Spotlight On: Valley Blue Sox
Our Member Relations Committee was pleased to surprise The Valley Blue Sox, as our May 2026 Member Spotlight Presented by Ted & Barbara Hebert of Teddy Bear Pools & Spas. We got to meet General Manager Brandon Seymour, and Valley Blue Sox lovable mascot, Paws, too!
The Valley Blue Sox are a collegiate summer baseball team, based in Holyoke Massachusetts, and a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). They play at the historic Mackenzie Stadium in Holyoke, MA, which was built in 1933 and seats 4,100. Blue Sox players come from top college programs across the country, and some of these players are drafted into Major League Baseball.
Not always the Blue Sox, the team was founded in 2001 and was originally named The Concord Quarry Dogs, the second NECBL team in New Hampshire. They moved to Holyoke in 2008 after the departure of the Holyoke Giants to Lynn Massachusetts, hoping to fill the gap. Holyoke hosted the 2009 NECBL All-Star Game at Mackenzie Stadium, breaking records with the attendance, and with each year, their fan-base grew.
The Concord Quarry Dogs officially became the Valley Blue Sox in 2014, under the new ownership of Team President Clark Eckhoff, General Manager Hunter Golden, and Team Manager John Raiola. In 2017, The Blue Sox qualified for the NECBL championships for the second consecutive year, and won 12 of its last 13 games - defeating the Ocean State Waves of Rhode Island, and winning the NECBL Championships. They won the league championships again in 2018, defeating the Ocean State Waves for the second year in a row, and ranking #1 Summer College Team in the US. Manager John Raiola was a key manager to the Valley Blue Sox, leading the team with back-to-back winning titles, and holding a 136-94 record during his tenure, and is returning for the 2026 season as Field Manager.
2018 was a big year for the VBS, not only winning their second consecutive league championship, but also new and local ownership. Hadley native Fred Ciaglo took over as Owner and President as Clark Eckhoff departed. In 2022, Ciaglo sold the VBS to Matthew Drury, current President, who also has ties to the area.
The Valley Blue Sox partners with many local businesses and charitable foundations around Western Massachusetts, including the Boys and Girls Club of Holyoke, and Strike out Hunger, presented by PeoplesBank, where $10 is donated for every strikeout thrown by a Blue Sox Pitcher to The Food Bank of Western MA. The Blue Sox also provides Youth Clinics for children 6 -13 years old, in Holyoke, Greenfield, Wilbraham, and South Hadley.
Their season is kicking off, so if you haven’t been to a Blue Sox game, check it out this summer! It’s a lot of fun. On July 1st, the Chicopee Chamber is partnering with the Valley Blue Sox, The Greater Holyoke Chamber, and the West of the River Chamber for a Night of Networking & Baseball, so you can network, support your local chamber, and your local sports team!
Thank you, Valley Blue Sox, for caring for your community, your fans, and bringing us all together!