Waterbury Sports

Baseball — Waterbury's Game
Does the name Roger Connor sound familiar? During the 19th century, Connor was the home run king of American Baseball. His career spanned nearly more than two decades and his consistent performance earned him a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Roger Connor was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on July 1, 1857 and died in his home town on January 4, 1931.

Among the best known of all modern-era Waterbury sports figures is the legendary fielder Jimmy Piersall. Born in Waterbury just two weeks after the great stock market crash of 1929, James Anthony Piersall was a stand-out baseball and basketball player at Waterbury's Leavenworth High School. His accomplishments were numerous and could easily fill several pages of this site. One of his fans has already done an admirable job documenting the life of Jimmy Piersall. If you're a baseball fan, you're sure to enjoy visiting this site.

Boston Celtics Draft Ryan Gomes
In 2005, Waterbury-born Ryan Gomes became the first basketball player from the Brass City to play for the NBA. Gomes attended Wilby High School and Notre Dame Prep before becoming a stand-out player for Providence College, finishing his career as their all-time leading scorer. Gomes was a 1st Team All-American in 2004 and received Honorable Mention by the AP in 2005. The Boston Celtics selected Gomes as the 50th overall 2005 draft pick (20th in round 2) and signed him to the team in August 2005.

Future Plans...
In the coming weeks, we'll profile other Greater Waterbury athletes who have left their mark on their sport.

• Arthur Harris Fenn
• Joan Joyce
• Caroline Keggi

If you have a suggestion for a Greater Waterbury sports figure that we should add to our list, please contact us with details.