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The New England Association was an Independent level minor league baseball league that played in the 1877 season and briefly in the 1895 season. The league franchises were based in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The New England Association was an eight–team league in 1877 and a six–team league in 1895 and permanently folded after the partial 1895 season. The 1877 league was one of the earliest minor leagues.
| Classification | Independent (1877, 1895) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Minor League Baseball |
| First season | 1877 |
| Ceased | July 6, 1895 |
| President | J.C. Morse (1895) |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Most titles | 1 Lowell Ladies Men (1877) Lawrence Indians (1895) |
| Related competitions | New England League |
Baseball Hall of Fame members Candy Cummings managed Lynn in the 1877 New England Association and Ned Hanlon played for the 1877 Fall River Casscades.
Formed for the 1877 season, the New England Association began play on May 3, 1877, as an eight–team league, but ended the season reduced to four teams. The league was one of the earliest minor leagues. On August 27, 1877, Providence turned a triple play in a game against Lowell. The Lowell Ladies Men, with a 33–7 record, won the championship, finishing 4.0 games ahead of the second place Manchester Reds who finished with a 29–11 record. Lowell and Manchester were followed in the final standings by the Fall River Cascades (19–21) and Providence Rhode Islanders (11–29). Both Lowell and Fall River had also been members of the 1877 League Alliance agreement, and in one game on June 12, 1877, future Hall of Famer Pud Galvin pitched the International Association member Pittsburgh Alleghenies to a 3–2 win over Lowell. The Lynn Live Oaks (8–22), Fitchburg, Haverhill and Lawrence franchises all folded before the 1877 New England Association season ended on October 15, 1877. The New England Association folded after the 1877 season.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
In November 1877, the Lowell Ladies Men defeated the major leagues' National League champion Boston Red Caps 9–4 in an exhibition contest.[11]
The New England Association had two Baseball Hall of Fame members in the 1877 league. Hall of Fame inductee Candy Cummings managed the 1877 Lynn Live Oaks, while fellow Baseball Hall of Fame member Ned Hanlon played for the 1877 Fall River Casscades at age 19.[12][13][2][14][5][15][16]
In 1895, the New England Association reformed as a six–team independent league under the direction of president J.C. Morse. The six franchises were Fitchburg, Haverhill, Lawrence Indians, Lowell, Nashua Rainmakers and Salem. On May 3, 1895, in a game at Nashua, Lawrence defeated Nashua 36–17. The Fitchburg and Haverhill franchises both disbanded on June 20, 1895. Salem moved to Haverhill on June 20, 1895. On May 21, 1895, William Regan of Salem threw the New England Association's only no-hitter against Fitchburg in a 6–0 victory. The New England Association permanently disbanded mid–season on July 8, 1895. At season's end, the Lawrence Indians won the New England Association championship with a 33–19 record, followed by the Nashua Rainmakers (27–21), Lowell (24–24) and Salem/Haverhill (20–28).[17][18][19]
| Team name | City represented | Ballpark | Year(s) active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall River Cascades | Fall River, MA | Unknown[2] | 1877 |
| Fitchburg | Fitchburg, MA | Fitchburg Driving Park[20] | 1877, 1895 |
| Haverhill | Haverhill, MA | Athletic Park[21] | 1877, 1895 |
| Lawrence Indians | Lawrence, MA | Glen Forest Park[22] | 1877, 1895 |
| Lowell Ladies Men | Lowell, MA | Fair Grounds Field[23] | 1877, 1895 |
| Lynn Live Oaks | Lynn, MA | Unknown[15] | 1877 |
| Manchester Reds | Manchester, NH | Unknown[3] | 1877 |
| Nashua Rainmakers | Nashua, NH | Kinsley Street Grounds[24] | 1895 |
| Providence Rhode Islanders | Providence, RI | Unknown[25] | 1877 |
| Salem | Salem, MA | Donovan Park[26] | 1895 |
1877 New England Association
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell Ladies Men | 33 | 7 | .825 | – | Josiah Butler |
| Manchester Reds | 29 | 11 | .725 | 4.0 | H. S. Clark |
| Fall River Cascades | 19 | 21 | .475 | 14.0 | Jim Mutrie |
| Providence Rhode Islanders | 11 | 29 | .275 | 22.0 | C. R. Dennis |
| Lynn Live Oaks | 8 | 22 | .267 | NA | Candy Cummings |
| Fitchburg | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Haverhill | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Lawrence Indians | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
1895 New England Association
| Team Standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Indians | 31 | 19 | .620 | – | John Irwin |
| Nashua Rainmakers | 27 | 21 | .563 | 3.0 | Edward Norton |
| Lowell | 24 | 24 | .500 | 6.0 | Mike Mahoney / William Meade |
| Salem / Haverhill | 20 | 28 | .417 | 10.0 | Frank Leonard |
| Fitchburg | 12 | 25 | .324 | NA | Lawrence Thyne |
| Haverhill | 12 | 26 | .316 | NA | William Dwyer / William Laverty |
- Candy Cummings (1877) Baseball Hall of Fame, Inducted 1939
- Ned Hanlon (1877) Baseball Hall of Fame, Inducted, 1980
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