Middletown Mansfields

The Middletown Mansfields were a Baseball team in Middletown, Connecticut. The Mansfields were a member of the National Association in 1872. The baseball team was organized by Ben Douglas Jr., who named the team after his great-uncle General Joseph Mansfield. They were managed by catcher John Clapp, and they finished with a record of 5-19. Their home games were played at the Mansfield Club Grounds in Middletown, Connecticut.

Among their players was future Hall of Fame outfielder Jim O'Rourke, who was a 21-year-old rookie. He batted .307 in 23 games at shortstop, catcher, and third base. Also on the team was the star pitcher for the undefeated 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, Asa Brainard. Another player on the team was Ham Allen who batted .271 in 17 games.

Obstacles for a small town like Middletown to operate and compete against big city teams like Boston, New York, and Baltimore were many, so on August 14, 1872, closed their books and ended their one and only major league season.

See also

• 1872 Middletown Mansfields season

External links

• Major League Baseball in Gilded Age Connecticut: The Rise and Fall of the Middletown, New Haven and Hartford Clubs (complete history of Middletown Mansfields)
• Baseball Reference Team Index
• Middletown Mansfield Base Ball Club 1866-1872
• Middletown's Season In The Sun
• Middletown Mansfield Batting Register

References

• Wright, Marshall (2000). The National Association of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-0779-4
• Arcidiacono, David (2009) "Major League Baseball in Gilded Age Connecticut: The Rise and Fall of the Middletown, New Haven and Hartford Clubs". McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-3677-8