Richmond Flying Squirrels
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2011) |
| Richmond Flying Squirrels | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class | Double-A (1972–present) | ||||
| League | Eastern League (1983–present) | ||||
| Division | Western Division | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team | San Francisco Giants (2003–present) | ||||
| Previous teams | New York Yankees (1972–1979, 1985–2002)
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| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles | 9 (1972, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2002) | ||||
| Division titles | 2 (2002, 2009) | ||||
| Team data | |||||
| Name | Richmond Flying Squirrels (2010–present)
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| Ballpark | The Diamond (2010–present) | ||||
Previous parks | Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium (1995–2009)
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Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Lou DiBella | ||||
| General manager | Bill Papierniak | ||||
| Manager | Dave Machemer | ||||
The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a minor league baseball team in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. The Squirrels were previously known as the Connecticut Defenders.
The Flying Squirrels mark affiliated baseball's return to Richmond after a one-year absence prompted by the relocation of the former Triple-A International League's Richmond Braves to Lawrenceville, Georgia, where they are now called the Gwinnett Braves.
History
The Flying Squirrels began in 1972 as the West Haven Yankees, a farm club of the New York Yankees playing games at both Quigley Stadium and Yale Field in West Haven, Connecticut. They switched affiliations in 1980 to the Oakland Athletics and became the West Haven Whitecaps for one season before becoming the West Haven A's. In 1983, the team became the Albany A's when they moved to the Capital District of New York, playing at Heritage Park in Colonie. In 1985 the Yankees again became the team's parent club, replacing the A's, and prompting the minor-league team to become the Albany-Colonie Yankees, which they would retain until 1994.
On June 3, 1994, the Yankees announced they would move their franchise from Albany-Colonie to Norwich, Connecticut, and rename the team the Norwich Navigators. Property in Norwich was allotted for a new stadium on November 3 the same year, and the team played their season-opening game on April 6, 1995 with a win over the Bowie Baysox. The new stadium's opening game was 11 days later and ended again with a Navigators victory, this time over the Reading Phillies.
Norwich reached the Eastern League playoffs four times within the next six years, while many current and former New York Yankees were leading the team. On September 14, 2002 the Navigators won their first and only Eastern League championship with a five-game series victory at home over the Harrisburg Senators, under the direction of rookie manager Luis Sojo.
Within weeks, the Yankees announced that they were ending their affiliation with the Navigators to start a new team, the Trenton Thunder. Later that fall, the San Francisco Giants signed them as their new parent club for the 2003 season.
In 2005, the team was bought by boxing promoter Lou DiBella. With attendance figures declining, management announced an overhaul of the franchise's image and held a contest during the season allowing the public to select a new name. It was announced November 14, 2005 that the winning name was the Connecticut Defenders. A new mascot, the Bald Eagle, debuted eight days later. Another contest was held to name the mascot, and on February 11, 2006, the eagle was named "Cutter." The "Defenders" name, and Bald Eagle mascot were both references to the United States Coast Guard Academy located nearby in New London, and the Naval Submarine Base New London in nearby Groton.[citation needed]
In 2008 the San Francisco Giants renewed their PDC with the Defenders franchise until 2010. The following season, the Defenders won the Southern Division title, qualifying for the Eastern League playoffs. The Defenders defeated the New Britain Rock Cats three games to one in the ELDS, the second time making it to the Eastern League Championship Series in franchise history; however, the Defenders fell short in the end, this time losing three games to one against the Akron Aeros.
On September 23, 2009, it was announced that the Defenders would leave Norwich for their current home at The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia, where they will continue seeking proposals for a new ballpark in the Richmond metropolitan area. The team name was changed to the "Flying Squirrels".[1]
Name
The name the Richmond Flying Squirrels was chosen through a Richmond Times-Dispatch readers "name-the-team-contest", which ended on October 15, 2009.[1] Other finalists were the Rock Hoppers, Hambones, Rhinos, Flatheads, and Hush Puppies. (The name Hambones was later ruled out of the contest after the city's uproar and the NAACP finding that "the Hambones" could be seen as a derogatory term directed towards the African-American community.)
Logo
The new logo was unveiled on December 1, 2009.[citation needed] It is a black, red, and grey flying squirrel with a patch in the shape of an "R" (for Richmond) on top of an acorn over its heart.
Season records
(Norwich & Connecticut: Place indicates finish in Northern Division, Richmond: Place indicates finish in Western Division)
- As Norwich Navigators
- 1995: 70–71 (3rd), manager Jimmy Johnson
- 1996: 71–70 (3rd), manager Jim Essian
- 1997: 73–69 (2nd), manager Trey Hillman
- 1998: 66–76 (4th), manager Trey Hillman
- 1999: 78–64 (2nd), manager Lee Mazzilli
- 2000: 76–66 (3rd), manager Dan Radison
- 2001: 83–59 (2nd), manager Stump Merrill
- 2002: 76–64 (1st), manager Stump Merrill
- 2003: 62–79 (6th), manager Shane Turner
- 2004: 69–74 (5th), manager Shane Turner
- 2005: 71–72 (3rd), manager Dave Machemer
- As Connecticut Defenders
- 2006: 64–77 (5th), manager Dave Machemer
- 2007: 63–78 (5th), managers Dave Machemer (through July 21) and Shane Turner
- 2008: 68–73 (4th), manager Bien Figueroa
- 2009: 83–59 (1st), manager Steve Decker
- As Richmond Flying Squirrels
- 2010: 68–73 (5th), manager Andy Skeels
- 2011: 76–66 (2nd), manager Dave Machemer
- 2012: manager Dave Machemer
Playoffs
- 1997 season: Lost to Portland, 3–2, in first round
- 1999 season: Defeated Trenton 3–2, in first round; lost to Harrisburg 3–2, in championship round.
- 2001 season: Lost to New Britain, 3–1, in first round
- 2002 season: Defeated New Haven, 3–0, in first round; defeated Harrisburg 3–2 to win Eastern League title.
- 2009 season: Defeated New Britain, 3–1, in first round; lost to Akron 3–1, in championship round.
- 2011 season: Defeated Harrisburg, 3–0, in first round; lost to New Hampshire in championship round.
Roster
| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
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Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
60-day injured list
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References
- ^ a b O'connor, John (October 15, 2009). "Flying Squirrels picked as new baseball team name". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond, VA: Media General Communications Holdings. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- Eastern League Announces Relocation to Richmond for the 2010 Season – Official Eastern League Press Release
- Defenders relocating to Richmond – Minor League Baseball news story