1899 Connecticut League

New Haven, as infielder Freddy Parent first gained national attention, won this race with a classic charged run while Roger Connor's Waterbury team stumbled in July. New Haven slumped mid-August, the same week that the new Bristol team surged: it would not surprise me if Bristol swept a key series from New Haven that week (I don't have game logs for this season).

In an effort to strengthen his team, Connor pulled a few strings and "borrowed" outfielder Pop Foster and pitcher Tom Colcolough from his ex-team, the New York Giants. Connor also gave Lou Sockalexis a chance in July after he failed in a brief trial with Hartford. Not two years earlier this educated Indian had set the baseball world afire with his raw speed before booze permanently derailed him.

One possible reason for New Haven's downturn was a serious beaning suffered July 22 by their third string pitcher Harry Brace. Brace was reportedly out cold two hours and in bed at his New Haven home for a week. Another head injury occurred when Bristol's manager John Gunshannon got punched in the jaw by ump Conroy, July 28. Just your typical nineteenth century fracas.

40-year old Jerry Denny, a gutsy barehanded player of the 1880's played regularly this season and was considered the best second-baseman in the league.