Bristol Red Sox

Minor league baseball team

Bristol Red Sox

* 1973–1982
* Bristol, Connecticut

Minor league affiliations
Previous classes| Double-A (1973–1982)
League| Eastern League (1973–1982)
Major league affiliations
Previous teams| Boston Red Sox (1973–1982)
Minor league titles
League titles (3)|

* 1975
* 1978
* 1981

Team data

Previous names

* Bristol Red Sox (1973–1982)

Previous parks

| Muzzy Field (1973–1982)

The Bristol Red Sox baseball club was an American minor league baseball franchise. Based in Bristol, Connecticut, it was the Double-A Eastern League farm system affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for ten seasons (1973–82) and played at Muzzy Field.

## Successor to original "PawSox"

[edit]

The team was created during the 1972–73 offseason, when the parent Red Sox decided to move their Triple-A franchise, the Louisville Colonels, to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, home of the Sox' Eastern League farm team, the Pawtucket Red Sox, since 1970.

The Double-A PawSox' owner, Joe Buzas, selected Bristol as the site for his relocated EL franchise. The city had previously hosted the Bristol Owls of the Class B Colonial League in 1949–50 (the league disbanded on July 14, 1950) and the Tramps, Bellmakers and Woodchoppers of the Connecticut State League at the turn of the 20th century (1897; 1899–1901).[1]

## Nine winning seasons in ten years

[edit]

Despite the presence of future Boston stars Jim Rice and Fred Lynn on the 1973 squad, the maiden season of the Bristol Red Sox was a losing one — but the next nine editions of the club sported over .500 records and won Eastern League titles in 1975, 1978 and 1981. Other future MLB or Red Sox stars who played for Bristol included Marty Barrett, Wade Boggs, Oil Can Boyd, Steve Crawford, Bo Díaz, Rich Gedman, Butch Hobson, Bruce Hurst, Steve Lyons, Al Nipper, Bob Stanley, Dave Stapleton, John Tudor and Ernie Whitt.

Managers included former Major Leaguers Stan Williams, Dick McAuliffe and John Kennedy, but the most successful Bristol skipper was veteran minor league player and skipper Tony Torchia, who piloted the club for its final five seasons, winning two championships.

## Relocation to New Britain (1983–2015), Hartford (2016-present)

[edit]

The franchise shifted to New Britain, Connecticut, in 1983, where it played for 33 years, the last 21 as the Rock Cats. The New Britain franchise, now a Colorado Rockies' affiliate, officially moved to nearby Hartford as the Yard Goats in 2016. Since 2003, the Red Sox' Eastern League affiliate has been the Portland Sea Dogs.

## Annual record

[edit]

Year | Record | Finish
Full Season | Attendance | Manager | Postseason

|
|
|
|
|

1973 | 62–77 | Third
(American Div.) | 47,288 | Rac Slider | DNQ
1974 | 74–61 | First
(American Div.) | 47,989 | Stan Williams | Lost in first round
1975 | 81–57 | Second | 42,238 | Dick McAuliffe
Bill Slack | League champions
1976 | 74–60 | Second
(Southern Div.) | 38,637 | John Kennedy | DNQ
1977 | 72–67 | Fourth
(Southern Div.) | 57,563 | John Kennedy | DNQ
1978 | 72–66 | Third | 64,921 | Tony Torchia | League champions
1979 | 73–66 | Third | 66,844 | Tony Torchia | DNQ
1980 | 79–60 | First
(Southern Div.) | 65,991 | Tony Torchia | DNQ
1981 | 72–66 | Second
(Southern Div.) | 77,066 | Tony Torchia | League champions
1982 | 75–65 | Second
(Southern Div.) | 67,564 | Tony Torchia | DNQ

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, eds., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 2007.

## External links

[edit]

* Unofficial web site

Preceded by

Pawtucket Red Sox

|  Boston Red Sox
Double-A affiliate
1973–1982  | Succeeded by

New Britain Red Sox

|
|

* v
* t
* e

Hartford Yard Goats

* Founded in 1973
* Based in Hartford, Connecticut

Club|

* Bristol Red Sox (1973–1982)
* New Britain Red Sox (1983–1994)
* Hardware City Rock Cats (1995–1996)
* New Britain Rock Cats (1997–2015)

Venues|

* Muzzy Field
* Beehive Field
* New Britain Stadium
* Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium
* Dunkin' Park

Culture|

* Chew Chew
* Chompers
* Twirly
* Thomas Hooker Brewery

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