Winnipeg Goldeyes

Winnipeg Goldeyes
Founded in 1994 Winnipeg, Manitoba
Team logo	Cap insignia
League affiliations
American Association North Division Northern League (1994-2010)
Name
Winnipeg Goldeyes (1994-present)
Retired Numbers	5, 6, 21
Team Colours
Red, Navy Blue
Ballpark
Shaw Park (1999-present) Winnipeg Stadium (1994-1998)
Championships
League titles: 1 (1994) Division titles: 8 (1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2011)
Owner(s)/Operated By: Sam Katz
General Manager: Andrew Collier
Manager: Rick Forney
Media: Shaw TV Winnipeg Sun Winnipeg Free Press TSN Radio 1290
Website: www.goldeyes.com

The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a professional baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From 1994 to 2010, the team was a member of the Northern League.

The Goldeyes have played their home games at Shaw Park (formerly Canwest Park) since 1999. The team is named after the goldeye, a fish usually served as a smoked delicacy and commonly called Winnipeg goldeye.

History

1950s logo

There have been two separate and distinct baseball teams based out of Winnipeg to use the Goldeyes name, each playing in different incarnations of the Northern League. They first played in the original Northern League, from 1954 until 1964. During that time they won the league championship 3 times in 1957, 1959, and 1960.

The team was resurrected in 1994 when the Rochester Aces folded and moved to Winnipeg. It was decided the team would take on the name of the former Winnipeg team in honor of the past. The current team is owned by Sam Katz. Katz was elected mayor of Winnipeg in 2004, and remains President of the Goldeyes. The team is one of the most successful in the Northern League, despite missing the playoffs in 2004 for the first time since the team commenced operations, and again missing the playoffs in 2005. In 1994 they won their only Northern League championship.

Following the departure of the St. Paul Saints, Sioux City Explorers and Sioux Falls Canaries to the breakaway American Association, the Goldeyes became the longest tenured franchise in the Northern League. On October 13, 2010, the Goldeyes left the Northern League to join the above three in the American Association, coming along with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Gary SouthShore RailCats, and the Kansas City T-Bones for the 2011 season.

The Goldeyes are not the only team to have once played in the Northern League from Winnipeg. From 1902-1942 the city was represented by the Winnipeg Maroons.

Year-by-year record

						First Half			Second Half			Overall
Season		League		Division		W-L	Finish		W-L	Finish		W-L	Win%		Playoffs
1994		NL		N/A		16-24	5th		27-13	1st		43-37	.538		Won championship
1995		NL		N/A		25-17	2nd		22-21	3rd		47-38	.553		Lost championship series
1996		NL		West		25-17	2nd		25-17	2nd		50-34	.595		Lost divisional series
1997		NL		West		29-12	1st		24-18	2nd		53-30	.639		Lost championship series
1998		NL		West		25-18	2nd		33-10	1st		58-28	.674		Lost division series
1999		NL		West		28-15	1st		20-23	3rd		48-38	558		Lost championship series
2000		NL		West		24-19	3rd		24-19	2nd		48-38	.558		Lost Central semi-final
2001		NL		North		29-16	1st		23-22	1st		52-38	.578		Lost championship series
2002		NL		North		28-17	1st		28-17	1st		56-34	.622		Lost championship series
2003		NL		East		26-18	2nd		29-16	1st		55-34	.618		Lost championship series
2004		NL		North		26-21	3rd		30-18	2nd		56-39	.589		Did not qualify
2005		NL		North		22-25	4th		25-23	4th		47-48	.495		Did not qualify
2006		NL		North		27-21	2nd		25-23	2nd		52-44	.542		Lost West final
2007		NL		North		27-20	2nd		25-23	2nd		52-43	.547		Lost Division Finals
2008		NL		N/A		51-45	3rd		N/A	N/A		51-45	.531		Lost semi-final
2009		NL		N/A		55-41	2nd		N/A	N/A		55-41	.573		Lost semi-final
2010		NL		N/A		46-53	6th		N/A	N/A		46-53	.465		Did not qualify
2011		AA		North		60-40	1st		N/A	N/A		60-40	.600		Lost Division Finals

Current roster

Winnipeg Goldeyes roster
Active (22-man) roster				Coaches/Other
Pitchers 12 Zach Baldwin 25 Chad Benefield 11 Aaron Hartsock 33 Isaac Hess 4 Chris Salamida 19 Ian Thomas 39 Jamie Vermilyea 32 Luis Villarreal 31 Andrew Walker 45 Mike Williams		Catchers 18 Luis Alen Infielders 3 Justin Bass 14 Price Kendall 8 Wes Long 29 Brian Myrow 10 Amos Ramon ‡ 17 Louis Ott Outfielders 13 Kody Kaiser 15 Jon Weber 26 Ridge Carpenter 27 Justin Justice ‡ 24 Fehlandt Lentini		Manager 43 Rick Forney Coaches 28 Brendan Sagara (Pitching) 7 Tom Vaeth (Hitting) Disabled list ‡ Inactive list § Suspended list Roster updated 2011-08-01 Transactions

Retired numbers

• #5 Brian Duva
• #6 Max Poulin
• #21 Donnie Smith

See also

• List of baseball teams in Canada

External links

• Winnipeg Goldeyes official site
• Winnipeg Goldeyes Fan club web site
• CFRW broadcasts all Winnipeg Goldeyes games
• nlfan.com Winnipeg Goldeyes Guide
• nlfan.com Rochester Aces Guide

References

• Goldeyes official website
• nlfan.com - yearly league standings & awards