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The Colonial League was the name of two mid-level American minor baseball leagues. The first Colonial League was a Class C level league that existed from 1914 to 1915 as a minor league for the outlaw Federal League. The second Colonial League existed from 1947 through mid-July 1950. It was graded Class B, two levels below the major leagues, and featured teams based in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey

History

1914 to 1915

The Colonial League began to operate as a Class C level league based in Southern New England in the 1914 season. In April, Alexander Bannwart drew notice by acquiring Big Jeff Pfeffer to manage the team in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. By May, it was suspected that Bannwart was working as an agent of the Federal League, an outlaw league working outside of the National Agreement. Bannwart denied this. Upon these news reports, some of the founding members of the Colonial League resigned, fearing banishment by the National Baseball Commission.

Though Charles Coppen was nominally the president of the Colonial League, Bannwart began to exert authority at the Colonial League offices. Later in the 1914 season, Bannwart drew anger when he attempted to make last-minute changes to the schedule designed to increase competitiveness in the standings and maximize profits at the box office. Due to the backlash from the teams, the schedule was not changed. The league was reported to have lost $22,000 ($669,209 in current dollar terms) in 1914. After the season, Bannwart unsuccessfully petitioned the National Commission to reclassify the Colonial League as Class B.

At the April 1915 league meeting, Coppen was re-elected as president and Bannwart was elected secretary. Walter S. Ward, the treasurer of the Brooklyn Tip Tops of the Federal League and son of George S. Ward, an owner of the Tip Tops, was elected as the league's treasurer. Wanting to expand into Springfield, Massachusetts, and Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut, territory that belonged to the Eastern Association, the Colonial League reorganized itself as a farm system for the Federal League and voluntarily withdrew itself from organized baseball. The Colonial League struggled financially in 1915, and Bannwart's policies were blamed. The quality of baseball was deemed to be below the expected standards of a Class C league in part due to the salary maximums set by Bannwart, diminishing fan interest in the league. In August 1915, Bannwart resigned from the Colonial League. The league collapsed during the 1915-16 offseason.

1947 to 1950

The Colonial was one of many minor leagues that briefly existed during the post-World War II baseball boom. It competed in the Northeastern United States with five major league clubs in New York and New England, established minor leagues such as the International League, Eastern League, Canadian–American League, Pennsylvania–Ontario–New York League (PONY League), and other fledgling circuits such as the postwar New England League and Border League.

As a whole, the Colonial was rarely adopted as a site for farm teams for major league clubs. Only two of its member teams (the 1948 Bridgeport Bees and Port Chester Clippers) ever affiliated with a big league parent club (the Washington Senators and St. Louis Browns, respectively).

Baseball Hall of Fame member Jimmie Foxx managed Bridgeport in 1949.

As the minors began to contract in the late 1940s, the Colonial League's days were numbered. It shut its doors on July 14, 1950, with only 80,000 fans reported to have attended games in the entire six-team circuit.

Cities represented

1914–1915

• Brockton, MA: Brockton Shoemakers 1914; Brockton Pilgrims 1915
• Fall River, MA: Fall River Spindles 1914–1915
• Hartford, CT: Hartford Senators 1915
• New Bedford, MA: New Bedford Whalers 1914–1915
• New Haven, CT: New Haven MaxFeds 1915
• Pawtucket, RI: Pawtucket Tigers 1914; Pawtucket Rovers 1915
• Springfield, MA: Springfield Tips 1915
• Taunton, MA: Taunton Herrings 1914–1915
• Woonsocket, RI: Woonsocket Speeders 1914

1947–1950

• Bridgeport, CT: Bridgeport Bees 1947–1950
• Bristol, CT: Bristol Owls 1949–1950
• Kingston, NY: Kingston Hubs 1948; Kingston Colonials 1949–1950
• New Brunswick, NJ: New Brunswick Hubs 1948
• New London, CT: New London Raiders 1947
• Port Chester, NY: Port Chester Clippers 1947–1948
• Poughkeepsie, NY: Poughkeepsie Giants 1947; Poughkeepsie Chiefs 1948–1950
• Stamford, CT: Stamford Bombers 1947; Stamford Pioneers 1948–1949
• Torrington, CT: Torrington Braves 1950
• Waterbury, CT: Waterbury Timers 1947–1950

Standings & statistics

1914 to 1915

1914 Colonial League

No Playoffs held

1915 Colonial League

Fall River & Taunton disbanded on July 10.
No playoffs held

1947 to 1950

1947 Colonial League
schedule

Playoffs: Stamford 4 games, Waterbury 3. New London 4 games, Poughkeepsie 3. Finals: Stamford 4 games, New London 1.

1948 Colonial League
schedule

New Brunswick moved to Kingston on July 10.
Playoffs: Port Chester 4 games, Waterbury 1. Poughkeepsie 4 games, Kingston 1. Finals: Port Chester 4 games, Poughkeepsie 1.

1949 Colonial League
schedule

Playoffs: Bristol 4 games, Waterbury 1. Bridgeport 4 games, Stamford 3. Finals: Bristol 2 games, Bridgeport 1.

1950 Colonial League
schedule

No Playoffs: The League Disbanded July 16.

References

• Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, eds., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina Baseball America, 2007.

1. "Six Teams In The Colonial League". The Evening Herald. February 25, 1914. p. 6. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Pfeffer At Pawtucket". The Evening Herald. April 6, 1914. p. 6. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Reported That Feds Own The Colonial". The Evening Herald. May 28, 1914. p. 6. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Steve Flanagan Quits Colonial". Fall River Daily Evening News. June 3, 1914. p. 5. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Bannwart Behind Colonial League". The Boston Globe. June 4, 1914. p. 10. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "May Mean End of New League". Fall River Daily Evening News. August 26, 1914. p. 3. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "No Changes In Colonial Schedule". The Evening Herald. August 28, 1914. p. 6. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Banwart Still The Big Chief". The Evening Herald. December 29, 1914. p. 6. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Murnane, T.H. (January 30, 1915). "Josh Devore Given Release". The Boston Globe. p. 7. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Son Of Federal League Magnate Behind Colonial League". Democrat and Chronicle. April 25, 1915. p. 28. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Arrangements For Federal League Farm Complete". Norwich Bulletin. May 14, 1915. p. 3. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "New League Jumps To Feds". The Meridian Journal. May 22, 1915. p. 8. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Bannwart's Policy Retards Colonial". Hartford Courant. July 4, 1915. p. 36. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Bannwart Quits Job At Last, But The Colonial Still Lives". Fall River Globe. August 12, 1915. p. 6. Retrieved January 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
15. Lamb, Bill. "Alexander Bannwart". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
16. ^ Lloyd Johnson; Miles Wolff, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.

• Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States
• Baseball leagues in New York (state)
• Baseball leagues in New Jersey
• Baseball leagues in Connecticut
• Sports leagues established in 1914
• Sports leagues disestablished in 1916
• Sports leagues established in 1947
• Sports leagues disestablished in 1950