Connecticut Brakettes
Encyclopedia
| Connecticut Brakettes | |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Ballpark | Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field |
| Based in | Stratford, Connecticut Stratford, Connecticut Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639.... |
| Colors | red, white, blue |
| League | Amateur Softball Association Amateur Softball Association The Amateur Softball Association is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1933 with a tournament held in Chicago that was organized by Leo Fischer and Michael J. Pauley. The following year the 1934 National Recreation Congress recognized the ASA. ... |
| Head coach | John Stratton |
| General manager | Bob Baird |
The Connecticut Brakettes is a women's fastpitch softball
Fastpitch softball
Fast-pitch softball is a form of softball played commonly by women and men, though coed fast-pitch leagues also exist. The International Softball Federation is the international governing body of softball...
team based in Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
. The team has won many state, regional, national, and international tournaments (28 as of 2009).
History
The team was founded in 1947 by William S. Simpson as the Raybestos Girl All-Stars. Over the years the team name has changed to Raybestos Brakettes (1948), Hi-Ho Brakettes, Stratford Brakettes, or Connecticut Brakettes (2006). The Brakette name is derived from the main product of the RaybestosRaybestos
Raybestos is a brand of automotive brakes begun in 1902 by Arthur H. Raymond and Arthur F. Law of Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1906 Raymond and Law invented the woven brake lining, an important innovation in automotive brakes. From 1919-1989 Raybestos brand was manufactured by Raymark Industries,...
plant in Stratford which produced brake linings for automobiles and trucks.
In 2006 the Brakettes fielded two teams. The Connecticut Brakettes were members of National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch , formerly the Women's Pro Softball League , is the only professional women's softball league in the United States. The WPSL was founded in 1997 and folded in 2001. The NPF revived the league in 2004 and currently features four teams: USSSA Pride, Akron Racers, Chicago...
(NPF), finishing second in the regular season with a record of 27-15. In the NPF championship game, the Connecticut Brakettes lost to the fourth place New England Riptide
New England Riptide
The New England Riptide is a dormant women's softball team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. Since the 2004 season, they have played as a member of National Pro Fastpitch. Operations were suspended in February 2009 . The NPF website does not list the Riptide as a current team.- 2004 :The 2004 season...
2-0. In 2006 they also fielded the Stratford Brakettes in the Amateur Softball Association
Amateur Softball Association
The Amateur Softball Association is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1933 with a tournament held in Chicago that was organized by Leo Fischer and Michael J. Pauley. The following year the 1934 National Recreation Congress recognized the ASA. ...
(ASA). They won the 2006 women's major fastpitch tournament held in Amherst, New York
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
.
The Brakettes dropped out of the NPF league in 2007 but still competes as an amateur team in the women's major division of the Amateur Softball Association
Amateur Softball Association
The Amateur Softball Association is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1933 with a tournament held in Chicago that was organized by Leo Fischer and Michael J. Pauley. The following year the 1934 National Recreation Congress recognized the ASA. ...
(ASA).
Highlights of the Brakettes' seasons include:
| year | wins | losses | post season | comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 16 | 4 | Lost in the state tournament quarter-finals in a 22-21 game | Team founded as Raybestos Girl All-Stars |
| 1948 | 18 | 2 | Eastern Coast Women's Softball championship winners | Team name changed to Raybestos Brakettes |
| 1950 | Appeared at ASA national tournament | A national tournament game against host San Antonio, Texas Thompson team is won 2-1 | ||
| 1956 | 4th place finish in national tournament held in Clearwater, Florida | |||
| 1958 | 52 | 5 | Beat the Hacienda Rockets for first ASA Women's Major Fastpitch championship | National tournament held at Raybestos Memorial Field in Stratford |
| 1959-1960 | Second and third consecutive national championship winners | |||
| 1961 | 3rd place finish in 2-1 loss to eventual championship winners the Whittier, California Gold Sox | Championship held in Portland, Oregon | ||
| 1965 | At the first ISF Women's World Championship ISF Women's World Championship The ISF Women's World Championship is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held every four years by the International Softball Federation . The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition , and now... in Melbourne, Australia, Brakettes finish 2nd place in a loss to the host team |
|||
| 1966 | 74 | 4 | ||
| 1967 | Winner of their 6th ASA national championship, the National All-Star Series, and the Pan American Games | |||
| 1968 | Tie with Orange, California Lionettes for ASA National title (7th for the Brakettes) | |||
| 1970 | 2nd place finish at ISF Women's World Championship ISF Women's World Championship The ISF Women's World Championship is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held every four years by the International Softball Federation . The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition , and now... in Osaka |
|||
| 1971 | 57 | 0 | ASA fastpitch national championship | |
| 1974 | 1st place finish at ISF Women's World Championship ISF Women's World Championship The ISF Women's World Championship is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held every four years by the International Softball Federation . The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition , and now... , ASA Women's Major Fastpitch champions (4th consecutive year) |
ISF championship is held at Raybestos Memorial Field in Stratford | ||
| 1976 | 44 | 11 | ASA fastpitch national championship | John Stratton is temporary coach for disabled Ralph Raymond |
| 1978 | 78 | 8 | ASA national champions (1978 is the 8th consecutive and 15th overall championship for the Brakettes) | |
| 1980 | ASA national champions | Championship held in East Lansing, Michigan | ||
| 1985 | Team name is changed to Hi-Ho Brakettes | |||
| 1986 | Winners of the ISF championship in Auckland, New Zealand; gold medal in U.S. Olympic Sports Festival, First place at Canada Cup in Vancouver; 2nd place ASA championship | |||
| 1990 | D'Addario drops sponsorship, resumed by Raymark-Raybestos (no longer in Stratford) through 1995 | |||
| 1993 | 2nd place finish in ASA championship against the Redding Rebels | The championship is held in Stratford at DeLuca field. | ||
| 1995 | 57 | 3 | ||
| 1996 | 4 way tie for 9th place finish in ASA fastpitch national championship | Championship held in Stratford at DeLuca Field. Team is sponsored by David Olin Carpenter. | ||
| 1997 | 4 way tie for 9th place finish in ASA fastpitch national championship | |||
| 1998 | 4 way tie for 9th place finish in ASA fastpitch national championship | |||
| 1999 | 3rd place finish in ASA fastpitch national championship | Championship held in Stratford | ||
| 2000 | 3rd place finish in ASA fastpitch national championship | |||
| 2001 | 3rd place finish in ASA fastpitch national championship | |||
| 2002 | 78 | 1 | ASA Women's Major Fastpitch champions (24th) | Championship held in Stratford at DeLuca Field. |
| 2003 | 65 | 5 | ASA Women's Major Fastpitch champions (25th) 4th place finish at Canada Cup | |
| 2004 | 50 | 4 | ASA Women's Major Fastpitch champions (26th) | |
| 2005 | 51 | 17 | 2nd place finish in ASA fastpitch national championship | Championship held in Stratford at DeLuca Field. |
| 2006 | 27 | 15 | 2nd place finish in NPF National Pro Fastpitch National Pro Fastpitch , formerly the Women's Pro Softball League , is the only professional women's softball league in the United States. The WPSL was founded in 1997 and folded in 2001. The NPF revived the league in 2004 and currently features four teams: USSSA Pride, Akron Racers, Chicago... |
Team called Connecticut Brakettes in the NPF league |
| 46 | 4 | 1st place finish in ASA Major fastpitch tournament (27th) in Amherst, New York against the Southern California Sliders | Team called Stratford Brakettes in the ASA league | |
| 2007 | ASA Women's Major Fastpitch champions (28th) | Only an ASA team is fielded this season | ||
| 2008 | 3rd place finish in ASA fastpitch national championship | |||
| 2009 | 49 | 7 | 4th place after 1-0 loss to Stratford Breakers | Regional ASA championship held in Stratford at DeLuca Field |
| Total | > 3,242 | 3 ISF Women's World Championship ISF Women's World Championship The ISF Women's World Championship is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held every four years by the International Softball Federation . The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition , and now... , 28 ASA National Championships, 19 National Hall of Fame Hall of Fame A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field... members, and 11 Olympians Olympians Olympians may refer to any of the following:*The Olympians of Ancient Greek mythology*Those who have competed in the Olympic Games*Citizens of the ancient Greek city-state of Olympia*Citizens of Olympia, Washington*The Olympians of Marvel Comics... |
Players
Notable Brakette players have included:- Shirley Topley (b April 14, 1934) played 1963-1964 with the Brakettes, coached the Orange, California Lionettes, was inducted into the national hall of fame in 1981.
- E. Louise "Lou" Albrecht (b November 19, 1934) played 1969 with the Brakettes, was inducted to the national hall of fame in 1985.
- Rosemary "Micki" Macchietto Stratton (b July 12, 1938) played 1956-1965 and was elected to the national hall of fame in 1969.
- Joan JoyceJoan JoyceJoan Joyce is the softball coach at Florida Atlantic University, following a record-setting career as a softball player for the Raybestos Brakettes and the Orange Lionettes...
(b 1940) played 1954-1963 and 1967-1975 (19 seasons) for the Brakettes, was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1983, the International Softball FederationInternational Softball Federationthumb|Map of member states.|400px|rightThe International Softball Federation is the international governing body for the sport of softball. The ISF is a non-profit corporation recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the General Association of International Sports Federations .The...
Hall of Fame in 1999, and has been coach of the Florida Atlantic UniversityFlorida Atlantic UniversityFlorida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
softball team since its founding. - Billie MooreBillie MooreBillie J. Moore is an American basketball coach. She was the first coach in women's basketball history to lead teams from two different schools to national championships...
(b May 5, 1943) played 1969-1972 with the Brakettes, went on to become an accomplished Olympic and college basketball coach. - Donna LopianoDonna LopianoDr. Donna Lopiano is the President and founder of Sports Management Resources, a consulting firm that focuses on bringing the knowledge of experienced, expert former athletics directors to assist scholastic and collegiate athletics departments in solving growth and development challenges.Lopiano...
(b 1946) played 1965-1972 with the Brakettes, also played at the first ISF Women's World ChampionshipISF Women's World ChampionshipThe ISF Women's World Championship is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held every four years by the International Softball Federation . The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition , and now...
in Melbourne, Australia in 1965. Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1983. - Sharron Backus (b February 12, 1946) played 1969-1975 with the Brakettes, was inducted to the national hall of fame in 1985, and was head coach of softball at UCLA from 1975 to 1997 which included 9 wins of the Women's College World SeriesWomen's College World SeriesThe Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game series...
. - Bertha Ragan Tickey played 1956-1968 with the Brakettes, was inducted into the national hall of fame in 1972.
- Peggy Kellers (b March 19, 1948) played 1964-1974 for the Brakettes, was softball coach at the University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
1993-1997, and was inducted to the National Hall of Fame in 1986. - Patty Harrison played 1964-1972 with the Brakettes, was inducted into the national hall of fame in 1976.
- Kathryn "Sis" King played 1965-1967 with the Brakettes, was inducted into the national hall of fame in 1975.
- Wiltraud "Willie" Roze (b November 8, 1948) played 1965-1975 and was elected to the national hall of fame in 1985.
- Rose Marie "Rosie" Adams (b August 22, 1951) played 1971-1974 and was elected to the national hall of fame in 1987.
- Barabara Reinalda (b February 13, 1957) played 1976-1994 with the Brakettes, was inducted into the national hall of fame in 1999.
- Dot RichardsonDot RichardsonDorothy Richardson is an American physician and former international softball player.-Education:...
(b 1961) played 1984-1994 for the Brakettes then went on to win a gold medal in the 1996 Olympic games, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. - Sheila Cornell-DoutySheila Cornell-DoutySheila Marie Cornell-Douty is an American softball player and Olympic champion.After graduating from UCLA she played for the Stratford Brakettes from 1988 through 1994. She also competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta where she received a gold medal with the American team...
(b 1962) played 1988-1994 for the Brakettes then went on to win gold medals in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic games, and was inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 2006, and the ISF Hall of Fame in 2007. - Diane "Schuie" Schumacher played 1976-1986 with the Brakettes, was the head coach of the Netherlands women's national softball teamNetherlands women's national softball teamThe Netherlands women's national softball team is the national team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is governed by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softball Bond, or the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation...
in 1987, was inducted into the national hall of fame in 1992 and the ISF hall of fame in 1993. - Gina Vecchione (b 1965) played 1978-1989, has coached at UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Oregon State UniversityOregon State UniversityOregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
; was inducted into the national hall of fame in 1997. - Kathy Arendsen played 1978-1992 was elected to the national hall of fame in 1996 and the ISF hall of fame and the Michigan Sports Hall of FameMichigan Sports Hall of FameThe Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports people. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, president of the Greater Michigan Foundation Donald Weeks, general manager of the...
both in 2003. - Pat Dufficy played 1977-1983, 1985-1995, 1997 (19 seasons) with the Brakettes, was inducted into the national hall of fame in 2005.
- Lisa FernandezLisa FernandezFor the politician, see Liza Fernandez RodriguezLisa Fernandez is a right-handed softball pitcher of Cuban-Puerto Rican descent. She established an Olympic record in softball with 25 strikeouts in a game as a member of the United States Women's team.-Early years:Lisa's father immigrated from Cuba,...
(b 1971) played in the 1990 through 1994 seasons with the Brakettes, three time Olympic gold medalist. - Courtney BladesCourtney BladesCourtney Blades-Rogers is a former All-American righ-handed hitting softball pitcher from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She attended Belaire High School from 1993-1996. She was a starting pitcher for two NCAA Division I teams: the Nicholls State Colonels and later the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles...
(b 1978) pitched one 5 game tournament in 2000, including a perfect gamePerfect gameA perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
. - Kelly KretschmanKelly KretschmanKelly Kretschman is an American softball player who won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She also won the gold in Athens and was on the team for Sydney, although she did not play. She also played the 2003 and 2006 seasons with the Stratford Brakettes of Connecticut...
(b 1979) played in the 2003 and 2006 seasons. - Cat OstermanCat OstermanCatherine Leigh "Cat" Osterman , is an American athlete and was one of the pitchers on the USA Women's Softball Team which won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the silver medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics....
(b 1983) played in the 2001, 2002, and 2005 seasons. - Andrea DuranAndrea DuranyesAndrea Duran is an American softball player from Selma, California. She won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She played college softball at the University of California, Los Angeles and graduated in 2006. On the Olympic team she played third base and outfield, and she bats and...
(b 1984) played in the 2006 season and went on to win a gold medal in the 2006 ISF World Championship2006 ISF World ChampionshipThe 2006 ISF Women's World Championship was held from August 27 to September 5, 2006 in Beijing, China. For the sixth consecutive time, the team from the United States won the title, with a 3-0 victory over Japan. The first four teams qualified for the 2008 Olympics...
and a silver medal in the 2008 OlympicsSoftball at the 2008 Summer OlympicsSoftball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing took place over a ten day period starting August 12 and culminating in the medal finals on August 21. All games were played at the Fengtai Softball Field...
. - Katie BurkhartKatie BurkhartKatherine Burkhart is an American softball pitcher who plays for the USA Softball team. Burkhart plays professionally in the United States for the USSSA Pride in the NPF in addition to playing in Japan.-College career:...
(b 1986) played in the 2007 season.
Coaches
Brakette coaches have included:- Bernie Kaplan 1947-1956 seasons
- Vin Cullen 1957-1961
- Vincent "Wee" Devitt (April 10, 1912-March 17, 1988) Brakette manager 1962-1967, also Raybestos Cardinal manager and National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum member.
- Ralph Raymond 1968-1994 – two-time Olympic team coach (1996Softball at the 1996 Summer OlympicsSoftball made its first appearance as an official medal sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The competition was held at historic Golden Park in Columbus, Georgia. Final results for the Softball competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics:-Medal summary:...
, 2000Softball at the 2000 Summer Olympics-Medals:-Schedule:Starting September 17, there will be four preliminary games each day until September 23 for a total of 28 games.Two semi-final games played September 25, with the game for third place same day. The final game for the gold medal played on September 26 at 7:30pm local...
) and Hall of Fame manager - John Stratton 1995-present
Stadia
The Brakettes played from 1947 through 1987 at Raybestos Memorial Field near the center of the town of Stratford. In 1974 Raybestos Memorial hosted the ISF Women's World ChampionshipISF Women's World Championship
The ISF Women's World Championship is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held every four years by the International Softball Federation . The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition , and now...
in which the United States
United States women's national softball team
|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white...
beat Japan
Japan women's national softball team
|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white| 2nd || 2006 Yokohama|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle| 1st || 2005 Oklahoma City|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle| 2nd || 2006 Oklahoma City...
for the gold medal. Starting in the 1988 season they played at a field that was originally built in 1966 and has been known as Avco Lycoming Field, Textron Lycoming Field, AlliedSignal
AlliedSignal
AlliedSignal was an aerospace, automotive and engineering company that acquired and merged with Honeywell for $15 billion in 1999, after which the new group adopted the Honeywell name.AlliedSignal was created through a 1985 merger of Allied Corp...
Field, and was renamed Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in 1997. Frank "Hooks" DeLuca was a pitcher for the men's slowpitch team sponsored by Avco Lycoming in Stratford who was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in 1974. In addition to the Brakettes, DeLuca Field is home to the Stratford Breakers and Stratford Seahawks softball teams, the Stratford High School girl’s softball team, the Stratford Police Athletic League
Police Athletic League
The Police Athletic League is an organization in many American police departments in which members of the police force coach young people, both boys and girls, in sports, and help with homework and other school-related activities. The purpose is to build character, help strengthen police-community...
girl’s softball teams, the Men’s Industrial Slow Pitch League, and the
Stratford Recreation Department Slow Pitch League games.
External links
- Connecticut Brakettes
- Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field is at 41.175°N 73.128°W