Editing Roger Connor (section)

==Later life==

===Minor league baseball===
Connor signed with the Fall River Indians of the [[New England League]] in June 1897. Connor attracted some attention by wearing eyeglasses on the field. He hit [[cleanup hitter|cleanup]], played first base and was popular among fans. In 1898, Connor moved back to his hometown of Waterbury and purchased the local minor league team. He served as president, manager and played first base on the side.<ref name=SJNP>{{cite news|title=Roger Connor Dies|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=efZWAAAAIBAJ&pg=3939,1678871|access-date=November 3, 2013|newspaper=[[St. Joseph News-Press]]|date=January 5, 1931}}</ref> Connor's wife, Angeline, kept the team's books and his daughter helped by collecting tickets. Joe Connor was the team's catcher; he later returned to the major leagues for several seasons.<ref name=Ghosts/> After the 1899&nbsp;season, Connor expressed satisfaction with his Waterbury team, saying that the team played well and did not lose money despite not getting strong attendance numbers at their games.<ref name=Prosperity>{{cite news|title=Prosperity and Baseball|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-jRHAAAAIBAJ&pg=1550,3850594|access-date=November 3, 2013|newspaper=[[Record-Journal|Meriden Morning Record]]|date=October 18, 1899}}</ref>

In 1901, Connor became interested in purchasing the minor league franchise in [[Hartford, Connecticut]]. The team had been dropped from the [[Eastern League (1884)|Eastern League]] and had suffered financial losses related to traveling as far away as Canada for games. Connor proposed that he might purchase the team and attempt to have it admitted to the [[Connecticut State League]], decreasing its travel requirements.<ref name=Hartford>{{cite news|title=Roger Connor on Hartford|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yRZHAAAAIBAJ&pg=3966,4156160|access-date=November 3, 2013|newspaper=[[Record-Journal|Meriden Morning Journal]]|date=October 25, 1901}}</ref> However, upon selling the Waterbury club at the end of that season, he bought the [[Springfield Ponies]] franchise in the same league.<ref name=Ghosts/>

===Retirement from baseball===
[[File:Roger Connor plaque.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Plaque of Roger Connor at the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]]]]
In September 1903, Connor announced his retirement from baseball and placed his team up for sale.<ref name=Toledo>{{cite news|title=Roger Connor Has Given Up Baseball|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=q5RgAAAAIBAJ&pg=3909,6499185|access-date=November 3, 2013|newspaper=[[The Toledo Sunday Bee]]|date=September 14, 1903}}</ref> He had made a similar statement the year before and apparently on a frequent basis before that. In June 1902, the local newspaper said, "Roger bobs up every summer and makes his farewell to the baseball public."<ref name=Farewell>{{cite news|title=Roger Connor 'Steenth Farewell|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M7VIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3563,4483976|access-date=November 3, 2013|newspaper=[[Meriden Daily Journal]]|date=June 14, 1902}}</ref> His 1903 retirement was earnest though; he attended a 1904 Springfield-Norwich game as a retired spectator.<ref name=Day>{{cite news|title=Notes and gossip of interest to the baseball fans|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RUFHAAAAIBAJ&pg=2522,5509447|access-date=November 3, 2013|newspaper=[[The Day (New London)|The Day]]|date=August 29, 1904}}</ref>

Connor worked as a school inspector in Waterbury until 1920.<ref name=SJNP/> He lived to see his career home run record bested by [[Babe Ruth]], although if it was celebrated, it might have been on the wrong day. At one time, Connor's record was thought to be 131, per the ''Sporting News'' book ''Daguerreotypes''. As late as the 1980s, in the MacMillan ''Baseball Encyclopedia'', it was thought to be 136. However, John Tattersall's 1975 ''Home Run Handbook'', a publication of the [[Society for American Baseball Research]] (SABR), credited Connor with 138. Both [[MLB.com]] and the independent [[Baseball-Reference.com]] now consider Connor's total to be 138.<ref name=BR/><ref name=MLB>{{cite web|title=Roger Connor Career Stats|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=112589#gameType='R'&sectionType=career&statType=1&season=2013&level='ALL'|work=[[MLB.com]]|access-date=November 3, 2013}}</ref>

===Death===
Connor died on January 4, 1931, following a lengthy stomach illness, at the age of 73. A news article after his death said his "likeable personality and his colorful action made him an idol."<ref name=SJNP/>

He was interred in an unmarked grave at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Waterbury.<ref name=Bock/>

Decades after his death, Waterbury citizens, as well as through donations from baseball fans, raised enough money to purchase a headstone for his grave, which was dedicated in a 2001 ceremony.<ref name=City>{{cite news|last=King|first=Chris|title=City Honors Its Home Run King|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/08/nyregion/city-honors-its-home-run-king.html|access-date=November 3, 2013|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 8, 2001}}</ref>

Connor was inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1976. Baseball Hall of Fame umpire [[Bill Klem]] had long campaigned on behalf of Connor's inclusion to the Hall of Fame.<ref name=Ghosts/>