Base Ball in the CT River Valley
Baseball was such a big part of my childhood summer memories. In the evenings after my brothers and I were ushered off to bed my Dad would often tune into whatever game was being broadcast on TV. From our rooms we could hear the chatty announcers, an occasional crack of the bat and the dull roar from the crowds over the crickets chirping outside our open windows. I imagine now this was relaxation my dad looked forward to. To this day I can’t hear a baseball game on TV without recalling those summer evenings. I have come to understand that baseball grew to become America’s favorite pastime in much the same way my father enjoyed it – as a way to relax and have some fun after a hard day at work.
In the late 19th century with the industrial era in full swing the ivory business in Ivoryton and Deep River was thriving. Led by two companies, Comstock, Cheney & Co. in Ivoryton and Pratt-Read in Deep River the need for labor to keep up with these rapidly growing businesses had its owners thinking creatively to attract and retain a qualified and loyal workforce. There were many benefits they could offer their employees such as housing, healthcare, and additional tangible incentives, but they also focused on addressing the social condition of the times.
Many workers were immigrants, far away from their families. They spent their days inside factories, under mechanized and sometimes harsh conditions by our standards. At the end of the day (for which there was more free time because work days were shrinking) many workers craved social connection and a way to relax and have fun. That’s where baseball came in. If not for the clever business owners many of these factory workers would wander into the local pub after work. To avoid the problems associated with that particular pastime, company-organized baseball became an appealing alternative.
The company owners also benefited. Lauren Smith writes in Connecticut Explored, Workers: Play Ball!, at a time when factory workers were foreign-born, companies hoped they would learn the principles of capitalism, self-sacrifice, and teamwork through their participation in sports and transfer these lessons to the workplace to produce more docile, efficient and cooperative workers. Recent immigrants could join local sports teams; they did not need to be fluent in English to play. Despite these multiple ulterior motives on the part of business owners, workers participated in the activities with a joyous spirit. At this time in American history fewer leisure-time diversions were available, so workers had to “make their own fun”.
Company-sponsored activities could offset the monotony and tedium of factory work or allow workers time off to practice or travel to games in other cities; some provided bonuses to exceptional athletes on the teams. These circumstances helped make workers’ participation in athletics or leisure pursuits an integral part of their work life.
Christopher Pagliuco writes in Connecticut Explored, Ivoryton, that during the Gilded Age, a period characterized by confrontational labor relations, Comstock, Cheney was able to stave off the formation of labor unions through a practice called welfare capitalism. Under this business strategy, companies made selective investments in the local community in the hope of counteracting labor unrest caused by low wages and employees’ lack of control over their own lives. Such philanthropies also significantly increased productivity and decreased absenteeism among the workforce. This “welfare capitalism” system was successfully employed by Comstock, Cheney until the onset of the Great Depression.
Pagliuco continues, one common practice of welfare capitalist’s was to create constructive opportunities for workers to socialize in an effort to reduce the amount of time spent at the saloon. In Ivoryton, a “wheel club” was established to provide for bowling, bicycling, a band and other social activities. In 1886, a competitive baseball team was established, along with a new ballpark, which still is used by the town today. (One pitcher, Paul Hopkins, who also played for the Deep River team, went on to pitch for the Washington Senators in the major leagues. Although an outstanding player, he is primarily known for giving up Babe Ruth’s 59th home run in the year Ruth hit 60 homers.) Over time, Comstock, Cheney began to hire workers for their baseball talent as opposed to their mechanical skills.
The tradition of company-sponsored baseball continued well into the 20th century. As new companies were emerging such as Verplex, located in Essex, so did its presence on the field. According to the New London Day, in 1911 the Shoreline Trolley League was at its height and games played between locals, Deep River, Old Saybrook, Clinton, Branford and other local towns drew crowds reaching as many as 2,500 at times.
Understanding how baseball evolved alongside the developing middle class makes it easy to understand how deeply ingrained America’s favorite pastime is in our modern culture. As baseball continues to be an important part of our leisure time the Historical Societies of Chester, Deep River and Essex celebrate the traditions of the past by hosting its Annual Tri-Town Vintage Base Ball Game. Played using game rules from 1857 you can witness local rivals face off using reproduction equipment and wearing traditional garb for bragging rights to this year’s championship.
[Photo: Ivoryton Team 1897] Many members of the Ivoryton Base Ball Team of 1897 worked in the ivory business at Comstock, Cheney & Co. Courtesy of Essex Historical Society.