The Nashua Pride were a professional baseball team based in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the United States. They were a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is 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.

History

The Nashua Pride was one of the founding members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 1998. 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 in the Atlantic League, 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 (Can-Am League) to remedy the financial strain endured in these respective struggles. 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.

American skier Bode Miller played one home game each year for the team in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Former Red Sox reliever Rich "El Guapo" Garces appeared in the Pride bullpen in 2007 and 2008.

Sale of the Pride

Following the 2008 season, the former owner of the team, John Stabile, decided to sell the team to the American Defenders of New Hampshire, LLC. With the sale of the team, the name was changed from the Nashua Pride to the American Defenders of New Hampshire, placing less of an emphasis on the Nashua market. The change of the geographical portion of the name is meant to emphasize the globalism of the United States military.

American Defenders of New Hampshire, LLC consists of Nokona executives Buddy Lewis and Jerry O'Connor, former Boston Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette, and Terry Allvord.

Nashua baseball history

The Pride was one of several professional teams to play in Nashua, and one of five to have played at Holman Stadium:

• 1895: Nashua Rainmakers, New England Association
• 1901-1905: Nashua, New England League - B
• 1926-1927: Nashua Millionaires, New England League - B
• 1929-1930: Nashua Millionaires, New England League - B
• 1933: Nashua, New England League - B
• 1946-1949: Nashua Dodgers, New England League - B
• 1983: Nashua Angels, Eastern League - AA
• 1984-1986: Nashua Pirates, Eastern League - AA
• 1995-1996: Nashua Hawks, North Atlantic League - independent
• 1997-2005: Nashua Pride, Atlantic League - independent
• 2006-2008: Nashua Pride, Can-Am League - independent
• 2009- : American Defenders of New Hampshire, Can-Am League - independent

Notable Pride alumni

• Brendan Donnelly - 1999
• Curtis Pride - 1999, 2003, 2004
• Sam Horn - 2000, 2001
• Paxton Crawford - 2003
• Dante Bichette - 2004
• Jeff Juden - 2004
• Darren Bragg - 2005
• Orlando Miller - 2005
• Jeff Sparks - 2005
• Rich Garces - 2007, 2008
• Butch Hobson (Manager) 2000-2007

References

External links

• Nashuapride.com