Hartford Senators

Hartford Senators 1878–1934 (1878, 1884–1887, 1889–1891, 1895–1932, 1934) Hartford, Connecticut
Class-level
Previous	Class-B (1934) Class-A (1919–1932) Class-B (1905–1914, 1916–1918) Class-D (1902–1904) Class-A (1899–1901) Class-B (1897–1898) Class-A (1896) Class-E (1891)
Minor league affiliations
League	Northeastern League (1934) Eastern League (1916–1932) Colonial League (1915) Eastern Association (1913–1914) Connecticut State League (1904–1912) Connecticut League (1903) Connecticut State League (1902) Eastern League (1899–1901) Atlantic League (1896–1898) Connecticut State League (1891, 1895) Atlantic Association (1889–1890) Eastern League (1886–1887) Southern New England League (1885) Connecticut State League (1884–1885) International Association (1878)
Major league affiliations
Previous	Brooklyn Dodgers (1932)
Minor league titles
League titles	5 (1909, 1913, 1915, 1923, 1931)
Team data
Previous names	Hartford Senators (1902–1932, 1934) Hartford Indians (1899–1901) Harford Cooperatives (1898) Hartford Bluebirds (1895–1897) Hartford (1889–1891) Hartford Dark Blues (1886–1887) Hartford Babies (1885) Hartford (1878, 1884)
Previous parks	Bulkeley Stadium Clarken Field and Wethersfield Ave Field

The Hartford Senators were a minor league baseball team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They operated in the Connecticut League from 1902–1912, the Eastern Association from 1913–1914, the Eastern League from 1916–1932 and the Northeastern League in 1934. For the 1932 season they were affiliated with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The team's most famous player was Lou Gehrig who played for the Senators on three separate occasions before being a starting first baseman for the New York Yankees. The team won league championships in 1909, 1913, 1923 and 1931. The 1931 Senators were recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.

The Mar 12,1933 Hartford Courant obituary of James H. Clarkin, "quarter of a century owner of the Hartford Baseball Club", indicates that he sold both the Eastern League Franchise and Clarkin Field (now the Bulkeley Stadium) when he retired in 1928. Mr. Clarkin entered league baseball in 1904 when he purchased the league franchise from William J. Tracey of Bristol, CT., as a partner, but soon after was the sole owner of The Hartford Club. "Although he had many acrimonious disputes with fellow magnates, he came to their assistance in more than one crisis and saved the Eastern League during the World War, when the league's fortunes were at a low ebb. Money furnished by Mr. Clarkin kept two of the other franchises in operation, and the Eastern League road out the storm." Hartford was in the old Connecticut State League when Mr. Clarkin took over, then in the Colonial League, the Eastern Association, and then the Eastern League. Some of the well known players "graduated from his direction to fame in the big leagues" were Ray Fisher, Hughie High, Walter (Kid) Rehg, "Buck" O'Brien, Walter Leverenz, Leo Durocher, Heinie Scheer and Pete Wilson. "Lou Gehrig, first baseman and home run hitter of the New York Yankees made his name in league ball under Jim Clarkin" starring for the Hartford Senators in 1923-24 and drawing big crowds to the Franklin Ave area park. "Jim Thorpe, famous Redskin, was another notable who wore a Hartford uniform during the 1922 season." Many well known men grew up as managers in Hartford under Mr. Clarkin, among them were Bob Connery, "now president of the St. Paul (Minn.) club"; Dan Howley, later manager of the Cincinnati Reds; Si McDonald, Paddy O'Connor, Jack Coffey, Chet Thomas, Arthur Irwin, Tom Dowd, Danny Murphy of the Philadelphia Athletics fame.

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