By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – When scrolling through the Connecticut Tri-State Baseball League website, the Bristol Greeners are still listed as one of the many teams in the division.
However, the Greeners have moved on to greener pastures.
After the pandemic shutdown the Tri-State Baseball League in 2020 and realizing that driving to places like Bethlehem and even Amenia, New York was a bit out of the reach for most of those players from Bristol, the locals decided on a new plan of action.
And it was time to change leagues.
That’s exactly what the Greeners did as the squad took its talents to the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League for the 2021 campaign.
“I think what we were starting to notice a little bit was that a lot of the guys on the team had jobs and a couple them moved a little bit closer to the Hartford area, so it just made it a little more convenient to us,” said Bristol coach A.J. Lorenzetti about playing in the GHTBL. “I wish Tri-State the best of luck this year. The league has been around for a long time. They know what they’re doing.”
It was a win-win for everyone as the Greeners got to stay closer to home while the teams of the GHTLB once again get to play and compete from Muzzy Field.
And the GHTBL was without a Bristol entry for far too long.
The Bristol Merchants, the last Mum City team to play for the league, won a combined nine regular season and postseason titles from 2004-2010 – starting play in the GHTBL in 2001.
But by 2011, long time head coach Bunty Ray had retired, the Merchants were in the league for just one more season and when 2012 came around, the GHTBL was without a Bristol franchise.
Right around the time the Merchants were still winning league titles, the Bristol Greeners entered the Connecticut Tri-State Baseball League in 2009 as head coach Shawn Mirmina put together a team that was always competitive.
But in the mid-2010’s, Mirmina stepped down, then eventually came back before Lorenzetti and Jerry LaPenta took over the coaching duties of the squad.
The Greeners had some success in Tri-State, winning exactly 100 games over its time in the league from 2009-19.
Mirmina and crew made a fantastic run in 2013, going 19-7 and was one game away from qualifying from the World Series but just couldn’t get over the hump.
And Lorenzetti last led the Greeners to the playoffs in 2018 – helping the squad go 11-9 overall – but got stumped by Southington in first round play of the Tri-State postseason tournament.
But the GHTBL, established in 1929, has exciting potential for the Greeners to make a sizable splash.
The league has gotten a bit younger since the days of the Merchants, but the newest Bristol squad has gone 2-3 to start the season and is just one game back of second place Malloves Jewelers.
“This is the type of league where you have to come out and play your best game because you have an opportunity to win every time you step on the field,” said Lorenzetti. “All these teams are very good, but I think we’re very good as well and I think once we hit our stride, we’ll definitely be able to make a very positive impression in our first year.”
Despite the 2-3 start, the Greeners have been in every game this year.
The team dropped its three games by three runs or less before picking up a huge 1-0 victory over People’s United Bank on June 6.
Bristol pitcher Kenny Knox held the fort over the first five innings of play, posting six strikeouts while spacing out seven hits.
From there, Casey Horjus won it for the locals over two innings of one-hit ball.
Jake Wynn, Stephen Warkoski, Lorenzetti, and Gabe Bartolome all had hits for Bristol as Bartolome’s RBI tally ended up being the game-winner.
That victory against People’s, from Riverfront Park in Glastonbury, proves that the Greeners can be highly successful in the GHTBL when everything falls into place.
“I’m super excited for our year this season in the GHTBL,” said Lorenzetti.
More about the coach
Lorenzetti has been a staple of Bristol baseball for quite some time now.
From McCabe-Waters Little League to St. Paul Catholic, and Bristol American Legion baseball, he’s represented some excellent programs throughout the Mum City.
He was a Naugatuck Valley League All-Conference performer for the Falcons under head coach Pat Holden in 2015 and then joined the Bristol Greeners of the Connecticut Tri-State League in 2016.
One season later, he was coaching the Greeners.
He is a three-time All-Star in Tri-State Baseball League play and when he’s not coaching and acting as the team’s DH, Lorenzetti is a tremendous catcher from behind the plate – still throwing guys out at season base with ease.
He is a 2019 University of Connecticut graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
The Greater Hartford Twilight League moved to 10 teams in 2021
Along with the Greeners, Hartford returned to the GHTBL line-up as the Colts play its home games from the new Johnny Taylor Field at Colt Park.
Also returning to league play – after a one-year absence – was Malloves Jewelers of Middletown.
The other eight teams in the league are the East Hartford Jets, People’s United Bank (Wethersfield), Rainbow Graphics (Manchester), Record-Journal Expos (Meriden), South Windsor Phillies, Ulbrich Steel (Wallingford), and the Vernon Orioles.
To find out more about the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League, go to www.GHTBL.org for schedules, statistics, rosters and much more.
