Best Baseball Players from Connecticut

Inevitably, when baseball fans gather, the discussion turns to "who's the best." Every state or town has a list of local favorites in whom they take pride. Connecticut is no exception. It's as subjective as any other front porch debate, but here's a list of the best baseball players born in the Nutmeg State.

Three Connecticut natives have been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. All three played in the 19^th century, during baseball's so-called "dead ball" era.

Roger Connor

The Waterbury, Connecticut native was selected by the Hall of Fame's Veterans' Committee in 1976. Connor was primarily a first baseman who played 18 years of pro ball, including back-to-back World Series wins with the New York Giants in 1888-9. Connor's most impressive season was in 1885, when Connor led the National League with a .371 batting average and 169 hits. Most impressive, however, was the fact that Connor struck out just eight times in over 500 at bats that year. He led the league in RBIs in the 1889 season, and - an indication of how different the game was in those days - led the league with 14 homers in 1890.

Jim O'Rourke

Bridgeport, Connecticut native Orator Jim O'Rourke played 22 seasons of big league baseball, from 1872 - before the National league had even been formed. He played into his forties, spending several years as the oldest active player. Then, at the age of 54, played a single game in 1904 for the New York Giants and went 1-for-4. Mostly an outfielder, O'Rourke was chosen for the Hall of Fame by the first Veterans' Committee selection in 1945. He was a teammate of Connors on the back-to-back World Series champion Giants in 1888-9.

Ned Hanlon

A contemporary of Conner's, Hanlon played 13 seasons from 1880-1892, mostly with the National league's Detroit Wolverines. The Montville, Connecticut native was a speedy outfielder. Toward the end of his career he became a player/manager and then went into managing full-time. Hanlon was selected for the Hall of Fame in 1996 by the Veterans' Committee as a manager, having guided the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas to seven pennants in a nine-year span from 1894-1900.

In more recent times, Connecticut has not produced likely Hall of Fame players. But several state natives have had distinguished major league careers.

Mo Vaughn

The Norwalk, Connecticut slugger won the American league MVP for the Boston Red Sox in 1995, hitting 39 homers and driving in a league-leading 126 runs. The next year Vaughn may have had an even better year, belting 44 home runs, driving in 143 and posting a .326 batting average. Knee injuries cut his career short, however, and he played his last full season at the age of 34.

Charles Nagy

The Bridgeport native and Fairfield, Connecticut resident spent 13 seasons pitching for the Cleveland Indians from 1990-2003. He won 129 games, including a consistent stretch where he won at least 15 for five consecutive years from 1995-9 and led the Indians to the post season each year. Nagy started Game 3 of both the 1995 and 1997 World Series for Cleveland. Unfortunately, he was the losing pitcher in the 10^th inning of the decisive Game 7 against the Florida Marlins in 1997.

Brad Ausmus

A native of New Haven, Connecticut, Ausmus went from Cheshire High School to Dartmouth in the Ivy League, to the majors, where he made his debut in 1993. Still active, Ausmus has the third highest fielding percentage of any catcher in history, and won three Gold Glove awards.