Nashua Pride | |||||
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League | Can-Am League (2006–2008) | ||||
Location | Nashua, New Hampshire | ||||
Ballpark | Holman Stadium | ||||
Year founded | 1998 | ||||
Year folded | 2011 | ||||
League championships | (2) 2000, 2007 | ||||
Division championships | (1) 2000 | ||||
Former name(s) |
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Former league(s) |
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Colors |
Blue, Gold, White |
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Mascot | Shag the Tiger, Stitch the Baseball (possibly inspired by Mr. Met) | ||||
Ownership | John Stabile II | ||||
Manager | Rick Miller | ||||
General Manager | Chris Hall | ||||
Media | Nashua Telegraph |
Blue, Gold, White
The Nashua Pride were a professional baseball team based in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the United States, not affiliated with Major League Baseball. They played home games at Holman Stadium from 1998 through 2008, when they were sold and renamed the American Defenders of New Hampshire. In 2010 that team moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and became the Pittsfield Colonials. The franchise itself no longer exists, as the Colonials folded after the 2011 baseball season.
The Nashua Pride was one of the founding members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 1998. The team name was based on the fact that Money magazine twice named Nashua the "best place to live" in the America. The team's primary home uniform logo was the word "Pride" in script, and included the number "1" inside the capital "P."
In the 2000 season, the team swept the Somerset Patriots in three games to win the Atlantic League Championship Series. However, the Patriots answered that loss by defeating the Pride in the 2003 and 2005 championships. Despite their on-field success, the Pride suffered as a result of having one of the lowest average attendances and being the farthest team from the core of the league.
In 2006, the team moved to the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, (Can-Am League). As Nashua is closer in proximity to the teams of the Can-Am League than those of the Atlantic, the Pride was relieved of the expensive travel to away games.
In 2007, the Pride won the Can-Am League championship. After that season, long-time manager Butch Hobson left the Pride to take the managerial job with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League, while former Boston Red Sox outfielder Rick Miller was hired as manager in Nashua. Former Boston Red Sox firstbaseman/outfielder Brian Daubach was hired as the hitting coach midway through the 2008 season.