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would win their second APSPL World Series with Bert Smith of
Detroit winning the series MVP. Ron Ford of the Caesars won the league MVP. Gary Bello (.548, 21 HRs, 101 RBIs) and Don Ragozzine (.585 BA, 105 runs scored) of the Pilgrims made the all-APSPL team. Frank Cammailere (.514 BA) Pat Paulsen
180:
3-2 as Ralph
Calitri went 3–4 with 2 home-runs and 4 RBIs in the 5th game. The Pilgrims then advanced to the UPSL World Series, losing 5–3 to Kentucky despite strong performances by Joe Martone (15–26, .577, 6 HRs, 18 RBIs, 11 runs scored) and Ralph Calitri (6 HRs, 15 RBIs) in the series. On the
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year, Martone (.472, 20 HRs, 62 RBIs) and
Calitri (.505, 20 HRs, 60 RBIs) both made the all-pro team for 1981. Greg Whitlock of Kentucky was the World Series MVP and teammate Bill Gatti took league MVP honors. New England was able to play at Blake Field in New Haven for the post-season.
154:
in the World Series, Don Brown of
Rochester was the series MVP and Bill Gatti of Kentucky the league MVP. Pat Paulsen (.430 BA) made the all-league team and Pilgrims Gary Richter (4 HRs, 46 RBIs) and Len Larabee (.424, 7 HRs, 54 RBIs) had notably strong seasons.
171:
due to complaints by local residents about noise from the
Pilgrim games. The team was granted a 6-game last-minute extension and would finish the season at the Oakdale Sports Complex in Montville, over 51 miles away from New Haven.
146:, split professional softball, but New England continued play in the APSPL. The Pilgrims finished with a losing record, 27–37 (.422), but advanced to the playoffs with the reduced number of teams in the league, losing to the
58:
in their final season in the United
Professional Softball League (UPSL). The team was owned by Carlo Grande, a sports broadcaster and owner-operator of radio stations in New England, who sold stations in New Haven and
175:
The
Pilgrims struggled to a 24–36 (.400) record, third in the Eastern Division, but advanced to a generous playoff field, upsetting Rochester in the first round 3–1. New England then beat Eastern division champions
91:
New
England hit the ground running in 1978, finishing in first-place of the Eastern Division in their first year with a record of 37-27 (.578). They advanced to the APSPL playoffs but lost to the
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The
Pilgrims disbanded at the end of the 1981 season, the UPSL shut down after 1982 and the era of men's professional softball came to an end as players returned to the amateur leagues.
107:, and missing out on the playoffs. No Pilgrims made the all-pro team, but Gary Bello represented New England at the mid-season all-star game. The Pilgrims signed former
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100:(.395, 11 HRs, 49 RBIs) Ralph Calitri (471, 26 HRs, 105 RBIs) and Ed Finnegan (.448 BA) had solid seasons as well for New England.
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1979 was a different year for the team as the
Pilgrims struggled to a 21–41 (.339) finish, 14.5 games behind the division winning
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The North American Softball League (NASL), lasted for only one season, and the APSPL then merged with the NASL to form the
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5–3 in the APSPL World Series, broadcast nationwide as their first live sporting event on the new start-up sports network
584:"40 years ago, the first live ESPN game ever broadcast was a slow-pitch softball game in Wisconsin. How did it happen?"
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54:, where the Pilgrims remained through the 1980 (APSPL) season before moving to the Oakdale Sports Complex in
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season. The team changed venues once during its existence, starting initially in 1978 at Blake Field in
734:"Softball History USA – This site is dedicated to collecting the history of the great sport of softball"
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in 1981. New England began the season at Blake Field but were denied a permit by New Haven Mayor
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131:. Rick Weiterman of Milwaukee was both the series and league MVP in 1979.
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to fund the purchase of the team. The APSPL was formed in 1977 by former
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722:. September 12, 1981. p. 34 – via newspapers.com.
708:. September 13, 1981. p. 48 – via newspapers.com.
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463:. September 3, 1978. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
628:. April 18, 1980. p. 47 – via newspapers.com.
543:. August 7, 1979. p. 87 – via newspapers.com.
529:. June 18, 1978. p. 108 – via newspapers.com.
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in July to both play and serve a promotional role. The
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New England began play in the second season of the 1978
670:. July 24, 1981. p. 47 – via newspapers.com.
571:. July 12, 1979. p. 53 – via newspapers.com.
557:. July 12, 1979. p. 64 – via newspapers.com.
477:. July 30, 1978. p. 94 – via newspapers.com.
431:. July 21, 1977. p. 42 – via newspapers.com.
403:. April 3, 1977. p. 47 – via newspapers.com.
656:. May 15, 1981. p. 49 – via newspapers.com.
642:. May 13, 1981. p. 48 – via newspapers.com.
417:. May 25, 1977. p. 42 – via newspapers.com.
326:"1978-1981 New England Pilgrims • Fun While It Lasted"
150:3–0 in the first round. The Express defeated the
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443:"Softball challenge - OOTP Developments Forums"
48:American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL)
821:Defunct sports clubs and teams in Connecticut
816:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1981
796:Defunct softball teams in the United States
811:Sports clubs and teams established in 1978
766:New England Pilgrims - Fun While It Lasted
507:"Professional Slow Pitch Softball History"
165:United Professional Softball League (UPSL)
83:served as the first league commissioner.
188:New England Pilgrims year-by-year record
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16:For New England College athletics, see
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73:Women's Professional Basketball League
801:Sports clubs and teams in Connecticut
640:"Clipped From Democrat and Chronicle"
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364:"New Haven Pros Ride Slow-Pitch Boom"
136:North American Softball League (NASL)
30:were a professional softball team in
429:"Clipped From Lansing State Journal"
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36:men's professional softball leagues
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806:1978 establishments in Connecticut
706:"Clipped From The Courier-Journal"
461:"Clipped From The Courier-Journal"
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826:Men's professional softball teams
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569:"Clipped From Detroit Free Press"
401:"Clipped From The Journal Times"
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720:"Clipped From Hartford Courant"
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140:Cleveland Stepien's Competitors
71:, who would go on to found the
781:National Softball Hall of Fame
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340:"ASPSL – Softball History USA"
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682:"USPL – Softball History USA"
602:"NASL – Softball History USA"
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95:2–1 in the first round. The
34:that played in two different
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18:New England College Pilgrims
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771:Detroit Caesars Online Home
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738:www.softballhistoryusa.com
686:www.softballhistoryusa.com
606:www.softballhistoryusa.com
588:Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
415:"Clipped From Valley News"
344:www.softballhistoryusa.com
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23:Professional softball team
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383:"GRANDE, CARLO HENRY II"
368:timesmachine.nytimes.com
302:World Series (runner-up)
38:between 1977 and 1981.
178:South Jersey Athletics
61:Westerly, Rhode Island
56:Montville, Connecticut
776:Softball History Data
87:Pilgrims in the APSPL
65:World Football League
761:Softball History USA
159:The 1981 UPSL season
138:, formed in 1980 by
28:New England Pilgrims
381:Courant, Hartford.
152:Pittsburgh Hardhats
123:would to beat the
582:Radcliffe, J. R.
489:"Detroit Caesars"
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148:Rochester Express
125:Kentucky Bourbons
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790:Categories
743:2020-12-02
691:2020-12-02
611:2020-12-02
349:2020-12-02
312:References
134:The rival
75:. Former
69:Bill Byrne
67:executive
512:Angelfire
279:1st Round
233:1st Round
52:New Haven
210:Playoffs
207:Division
299:Eastern
253:Eastern
230:Eastern
213:League
115:player
79:player
42:History
282:APSPL
259:APSPL
236:APSPL
204:Finish
198:Record
142:owner
305:UPSL
290:24–36
267:27–37
244:21–41
221:37–27
293:.400
287:1981
270:.422
264:1980
247:.339
241:1979
224:.578
218:1978
195:Year
129:ESPN
111:and
26:The
296:3rd
273:4th
250:4th
227:1st
201:Pct
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