About the Vermont Mountaineers
The Vermont Mountaineers, the Defending Champions of the Western Division of the NECBL joined the New England-wide league in 2003. The Montpelier-based collegiate baseball program and the Mountaineer organization have grown from a curiosity to one of the most popular summer attractions in the central Vermont, averaging more than 1,500 fans during their seven 21-game seasons at historic Montpelier Recreation Field.
The Mountaineers have reached the league playoffs every year since 2004, winning four division championship banners (05, 06, 07, and 09) and back-to-back NECBL Championships in 2006 and 2007. The Mountaineers have had a winning season for each of the past five seasons.
Three Mountaineer Field Managers including the NECBL Manager of the Year in 2005, John Russo, and his successor, Troy Moock, have been responsible for honing the baseball skills of more than fifty Mountaineers who have signed professional baseball contracts in the past six years. Nearly two dozen of them are still playing at all levels of minor league professional baseball.
Many noteworthy events have taken place at Recreation Field over the past eight years both on the field and behind the scenes. In 2005, the Mountaineers retired Hall of Famer Robin Roberts' #36 (Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros (1948 – 1960), and Ray Fisher's #44 (Cincinnati Reds 1919 – 1920). The Mountaineers hosted the NECBL All-Star game in 2005, drawing 4,127, one of the largest crowds at Recreation Field in recent memory.
The Mountaineers organization has also invested several thousands of dollars in field improvements that make the historic field one of the best playing surfaces in the league – a site that has been described by NECBL officials as “a jewel” in the NECBL. Other improvements have focused on new fencing, paving, upgrades to the grandstand including protective screening, and an expansion of the press box to accommodate the burgeoning press corps.
The Mountaineers are a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to serving the communities of central Vermont. Donations of $500 or more toward our capital improvement fund are tax deductible and will be recognized on our website and the granite plaque at the ballpark.
Visit our website at: www.theverrmontmountaineers.com for more information.
