Bristol’s largest employer for decades, New Departure was noted as being “a city within a city” because of the numerous activities and benefits available to its employees, including that of sports. The manufacturer’s newspaper, The N.D News, not only gave employees many pages of New Departure news, but also a sports section that took up four or five pages.

In-house sports provided employees with baseball, basketball and bowling, among other sports.  In it were the results of their early baseball and basketball teams, as well as the annual track & field day at Muzzy Field. The early basketball and baseball teams played opponents outside the company.  In 1926, for example, the New Departure baseball team, comprised of a couple of former major leaguers combined with the employer’s other best, beat the 1925 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2, in a Muzzy Field exhibition. Babe Ruth also played in a game against ND.

(Bob Montgomery accepted on their behalf)

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