Customer Reviews

MUZZY FIELD: TALES FROM A FORGOTTEN BALLPARK

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Many baseball fields do have a soul. I'm convinced that certain fields carry the aura of the ghosts of long ago players who once roamed the fields of baseball competition. Most of those baseball fields are now long gone. Such fields as old Tiger Stadium, Sportsman's Park, Ebbets Field, The Polo Grounds, old Yankee Stadium or the one I knew of as a kid growing up in Cleveland, Ohio that being League Park. These places do indeed have a soul. Major league baseball was the primary use of these fields. However in all these sports venues other sports such as professional football were also played. Books have been written of these places and a sense of purpose and of history and respect is conveyed of tales passed down through the generations.
Douglas Malin who now resides in Bristol Connecticut, as I also do, has written a historical account of a field in Bristol which has been around for one hundred years. In fact this field is still being used for baseball and high school football. It is still a wonderful functional field serving the community of Bristol. Malin tells of the history of the making of the field and the major events of what took place on the field. Most of his insight and references come from the Bristol Press which is still published to this day.
The golden days of Muzzy Field coincide with the golden days of semi-professional ball or town ball in which every town of some size had their own baseball teams. Bristol in the 1920s was no different than any other New England town; they also had their own baseball team. Usually these teams were organized by companies within the towns. They brought in talented players, whose main job was to play baseball but in reality were paid their wages as employees of these companies. Bristol had a company which was part of the General Motors Company called New Departure. From the 1920s onto the 1930s New Departure was where many people of Bristol spent their summers watching the golden age of town baseball. Also it must be noted that the author showed us that many major league teams played exhibition games during this time span against New Departure. Such stars as Babe Ruth, Warren Spahn and Lou Gehrig graced the space of Muzzy Field.
By the 1940s with town ball no longer a major player football is played, also on the sem-professional bases and such great names as Don Hutson and Vince Lombardi played at Muzzy Field. Later in 1949 and 1950 Muzzy field took on lights and fielded a minor league club which won a league championship in 1949. Later the Boston Red Sox established a minor league team in Bristol in the 1970s. Since that team left Bristol for New Britain, Muzzy field has been used for American Legion baseball and high school football. It is a reminder of times past but also is very active in the sports of today's local community. The ghosts of Vince Lombardi, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig still may be seen, but only if you look with your heart and understand the history of this hallowed ground.

Mr. Douglas Malan wrote a book called "Muzzy Field: Tales From a Forgotten Ballpark". This book was so well written that it reached me in several ways. As a sports fanatic the story about Babe Ruth and Vince Lombardi both playing on this field really was interesting. I would recommend Mr. Malans Muzzy Field book to anyone who is a historian, sports fan, or a baseball junky. Please go out and get a copy today!

Thanks,
Jimmy White