Bridgeport Bluefish

The first game of the Bridgeport Bluefish was May 21, 1998. The team has been to five Atlantic League Championship Series. It won in 1999 against the Somerset Patriots and lost to Atlantic City in 1998, Newark in 2002, Lancaster in 2006, and York in 2010.

Some of the former major leaguers who have worn Bluefish jerseys include Endy Chávez, Shea Hillenbrand, Alex Hinshaw, José Offerman, Edgardo Alfonzo, Deivi Cruz, Junior Spivey, Quinton McCracken, Antonio Alfonseca, Willy Mo Pena, Joey Gathright, Adam Greenberg, and Mariano Duncan.

The Bluefish won their first league championship in 1999, led by their inaugural manager, and long time major leaguer – Willie Upshaw. The Bluefish have won the most games in Atlantic League history.[1][2] The land under The Ballpark at Harbor Yard was purchased by the city of Bridgeport from Donald Trump for $1 and with the forgiveness of back taxes owed on the property. The Jenkins Valve plant was demolished to make way for the stadium. The success of the Bluefish led to redevelopment of the South End, including construction of the Arena at Harbor Yard and a multiuse parking garage.[3]

The founders of the Bluefish were Mickey Herbert, Jack McGregor, Mary–Jane Foster, and the Bridgeport Waterfront Investors. Herbert anchored the team through a mayoral scandal and difficult financial circumstances. Prior to the 2006 season, the franchise was purchased by Get Hooked, LLC, a group of investors from Fairfield County that included McGregor and Foster. However, Get Hooked dropped the Bluefish prior to the 2008 season in favor of seeking a new ballpark for the city of Yonkers, New York. The Bluefish were purchased by Frank Boulton, who is also the owner of the Long Island Ducks and the founder of the Atlantic League.

The Bluefish became the first team in Atlantic League history to record 1,000 victories as a franchise in 2012. On June 27, 2012, the team defeated the York Revolution 2–1 at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard to capture the victory.[4][5]

For one day in May 2016, Jennie Finch was a guest manager for the Bluefish, thus becoming the first woman to manage a professional baseball team.[6] The team played and won one game that day.[6]

In April 2017, the City of High Point, North Carolina, approved $15 million from the city budget to begin land acquisition and engineering studies for a new $45 million, publicly funded stadium to be financed through limited-obligation tax bonds. The stadium was expected to be the new home for the Bluefish in 2019. It had yet to be determined where (or if) the Bluefish would play in 2018.[7]

On August 8, 2017, the Bluefish announced that the 2017 season would be the team's last in Bridgeport. On September 17, the Bluefish played the final game in their 20-year history at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, losing 9–2 to the Somerset Patriots.[8] Despite having the best overall record in the Liberty Division, the Bluefish missed the playoffs, as they finished one game back of the Patriots in the first–half standings and two games back of their cross-sound rival Long Island Ducks in the second half.[9]

Though it had been planned for the Bluefish to relocate to High Point, later the team ceased operations at the end of the 2017 season. High Point got an expansion franchise that is not connected to the Bluefish (the High Point Rockers).

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard was converted to a concert venue known as Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater.[10][11] A groundbreaking ceremony for the replacement amphitheater was held in July 2018.[12] The amphitheater opened July 28, 2021.[13]