Auburn Doubledays

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by NatureBoyMD (talk | contribs) at 18:31, 8 February 2020 (→‎External links: update / cleanup). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Auburn Doubledays
File:Auburn Doubledays.PNG
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass A Short Season (1967–present)
Previous classes
  • Class A (1963–1966)
  • Class D (1958–1962)
LeagueNew York–Penn League (1958–present)
DivisionPinckney Division
Major league affiliations
TeamWashington Nationals (2011–present)
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles (8)
  • 1962
  • 1964
  • 1966
  • 1967
  • 1970
  • 1973
  • 1998
  • 2007
Division titles (15)
  • 1964
  • 1966
  • 1967
  • 1968
  • 1970
  • 1973
  • 1985
  • 1994
  • 2002
  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2005
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2011
Team data
NameAuburn Doubledays (1996–present)
Previous names
  • Auburn Astros (1982–1995)
  • Auburn Americans (1980)
  • Auburn Red Stars (1979)
  • Auburn Sunsets (1978)
  • Auburn Phillies (1972–1977)
  • Auburn Twins (1967–1971)
  • Auburn Mets (1962–1966)
  • Auburn Yankees (1958–1961)
ColorsBlue, white, red
     
MascotAbner
BallparkFalcon Park II (1995–present)
Previous parks
Falcon Park I (1958–1994)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Auburn Community Baseball, LLC
General managerAdam Winslow [1]
ManagerRocket Wheeler

The Auburn Doubledays are a Minor League Baseball team of the New York–Penn League (NYPL) and the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Auburn, New York, and play their home games at Leo Pinckney Field at Falcon Park, which opened in 1995 and seats 2,800 people. They previously played at the original Falcon Park, which was built in 1927 on the same site. The team is owned and operated by Auburn Community Baseball.

Auburn began in the NYPL in 1958 and has since competed under various names and served as the farm team for a number of Major League Baseball teams. The Doubledays and its mascot, Abner, are named for Abner Doubleday, the Civil War general and Auburn native apocryphally credited with inventing the game of baseball. Abner wears number 96 in honor of the birth of the team in 1996.

History

Early championship era

In 1958, the Auburn New York–Penn League franchise was founded as the Auburn Yankees, as an affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Yankees affiliation lasted until 1961. The club included future Major League Baseball All-Stars Jim Bouton, Joe Pepitone, and Mel Stottlemyre. The team then became affiliated with the New York Mets, as the Auburn Mets. With a roster that included Billy Wynne, Don Shaw, Tug McGraw, and Jerry Koosman, the club won the league championship three times: in 1962, 1964, and 1966.[2]

In 1967, the club changed its affiliation to the Minnesota Twins and became the Auburn Twins. The Twins won NYPL title in 1967 and 1970.

In 1972, the team was renamed the Auburn Phillies after associating with the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1973, under manager Harry Lloyd, the team won league championship. Future major leaguers Luis Aguayo, Randy Lerch, Dickie Noles, Lonnie Smith, and Ozzie Virgil, among numerous others, played for the team. Managers of note included Mike Compton and Ruben Amaro.

Co-op seasons

In 1978, the team became the Auburn Sunsets and were co-operated by the Phillies and Houston Astros. Managed by Dick Rockwell, the team went achieved a 32–40 record, finishing third in the league's Yawkey Division.[3] The team featured future major league players Carmelo Castillo and Alejandro Sanchez and future major league general manager Dave Littlefield.[4]

In 1979 the club became known as the Auburn Red Stars. The team featured future MLB player Doug Frobel.[5] The Red Stars operated under a co-operative agreement. The Red Stars received players from seven different major league organizations, led by the Detroit Tigers, with seven players, and Cleveland Indians, with five.

In 1980, the Red Stars changed their name to the Auburn Americans. The team once again operated as a co-op and received 17 players from the Cleveland Indians and several from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The squad featured future MLB player Jack Fimple and finished fourth in the New York–Penn League's West Division with a 29–45 record.[6][7]

Astros era

1988 Auburn Astros team photo

Auburn returned to play in the New York–Penn League in 1982 with the Auburn Astros as an affiliate of the Houston Astros.

In 1991, with John H. Graham as general manager,[8] the team set the all-time attendance record at Falcon Park.

Doubledays

The team was renamed the Auburn Doubledays before the 1996 season and has operated under that name since.

In 1998, the Doubledays and the Oneonta Yankees were named Co-Champions of the New York–Penn League after Central New York was hit with a torrential rain storm and the fields at both parks were deemed unplayable.

Under the management of Dennis Holmberg, the Doubledays won the Pinckney Division title for six straight years in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, but failed to win the league championship for the first five of those years. After losing in the first round of the playoffs for the first three years of their streak, they advanced to the New York–Penn League championship series before being swept by the Staten Island Yankees. In 2003, the Doubledays led all of baseball in winning percentage (.757).

The Doubledays finally won the NYPL title in 2007, sweeping the Brooklyn Cyclones in the league championship series. The final game featured a stellar pitching performance by Brett Cecil and a home run by J. P. Arencibia.[9] This was the first league championship for the city of Auburn since 1973.

Season-by-season results

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
1958 67–58 4th Tom Gott Lost in 1st round
1959 58–67 5th Bob Bauer Did not qualify
1960 65–63 3rd Bob Bauer Lost in 1st round
1961 52–73 8th Loren Babe Did not qualify
1962 62–57 3rd (tie) Dick Cole League Champions
1963 76–54 1st Dick Cole Lost in 1st round
1964 79–48 1st Clyde McCullough League Champions
1965 73–55 2nd Clyde McCullough Did not qualify
1966 80–49 1st Clyde McCullough League Champions
1967 52–26 1st Tom Umphlett League Champions
1968 49–27 1st Boyd Coffie Lost league finals
1969 31–42 7th Steve Thornton Did not qualify
1970 43–26 1st Boyd Coffie League Champions
1971 42–28 2nd Boyd Coffie Did not qualify
1972 39–30 4th Nolan Campbell Did not qualify
1973 46–23 1st Harry Lloyd League Champions
1974 34–32 2nd Larry Rojas Did not qualify
1975 31–37 4th June Raines Did not qualify
1976 24–45 5th Mike Compton Did not qualify
1977 17–53 10th Ruben Amaro Did not qualify
1978 32–40 6th Dick Rockwell Did not qualify
1979 22–45 10th Tom Kotchman Did not qualify
1980 29–45 7th Bill Julio Did not qualify
1982 35–39 8th Bob Hartsfield Did not qualify
1983 43–31 4th Bob Hartsfield Did not qualify
1984 38–38 7th Bob Hartsfield Did not qualify
1985 47–31 2nd Bob Hartsfield Lost league finals
1986 44–32 3rd Keith Bodie Lost in 1st round
1987 39–36 7th Gary Tuck Did not qualify
1988 42–33 5th Frank Cacciatore Did not qualify
1989 35–42 7th Reggie Waller Did not qualify
1990 31–46 11th Ricky Peters Did not qualify
1991 38–39 6th Steve Dillard Did not qualify
1992 32–41 12th Steve Dillard Did not qualify
1993 30–46 14th Manny Acta Did not qualify
1994 45–31 2nd Manny Acta Lost league finals
1995 40–34 5th Manny Acta Did not qualify
1996 37–39 8th Manny Acta Did not qualify
1997 29–47 13th Mike Rojas Did not qualify
1998 43–32 3rd Lyle Yates League Co-Champions
1999 39–37 8th Lyle Yates Did not qualify
2000 32–42 11th John Massarelli Did not qualify
2001 32–42 11th Paul Elliott Did not qualify
2002 47–29 4th Dennis Holmberg Lost in 1st round
2003 56–18 1st Dennis Holmberg Lost in 1st round
2004 50–24 1st Dennis Holmberg Lost in 1st round
2005 45–30 3rd Dennis Holmberg Lost league finals
2006 42–32 3rd Dennis Holmberg Lost in 1st round
2007 47–29 3rd Dennis Holmberg League Champions
2008 38–37 7th (tie) Dennis Holmberg Did not qualify
2009 26–49 14th Dennis Holmberg Did not qualify
2010 35–40 9th Dennis Holmberg Did not qualify
2011 45–30 3rd Gary Cathcart Lost league finals
2012 46–30 3rd Gary Cathcart Lost in 1st round
2013 26–49 14th Gary Cathcart Did not qualify
2014 34–41 9th Gary Cathcart Did not qualify
2015 36–38 9th Gary Cathcart Did not qualify
2016 28–47 12th Jerad Head Did not qualify
2017 36–45 12th (tie) Jerad Head Did not qualify
2018 41–35 2nd Jerad Head Lost in 1st round
2019 30–46 6th Rocket Wheeler Did not qualify

Playoffs

  • 1968 season: Defeated Williamsport, 1–0, in semifinals; lost to Oneonta, 1–0, in championship.
  • 1978 season: Lost to Geneva, 2–0, in championship.
  • 1985 season: Defeated Jamestown, 1–0, in semifinals; lost to Oneonta, 2–0, in championship.
  • 1986 season: Lost to St. Catharines, 1–0, in semifinals.
  • 1994 season: Defeated Watertown, 2–0, in semifinals; lost to New Jersey, 2–0, in championship.
  • 1998 season: Defeated Batavia, 2–0, in semifinals; declared co–champions with Oneonta (series rained out).
  • 2002 season: Lost to Oneonta, 2–0, in semifinals.
  • 2003 season: Lost to Williamsport, 2–0, in semifinals.
  • 2004 season: Lost to Mahoning Valley, 2–0, in semifinals.
  • 2005 season: Defeated Oneonta, 2–0, in semifinals; lost to Staten Island, 2–0, in championship.
  • 2006 season: Lost to Tri-City, 2–1, in semifinals.
  • 2007 season: Defeated Oneonta, 2–1, in semifinals; defeated Brooklyn, 2–0, to win championship.
  • 2011 season: Defeated Vermont, 2–1, in semifinals; lost to Staten Island, 2–0, in championship.
  • 2012 season: Lost to Tri-City, 2–1, in semifinals.
  • 2018 season: Lost to Hudson Valley Renegades 2–0, in semifinals.

Roster

Template:Auburn Doubledays roster

Alumni

Notable Auburn Astros players

Other notable Auburn players

Future Major League Baseball staff

Front office and staff

  • Steve DeSalvo was the team's general manager from 1982 to 1983.[10] He went on to a long career as a Minor League Baseball executive.[10]
  • Auburn native Leslie Leary was general manager from 1984 to 1987.[11] She was one of the first female general managers in Minor League Baseball.[11]
  • Baseball agent Joe Kehoskie, an Auburn native, worked for the team from 1984 to 1991.[8][12]
  • Bob Neal, previously the general manager of the Watertown Pirates and Peninsula Pilots, was general manager from early 1988 to late 1989.[13][14]
  • John H. Graham, previously the general manager of the Peninsula Pilots, was assistant general manager from early 1988 to early 1989;[13] business manager from early 1989 to late 1989;[14] and general manager from late 1989 to late 1991.[8][15]
  • Marc Techman, an Auburn native, was assistant general manager in 1991.[8]
  • Shawn Smith, currently a vice president with the NBA, was general manager from 1994 to 1995.[16][17]
  • Charlie Wride was the team's public address announcer for most of the team's 14-season existence, as well as the team historian. Wride continues to work for the team's successor, the Auburn Doubledays, in a community relations capacity.[18][19]

Wall of Fame

Main article: Auburn Community Baseball § Wall of Fame

References

  1. ^ "Front Office Staff". Auburn Doubledays. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  2. ^ "The Auburn Mets - Players who played for both teams". Ultimate Mets Database. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "1978 New York–Pennsylvania League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "1978 Auburn Sunsets Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  5. ^ "1979 Auburn Red Stars Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  6. ^ "1980 New York–Pennsylvania League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  7. ^ "1980 Auburn Americans Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d 1991 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1991.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ "Doubledays Sweep Brooklyn For NYP Title". Auburn Doubledays. September 6, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  10. ^ a b "Steve DeSalvo Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  11. ^ a b Anderson, Shelly (February 20, 1988). "Doors to the major leagues still hard to open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  12. ^ Weiman Jr., Dale (February 15, 2006). "So, you want to be the next Jerry Maguire?". Westlaw. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  13. ^ a b 1988 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1988.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ^ a b 1989 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1989.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. ^ 1990 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1990.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  16. ^ 1994 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1994.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  17. ^ 1995 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1995.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  18. ^ Tobin, Dave (June 20, 2004). "Doubledays' Mr. Everything – Auburn's Baseball Club Counts on Charlie Wride". Syracuse Post-Standard. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  19. ^ "Auburn Baseball Wall of Fame". MiLB.com. Retrieved September 20, 2011.

External links

Template:New York - Penn League

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Auburn_Doubledays&oldid=939785950"