Baseball has long been a beloved pastime in New Port Richey since the town’s founding. In 1922, local enthusiasts organized the first baseball team, which competed against nearby towns throughout the summer. By 1923, the team joined the newly formed West Coast Baseball League alongside teams from Dade City and Lutz. The 1924 season saw Frank Grey appointed as manager and a permanent ball diamond constructed on donated land southwest of the Enchantment Inn. During the 1925 season, New Port Richey dominated with a record of nineteen wins against only five losses after Plant City joined the league. In mid-1926, the team adopted the nickname Plutocrats reflecting the city’s reputation as home to wealthy winter residents. The Plutocrats went on to win the Florida West Coast Baseball League championship that year in a seven-game playoff against Dunedin. A separate Negro League team called the Red Birds also played at Hacienda Field beginning around 1928, managed by Roosevelt Bryant and featuring notable pitchers. Despite New Port Richey being a sundown town during this era, the Red Birds received support from local fans including James W Clark Jr. The league continued operating until at least 1949 though historical records become sparse after the mid-1930s.
Key Points:
- In 1922, a local baseball team was formed in New Port Richey after a meeting held at Bill Casey’s barber shop and billiard parlor.
