The Berkshire Black Bears were a minor league baseball team in the independent Northeast League .
25-756: The Berkshire Black Bears were one of many historical teams to have played in Wahconah Park , starting with the Pittsfield Electrics (1913–14) and later, the Pittsfield Hillies (1919–30), the Pittsfield Electrics (1941–48), Pittsfield Indians (1949–50), and Pittsfield Phillies (1951). After a 14-year hiatus, Pittsfield gained the Pittsfield Red Sox (1965–69), Pittsfield Senators (1970–71), Pittsfield Rangers (1972–75) and Berkshire Brewers (1976). After another nine year hiatus,
50-470: A 10-34, which was also the worst record across the league for the second half. In 43 home games, they drew 56,295 fans for an average of 1,309 per game, both numbers ranking near the bottom of the league. After this poor performance, manager George Scott was to be replaced, and the team later announced his replacement for 2003 was Darren Bush . Following this, they also hired Jim Dedrick as their pitching coach. After these additions, they went 41-51 during
75-532: A 28–18 record, and qualified for the Can-Am League playoffs. However, the Cutters' luck ran out in the first round of the playoffs, as they were eliminated 3 games to 1 by the eventual league champion Worcester Tornadoes . In 2006, the Cutters kept pace with the league-leading North Shore Spirit with the second-best overall record in the league. The Cutters once again were defeated in the first round of
100-615: A career in independent baseball, moved the team to New Haven, Connecticut where it became the New Haven County Cutters . Wahconah Park Wahconah Park is a city-owned baseball park located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and nestled in a working-class neighborhood. One of the last remaining ballparks in the United States with a wooden grandstand, it was constructed in 1919 and seats 4,500. Through
125-539: A mesh screen was placed in center field. Nevertheless, some umpires still briefly suspend games at sunset, so that the setting sun will not interfere with the batters' view of the pitch. In 1927, a dike was installed on the Housatonic River to prevent recurrent flooding. The Pittsfield Mets were a minor-league baseball team moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts from Little Falls, New York, by an investment group organized by Michael T. Casey. The team played in
150-480: A one-game playoff at Yale Field. The bad streak continued, and the Cutters fell to last place in the division in the second half and cost first-year manager Jarvis Brown , a former Minnesota Twins prospect, his job. In 2005, led by first-year manager Mike Church , the Cutters' fortunes started out badly in the first half with an 18–28 record. However, in the second half, they had a complete reversal of fortune and won their first half-season division championship, with
175-401: A record crowd of 5,000 attended a vintage baseball game he organized at Wahconah Park between Pittsfield and Hartford, a game telecast live for over four hours on ESPN Classic as America's Pastime: Vintage Baseball, Live . Commentators included Bouton, Bill Lee , actor Tim Robbins , and baseball historians John Thorn and David Pietrusza . Eventually, Pittsfield politics intervened and Bouton
200-500: A settlement. For the 2009 season, Duquette restyled the team the Pittsfield American Defenders, with a military theme. The park was called Nokona Stadium at Wahconah Park pursuant to a sponsorship deal with the manufacturer of baseball gloves that funded all-new bathrooms, stadium offices, and press box. On May 3, 2009, Williams College and Amherst College alumni played a game under 1859 rules to commemorate
225-561: Is Baseball as it Oughta Be. In 2012, the stadium became the home field of the Pittsfield Suns , an expansion franchise of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League . The Suns will not play the 2024 season because of safety issues at Wahconah Park. Former park dimensions were 334 feet to left field, 374 feet to center field, and 333 feet to right field. The current field dimensions are 310 feet down
250-597: The Can-Am League playoffs by the Brockton Rox three games to one. On October 30, 2007, Cutters' President David Boyle, Chairman Jonathan Fleisig, and Vice Chairman Rick Handelman announced that the team would "not be playing baseball at Yale Field in 2008." The Cutters were joined by the North Shore Spirit in no longer being part of the Can-Am League in the 2008 season. On November 9–10, 2007,
275-646: The North Atlantic League with former major league star George Scott as manager, who managed the team for all four years that the Mad Dogs played in the region. They dominated the NAL, going 56-21 and winning the pennant by 13 1 ⁄ 2 games, but were defeated in two games in the best-of-3 playoffs by the Catskill Cougars . The Mad Dogs drew the most fans in the league with 52,384. When
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#1732782678295300-720: The Northeast League in 2004), an independent league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball nor with the Minor League Baseball organization. Originally based in Lynn, Massachusetts , the Massachusetts Mad Dogs were named during an event that included students from Lynn and nearby Nahant, Massachusetts . The Mad Dogs were members of three different independent baseball leagues. They began to play in 1996 as an expansion team in
325-801: The Pittsfield Colonials . In 2012, the Pittsfield Suns , an expansion franchise of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), began playing at Wahconah Park. Marvin Goldklang is the majority owner; the Goldklang Group also owns part of the club. Goldklang owned and operated the Pittsfield Mets. In March 2024, the FCBL announced that the Suns would not play the 2024 season because of safety issues at Wahconah Park. In
350-595: The 150th-anniversary of the first college baseball game, played between the two schools. Duquette, an alumnus of Amherst, was instrumental in organizing the event. The Pittsfield American Defenders lasted only one season. In 2010, Duquette moved the NECBL franchise to his baseball camp in nearby Hinsdale , and moved his Can-Am League entry, the New Hampshire American Defenders, to Wahconah Park from Nashua, New Hampshire ; they were known as
375-599: The NAL folded after the 1996 season, the Mad Dogs jumped to the Northeast League and went 45–37, tying for the second half northern lead (23-17) with the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs . Massachusetts lost to Albany in the playoffs 2 games to 1. The first year in the Northeast League drew 72,681 fans, second to Albany's 72,985. The Mad Dogs fell to 39–45 in 1998 and were next to last in attendance, drawing only 47,123 fans that season. In 1999,
400-745: The New York ;- Penn League, and were affiliated with the New York Mets from 1989 to 2000 and the Houston Astros in 2001. In 2002, the independent Berkshire Black Bears moved to Wahconah Park after three years of dormancy as the Massachusetts Mad Dogs. After the 2003 season, they did not renew their lease but moved to New Haven, Connecticut . Jim Bouton proposed to renovate the park without any public dollars and bring professional baseball back. On July 3, 2004,
425-599: The Northeast League merged into the Northern League to form the Northern League East Division. The club was 41–45 in a tight division. They finished one game out of first place in the first half of the season, and tied for last place in the second half but were just four games back. Attendance fell to last in the Northern League's Eastern Division with 38,528. Following the 1999 season, the team suspended operations, citing major issues with
450-794: The Pittsfield Cubs (1985–88), Pittsfield Mets (1989–2000) and Pittsfield Astros (2001) came to be. Soon after, they became the Berkshire Black Bears in 2002. In the First Half of the season for the North Division, they finished last with a record of 14-31, tying the Allentown Ambassadors for the worst record in the first half. In the Second Half, they finished last in their division again with
475-534: The left field line, 377 feet to left field, 374 feet to center field, 403 feet to right-center field, and 305 feet down the right field line. Because the field was constructed before the advent of field lighting, no harm was seen in orienting the diamond due west. It is one of only two professional ballparks in the U.S. today that faces west (the other being Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield, California , built in 1941). Lights were not installed until 1946. In 1989
500-546: The move to criticism of the team from Pittsfield civic leaders. During their four seasons in New Haven, the Cutters had varying degrees of success. Their first season saw them leading the Northeast League South Division for most of the first half of the season, but the team severely faltered down the stretch and ended up losing the division to the eventual league champion New Jersey Jackals in
525-599: The park's history, 201 different Pittsfield players went on to the Major Leagues, and 100 different Pittsfield players already had some Major League experience. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. In the July 23, 1990, issue of Sports Illustrated , author Daniel Okrent raved about the park in his column entitled Just A Little Bit of Heaven – Pittsfield's Wahconah Park
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#1732782678295550-409: The season, marking an improvement from their previous season, but in comparison to the rest of the league they performed second worst. As well, their attendance went down to just 43,846 fans for an average of 946 per day, which similarly measured poorly compared to the rest of the league. At the end of the 2003 season, the Berkshire Black Bears did not renew their lease. Jonathan Fleisig, still pursuing
575-610: The summer, concerts are held in Wahconah Park. It is also home to varsity football games for Pittsfield-area high schools. New Haven County Cutters The New Haven County Cutters were an independent baseball team based in New Haven, Connecticut . From 2004 through 2007, the Cutters played in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball (the "Can-Am League", formerly known as
600-558: The team's home in Lynn, Fraser Field . After a three-year hiatus, the franchise was resurrected, this time in Pittsfield, Massachusetts as the Berkshire Black Bears , playing at historic Wahconah Park . Despite the change of location, the losing continued and the team drew minimal support from the area. Following the 2003 season, the team moved again, this time to New Haven, Connecticut . Owner Jonathan Fleisig attributed
625-637: Was forced out. In 2005, former Boston Red Sox General Manager Dan Duquette brought the Pittsfield Dukes , a New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) team, to Wahconah Park. During the 2007 season, the Dukes attracted a season attendance of 28,955 through 21 home games, averaging 1,378 fans per game. His agreement with the City of Pittsfield was jeopardized prior to the 2008 season over back maintenance fees, but Duquette and city officials reached
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