Holyoke Blue Sox
| Valley Blue Sox | |
|---|---|
 Team Logo |
|
| League | NECBL (Northern Division) |
| Location |
Holyoke, MA (2008-present) Concord, NH (2001-2007) |
| Ballpark | Mackenzie Stadium (2008-present) |
| Year founded | 2001 |
| Nickname(s) | Sox, Blues |
| League championships | 0 |
| Former name(s) | Holyoke Blue Sox (2008-2013) Concord Quarry Dogs (2001-2007) |
| Former league(s) |
|
| Former ballparks | Warren H. Doane Diamond (2001-2007) |
| Colors | Dark blue, Red |
| Mascot | Paws |
| Ownership | Clark Eckhoff, President |
| Management | Hunter Golden, GM; |
| Manager | John Raiola |
| Website | valleybluesox.com |
The Valley Blue Sox are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The team, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, plays its home games at Mackenzie Stadium. The Blue Sox were founded in 2001 as the Concord Quarry Dogs but moved following the 2007 season to Holyoke to fill the void left by the departure of the Holyoke Giants to Lynn, Massachusetts.
The Concord Quarry Dogs were founded in 2001, as the second NECBL team in the state of New Hampshire. The team led the league in attendance their inaugural year. Despite making the postseason in both 2002 and 2003, the fan base slowly began to dwindle. Attendance slipped dramatically in 2004 with the arrival of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire. In 2006, average attendance was only 503 per game. Following the 2007 season, the team was purchased by the brother-sister team of Barry Wadsworth and Karen Rella who had hoped to help keep the team in Concord. But shortly thereafter, citing increased rent costs and low attendance, they began their search for a new home.
With the departure of the Holyoke Giants after the 2007 season, the new ownership group decided to move their team to Holyoke, Massachusetts. Their first year in Holyoke, the Blue Sox finished just under a .500 record and 8 games behind the division winning and eventual NECBL champions Sanford Mainers.
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