Past Guests
LIFE VIEWED THROUGH A BASEBALL LENS
The WSC spans six generations of baseball fans sharing history with 6 wars; team integration in 1947; women members in the 70s; strikes (of the labor kind); scandals on and off the field; and the endurance required of those who love the game. We’ve hosted more than 400 guest speakers from major-, minor-, and local-league players, owners, executives, management, and umpires to sports writers, announcers, clergy, and even a Baseball Hall of Fame librarian. Red Sox Hall of Famer and fan-favorite Johnny Pesky took the floor 8 times from 1951-2001, setting the record for WSC appearances. And Bill Lee is on track to break that record – you’ll want to show up for that one
Speakers 2019-1927
2019 - 2011
2/4/19 Jason Grilli
1/9/19 Keith Foulke
12/5/18 Jerry Reuss
11/7/18 Bob Tewksbury
9/17/18 Denny McLain
3/22/18 Tom Browning
2/28/18 Bobby Valentine and Gary Burnham
1/11/18 Wally Backman
12/13/17 JR Richard
11/16/17 Rich Gedman and Steve Lomasney
3/29/17 Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd
2/27/17 Lenny DiNardo
1/25/17 Matt Carasiti, Conor Bierfeldt, Brian Fay, and Anthony Marzi
12/7/16 Mookie Wilson
11/15/16 Rob Dibble
Summer 2016 Rob Dibble, Doug Glanville, Bill Lee and Luis Tiant (in support of Teen Cultures Connect - Cuba in Connecticut)
01/20/16 Chris Colabello
01/06/16 Rich Hill
12/02/15 Dennis Leonard
11/05/15 Devon White
04/19/15 New Britain Rockcats Outing
03/02/15 Bill Lee
01/15/15 Jack Morris
12/18/14 Nick Ahmed, Michael Ahmed, Coach Jim Penders
11/11/14 Eric Campbell
04/07/14 Roy White
03/12/14 Marty Barrett
02/12/14 Willie Wilson
01/28/14 Mike Trombley
12/12/13 Ed Randall and Matt Hyde
11/13/13 Bruce Hurst
05/02/13 New Britain Rockcats
04/09/13 Gaylord Perry
02/18/13 Shane Spencer
01/10/13 Jimmy Williams and Bob Schaefer
12/17/12 Rico Petrocelli
11/15/12 Frank White
10/17/12 Mike Boddicker
04/25/12 New Britain Rockcats
03/30/12 Doug Glanville
02/29/12 Trot Nixon
01/30/12 Howard Johnson
12/13/11 Connecticut Futures Night: Jim Penders, Matt Barnes, Andrew Carignan, George Springer
11/28/11 (Walpole) Joe Morgan, Joe Castiglione
10/18/11 Willie Upshaw
04/20/11 New Britain Rockcats
03/28/11 Elliot Maddox
02/07/11 Lee Smith
01/03/11 Jim Lonborg and Mark DeJohn
2010 – 2001
12/06/10 Bucky Dent
11/08/10 Dwight Gooden
10/04/10 Jay Johnstone
09/13/10 Art Shamsky
04/14/10 The New Britain Rock Cats
03/15/10 Mike Torrez
02/22/10 Jesse Barfield
01/25/10 Jon McDonald
12/15/09 Rajai Davis and Craig Breslow
11/23/09 Scott McGregor
10/26/09 Ron Blomberg
09/30/09 Jim Kaat
04/22/09 New Britain Rock Cats
03/09/09 John Ellis
02/18/09 Ricky Bottalico
12/15/08 Fergie Jenkins
11/10/08 Rick Cerone
10/06/08 John Montefusco
09/25/08 Ken Griffey Sr.
04/09/08 New Britain Rockcats
03/31/08 Stan Bahnsen
02/25/08 Jim 'Mudcat' Grant
01/28/08 Bob Ojeda
12/10/07 Duke Sims
11/19/07 Dennis 'Oil Can' Boyd
10/09/07 Pete Walker, Todd Donovan
09/10/07 Jimmy Piersall
05/03/07 New Britain Rock Cats
04/16/07 Mark Fidrych
03/12/07 Tommy Davis
02/26/07 Billy Sample
01/08/07 Jim Rice
12/04/06 Mike Easler
11/20/06 Bob Stanley, Roger LaFrancois
10/30/06 Jack Aker
09/21/06 Cliff Johnson
04/12/06 New Britain Rockcats
03/06/06 Bobby Richardson
02/06/06 Butch Hobson
01/10/06 Bill Lee
12/12/05 Russ Gibson
11/14/05 Jim McAndrew
10/10/05 Dock Ellis, Ron LeFlore
04/14/05 New Britain Rock Cats
03/22/05 Monte Irvin
02/17/05 Ron Swoboda
01/11/05 George Foster
12/06/04 Rich Gedman
11/08/04 Frank Thomas (Pirates/Mets '51-'66)
10/13/04 Clem Labine
04/20/04 New Britain Rock Cats
03/08/04 Ralph Houk
02/02/04 Paul Blair
01/08/04 Sam Horn
12/11/03 Tommy John
11/17/03 Bill Skowron
04/23/03 New Britain Rock Cats
03/18/03 Ed Charles
02/06/03 Rico Brogna
01/08/03 Johnny Blanchard
12/09/02 Casey Fossum
11/07/02 Bernie Carbo
04/25/02 Bob Turley
03/18/02 Bob Montgomery
02/07/02 Ken Ryan
01/09/02 Ken Mackenzie
12/05/01 Jose Pagan
11/07/01 Ken Coleman (Sportscaster)
04/23/01 Ryne Duren
03/19/01 Fay Vincent
02/06/01 Frank Howard
01/08/01 Johnny Pesky
2000 – 1991
12/05/00 Roland Johnson, Gary Larocque (Mets Scouts)
11/09/00 Dick McAuliffe
04/18/00 Gerry Berthiaume (Rock Cats GM)
03/28/00 Jim Bouton
02/16/00 Arnold Dean (Sportscaster)
01/11/00 Bill Lee
12/13/99 Jim Reynolds (Umpire)
11/10/99 Ed Kranepool
05/17/99 New Britain Rock Cats
03/25/99 Spec Shea
02/21/99 Bob Feller
12/07/98 Crash Davis
11/16/98 Clete Boyer
10/08/98 Bobby Bonds
04/30/98 New Britain Rock Cats
02/10/98 Lenny Merullo, Matt Merullo
12/03/97 Walt Dropo
11/05/97 Butch Hobson
10/09/97 Jimmy Wynn
09/18/97 Luis Tiant
02/11/97 Ron LeFlore
01/06/97 Sam McDowell
12/11/96 Ricky Bottalico
11/18/96 Dick Radatz
10/21/96 Jay Johnstone
04/22/96 New Britain Rock Cats
03/04/96 Doc Ellis
01/10/96 Bill Madlock
11/06/95 Bill Lee
01/26/95 Rico Petrocelli
11/09/94 Gary Waslewski
04/11/94 New Britain Red Sox
01/18/94 Roy White
12/08/93 Brad Ausmus
11/09/93 Ken Ryan
10/06/93 Aaron Sele
04/22/93 New Britain Red Sox
01/14/93 John Valentin
12/09/92 George Scott
11/11/92 Joe Pepitone
04/27/92 New Britain Red Sox
02/18/92 George Foster
01/14/92 Pete Harnisch
12/10/91 Bill Lee
11/13/91 Jeff Bagwell
04/10/91 New Britain Red Sox
02/07/91 Mo Vaughn, Kevin Morton, Rico Brogna
01/10/91 Tommy Agee
1990 – 1981
12/11/90 Bob Tewksbury
11/15/90 Dana Kiecker
04/26/90 New Britain Red Sox
02/20/90 Mark Hirschbeck (Umpire)
01/04/90 Mauro Gozzo, Rollie Johnson (Scout)
12/05/89 Rob Murphy
10/25/89 Dave LaPoint
04/20/89 New Britain Red Sox
03/07/89 George Foster
02/07/89 Rob Dibble
01/11/89 John Cerutti
12/05/88 Dennis Lamp
11/09/88 Rick Cerone
04/07/88 New Britain Red Sox
02/10/88 John Marzano
01/27/88 Ellis Burks
01/12/88 Greg Gagne
11/11/87 Todd Benzinger
04/14/87 New Britain Red Sox
03/02/87 Sam Mele
01/15/87 Bob Tewksbury
12/22/86 Bobby Valentine
11/25/86 Marty Barrett
04/21/86 New Britain Red Sox
02/16/86 Mike Torrez
01/07/86 Mike Pagliarulo
12/12/85 Steve Lyons
11/25/85 Don Mattingly
10/07/85 Bill Buckner
04/15/85 New Britain Red Sox
02/07/85 Lou Gorman (Red Sox GM)
01/16/85 Mookie Wilson
11/28/84 Tim Teufel
10/01/84 Al Nipper
04/15/84 New Britain Red Sox
03/27/84 Terry Tata (Umpire)
02/16/84 Don Mattingly
12/14/83 Willie Upshaw
11/17/83 Wade Boggs
04/18/83 New Britain Red Sox
03/14/83 Jim Lonborg
02/02/83 Wade Boggs
01/05/83 Gene Michael
12/14/82 Steve Palermo (Umpire)
10/28/82 Tom Burgmeier
03/22/82 Donald Honig (Author)
02/02/82 Jim Beattie
01/13/82 Billy Gardner
12/07/81 Ron Davis
11/11/81 Rich Gedman
04/15/81 Ed Walton (Author)
02/09/81 Joe Lefebvre
01/05/81 Rich Gale
1980 – 1971
12/10/80 Bob Watson
10/29/80 John Tudor
04/22/80 Sportwriters Night
03/20/80 Bobby Thomson
02/12/80 Bill Almon
01/08/80 Terry Tata (Umpire)
12/05/79 Tommy John
10/25/79 Bob Stanley
03/27/79 Monte Irvin
02/08/79 Johnny Ellis
01/04/79 Bobby Valentine
12/04/78 Roy White
10/23/78 Bill Campbell
03/15/78 Henry Berry (Author)
02/13/78 Paul Blair
01/25/78 Butch Hobson
12/17/77 Brooks Robinson
11/21/77 Johnny Pesky
04/20/77 Ken Smith (Director, National Baseball Hall of Fame)
03/31/77 Jerry Kapstein (Player Agent)
02/15/77 Ken Brett
01/13/77 Dwight Evans
12/09/76 Larry Bowa
10/27/76 Chris Chambliss
02/04/76 Johnny Pesky
01/06/76 Jim Lonborg
12/08/75 Ed Kranepool
10/30/75 Bernie Carbo
02/03/75 Ralph Kiner
01/07/75 Dick McAuliffe
12/04/74 Elliot Maddox
11/19/74 Jack Redding (Baseball Hall of Fame librarian)
10/29/74 Rick Burleson
01/24/74 Tug McGraw
12/06/73 Sparky Lyle
10/24/73 Bill Lee
03/21/73 Gene Conley
02/10/73 Tom Gorman (Umpire)
01/22/73 Johnny Pesky
11/13/72 Richie Hebner
10/25/72 Skip Jutze
06/04/72 Ladies Night
04/19/72 Sports writers night
02/02/72 Steve Blass
04/18/71 Writer's Night (Bill Lee, Art McGinley, Earl Yost)
03/03/71 Tom Gorman (Umpire)
01/09/71 Gene Michael
1970 – 1961
12/03/70 Wayne Granger
11/01/70 Steve Blass
03/18/70 Art Ditmar
02/05/70 Russ Gibson
12/06/69 Fred Wallner (Hartford Knights football coach);
WSC President Walter Lawrence passed away that evening
11/17/69 Mark Belanger
10/28/69 Sparky Lyle
04/29/69 Sports writers night - Bill Lee, Art McGinley
03/12/69 Jackie Farrell
02/01/69 Steve Blass
01/22/69 Joe Coleman Sr. & Joe Coleman Jr.
12/10/68 Ron Swoboda & Hal Goodnough (Public relations, New York Mets & Milwaukee Braves)
11/21/68 Gary Waslewski
10/23/68 Brooks Robinson
04/14/68 Sports writers night - Bill Lee, Art McGinley
02/06/68 Gary Bell
01/16/68 Elston Howard
12/11/67 Jack Lamabe
11/16/67 Dick McAuliffe
04/18/67 Sports writers night Bill Lee, Art McGinley; featuring Bob Steele
02/28/67 Jake LaMotta (retired World Champion boxer)
01/15/67 Tom Kelley
12/12/66 Steve Blass
11/22/66 Moe Drabowski
10/25/66 Hal Reniff
05/14/66 Ladies Night
04/14/66 Sports writers night - Bill Lee, Art McGinley ; featuring Bob Steele and Chick O’Malley (Waterbury Giants GM)
03/02/66 Roy Campanella
01/16/66 Al Downing
12/08/65 Ed Kranepool
11/14/65 Al Jackson
10/18/65 Ken Smith (director of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
03/05/65 Rev. Robert Keating -(stories from his friendships with many baseball stars of the past)
02/07/65 Phil Linz
01/13/65 Dick McAuliffe
12/15/64 Tracy Stallard
11/18/64 Curt Simmons
10/20/64 Dick Radatz
04/22/64 Sports writers night Bill Lee, Art McGinley, Bob Steele (cancelled due to the death of WSC director Jack Reardon)
02/05/64 Jim Bouton ; Althea Foley, 12 years old, is the first female to attend a regular World series Club meeting.
12/10/63 Johnny Podres
11/19/63 Elston Howard
10/24/63 Tom Meany (Sportswriter and Promotions Director, New York Mets)
04/15/63 Writers Night: Art McGinley, Earl Yost; featuring Bob Steele
03/18/63 Clem Labine
02/04/63 Johnny Pesky
01/08/63 Jack Sanford
12/04/62 Tom Gorman (Umpire)
10/18/62 Jimmy Dykes ; Charlie Blossfield (Milwaukee Braves front office, former general manager, Hartford Chiefs)
04/24/62 Frankie Frisch ; Also Art McGinley Night featuring Governor John Dempsey, Bill Lee and Bob Steele
03/14/62 Hal Goodnough (Public relations director, Milwaukee Braves) Father-Son Night.
02/07/62 Carlton Willey
01/09/62 Bill Monbouquette
11/01/61 Rollie Sheldon
04/18/61 Writers night - Bill Lee, Art McGinley
01/19/61 Lefty Gomez
1960 – 1951
12/10/60 Art Gleason (Red Sox radio and television announcer)
11/16/60 Moose Skowron
10/02/60 Clambake
03/10/60 Gene Conley
01/28/60 Charlie Dressen
11/17/59 Elston Howard
10/20/59 Billy Gardner
03/17/59 Frankie Frisch
01/07/59 Bob Turley
12/19/58 Dick Donovan
11/18/58 Eddie Lopat
09/26/58 Clambake
05/06/58 Ladies Night
04/22/58 Member spring training stories
01/01/58 Jimmy Piersall
11/07/57 Charlie Blossfield ; meeting held at Marco Polo restaurant
05/01/57 Writers Night featuringArt McGinley (Hartford Times), Bill Lee, Bob Steele (WTIC)
02/13/57 Moe Drabowski, Charlie Silvera
01/30/57 Jerry Coleman
11/30/56 Sammy White (Red Sox catcher)
11/10/56 Bill Grieve (former umpire)
09/30/56 Clambake
03/19/56 Irish Night ; Jackie Farrell
02/21/56 Irving Rudd (Dodgers front office executive)
01/25/56 Johnny Pesky
12/29/55 Jack Onslow
11/24/55 Frank Dascoli (umpire)
03/13/55 Rev. Robert Keating (Chaplin at the state reformatory in Cheshire) sports movie/pennant predictions
02/15/55 Mel Allen (Yankees broadcaster)
12/07/54 Ethan Allen
09/26/54 Clambake
04/22/54 Bill Lee (Hartford Courant)
03/20/54 Jack Lavalle (New York Giants scout)
01/24/54 Eddie Robinson
12/13/53 Johnny Pesky
09/27/53 Clambake
03/15/53 Irish Night and 1952 World Series film. “Dinte Moore” dinner
01/27/53 Spec Shea
12/02/52 Jack Coffey (Baseball coach/Fordham University, 1918 Red Sox, former Hartford Senators player/manager)
11/30/52 Eddie Lopat
09/14/52 Clambake
04/27/52 Ladies Night
01/11/52 Ken Smith
10/18/51 Connie Mack (Celebrating 25th Anniversary of the WSC)
09/21/51 Clambake
05/03/51 Ladies Night
03/12/51 Ripper Collins, Irish Night/Dance
02/19/51 Johnny Pesky
1950 – 1941
12/03/50 Eddie Lopat ; meeting held at Hotel Windsor
10/22/50 Jack Welch Night (honoring retiring World Series Club secretary)
10/02/50 Clambake
11/17/49 Ken Smith (Sports Editor, New York Daily Mirror)
05/01/49 Ladies Night
04/22/49 Hartford Chiefs Night; co-sponsored with Elks Club
02/24/49 Frank Dascoli (Umpire)
01/16/49 Jackie Farrell
11/18/48 Red Jones (Umpire)
07/01/48 Boston Braves bus trip
04/24/48 World Series Club First Annual Ladies Night
02/16/48 Bill Stewart (Umpire)
12/09/47 Jackie Farrell (Director, Yankees Speakers Bureau)
08/17/47 Boston Braves bus trip - doubleheader, Braves vs. New York Giants"
05/18/47 Lefty Gomez & Hartford Chiefs Night - Fred (Dutch) Dorman (Hartford Chiefs manager) (Sea Food Restaurant, Asylum Avenue)
02/17/47 Ed Walsh
01/17/47 Bill Summers (Umpire), Monk Dubiel (Hartford native, Yankee pitcher), Si McDonald (former Eastern League umpire), Ed Nogas (World War II Purple Heart recipient)
12/10/46 Get Acquainted Night (Sea Food Restaurant, Asylum Avenue)
11/22/46 Ripper Collins (future Hartford Chiefs manager, 9 year NL first baseman/OF)
09/04/46 Reorganization of World Series Club
1944-1945 World Series Club is inactive due to World War II
09/27/43 Del Bissonette, Charley Blossfield
05/04/42 Del Bissonette (Hartford Bees manager, former Brooklyn Dodger)
02/16/41 Jack Onslow (Hartford Bees manager)
1940 – 1937
11/21/40 Charlie Blossfield (Hartford Bees/Chiefs executive), Jack Reardon (WSC World Series trip review), Bill Lee (Hartford Courant); Meeting held at Hotel Bond, Hartford
10/01/40 The World Series Club charters an airplane for the 1940 World Series, 21 members attend (Reds vs. Tigers)
05/15/40 Ed Doherty (publicity manager, Boston Red Sox)
01/16/40 Jack Stevens (Boston sports commentator)
10/04/39 Meeting held in New York after attending Game 1 of World Series (Yankees vs. Reds) ; members also attend Game 2.
07/19/39 Rabbit Maranville
04/27/39 Fresco Thompson (Hartford Bees manager and 9 year NL second baseman); Also Jack Onslow (Boston scout, Chicago White Sox manager 1949-1950, brother of Eddie Onslow)
05/03/38 Eddie Onslow (Hartford Laurels manager), Marty Mcmanus (Williamsport manager, 15 year MLB infielder, Boston Red Sox player/manager 1932/33)
04/29/38 Bob Quinn
03/01/38 Pete Naktenis (Philadelphia A's), Jimmy Sullivan (Albany/Eastern League), George Woodend (Williamsport/Eastern League)
02/01/38 Bob Quinn, president Boston Bees (Boston Braves 1936-1940 were known as the Boston Bees)
10/06/37 Colonel Jacob Ruppert (Yankees owner), Ken Smith (Baseball writer, New York Mirror) Meeting held at Hotel Lincoln in New York. Club attends World Series game at Yankee Stadium, Yankees vs. New York Giants
06/22/37 Welcome Cleveland Indians night: Bob Feller, Mel Harder, Lyn Lary
02/15/37 Lou Gehrig (chaperoned by his father Henry Gehrig); members only meeting; Also Paddy O’Connor (former player and former Hartford Senators manager)
1930 – 1926
1929-1931 World Series Club meets in Philadelphia for 3 straight years in conjunction with the Philadelphia A's appearance in the Fall Classic each year. Meetings held at Hotel Benjamin Franklin.
10/01/27 Club attends World Series in New York (Yankees vs. Pirates)
Featured in video
Lou Gehrig - 2/15/37
Roy Campanella - 3/2/66
Bob Feller - 6/22/37, 2/29/99
Fay Vincent - 3/19/2001
Monte Irvin - 3/27/79; 3/22/05
Jeff Bagwell - 11/13/91
Connie Mack - 10/18/51 (WSC 25th anniversary)
Jim Rice - 1/8/2007
Dwight Gooden - 11/8/2010
Brooks Robinson - 10/23/68; 12/17/77
Bill Lee - 10/24/73; 12/10/91; 11/6/95 ; 1/11/2000; 1/10/2006; 3/2/2015;
TCC USA-CUBA April/July 2016