Roberto Clemente [8]	Jackie Robinson
OF Retired by the Brigeport Bluefish on August 14, 2008	2B Retired throughout professional baseball on April 15, 1997

References

1. Bridgeport Renewal
2. Bridgeport's Renaissance
3. Willie Upshaw
4. Tommy John Steps Down as Bluefish Manager
5. Atlantic League information
6. Bluefish and Ducks introduce Ferry Cup
7. Mascot Biographies
8. Roberto Clemente Night, ''Bridgeport Bluefish'', August 14, 2008. Accessed March 5, 2009. "Roberto Clement Night."