New York–Penn League

New York–Penn League

Sport	Baseball
Founded	1939
No. of teams	14
Country	USA
Most recent champion(s)	West Virginia Black Bears
Most titles	Oneonta Yankees (10)
Official website	Official Website

The New York–Penn League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the northeastern United States. It is classified as a "Short-Season A" league; its season starts in June, after major-league teams have signed their amateur draft picks to professional contracts, and ends in early September. The league is divided into the McNamara Division, the Pinckney Division, and the Stedler Division.

As of the 2015 season, the league includes teams in eight different states. In addition to New York and Pennsylvania, from which the league draws its name, the NYPL also has clubs in Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Vermont, West Virginia, and Connecticut.

The West Virginia Black Bears are the most recent league champions, defeating the Staten Island Yankees on September 15, 2015, by a score of 3-1 to win the series 2-0. It is their first title in their first season in Morgantown and as the Black Bears.

History

Former logo

The league was founded in 1939 with the name Pennsylvania – Ontario – New York League in a hotel in Batavia, New York. This was generally shortened to PONY League. The original teams included the Batavia Clippers, Bradford Bees, Hamilton Red Wings, Jamestown Jaguars, Niagara Falls Rainbows, and Olean Oilers. The Oilers, a Brooklyn Dodgers affiliate, won both the regular-season and playoff championships.

The Hamilton Red Wings folded early in the 1956 season, and with no more teams in Ontario, the league adopted its current name in 1957. The league crossed back into Canada with the formation of the St. Catharines Blue Jays in 1986. They were joined by the Hamilton Redbirds in 1987 and the Welland Pirates in 1989, but all three clubs had moved back to the United States by 2000.

Player limits and requirements

New York–Penn League teams may have no more than 3 players on their active lists that have 4 or more years of prior combined Major League / Minor League service, with the exception of position players changing roles to become a pitcher or a pitcher changing into a position player. Teams may get to eliminate up to one year of time of Minor League service for players who have spent time on the disabled list.

By July 1 of each year, all clubs must have at least 10 pitchers.

Maximum number of players under team control is 35, 30 of those may be active, but only 25 may be in uniform and eligible to play in any given game.^[1]

Current teams

Division	Team	MLB Affiliation	City	Stadium	Capacity
McNamara	Aberdeen IronBirds	Baltimore Orioles	Aberdeen, Maryland	Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium^1	6,300
	Brooklyn Cyclones	New York Mets	Brooklyn, New York	MCU Park	7,500
	Hudson Valley Renegades	Tampa Bay Rays	Wappingers Falls, New York	Dutchess Stadium	4,494
	Staten Island Yankees	New York Yankees	Staten Island, New York	Richmond County Bank Ballpark	7,171
Pinckney	Auburn Doubledays	Washington Nationals	Auburn, New York	Falcon Park	2,800
	Batavia Muckdogs	Miami Marlins	Batavia, New York	Dwyer Stadium	2,600
	Mahoning Valley Scrappers	Cleveland Indians	Niles, Ohio	Eastwood Field	6,000
	State College Spikes	St. Louis Cardinals	State College, Pennsylvania	Medlar Field at Lubrano Park	5,570
	West Virginia Black Bears	Pittsburgh Pirates	Morgantown, West Virginia	Monongalia County Ballpark	3,500
	Williamsport Crosscutters	Philadelphia Phillies	Williamsport, Pennsylvania	BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field	4,200
Stedler	Connecticut Tigers	Detroit Tigers	Norwich, Connecticut	Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium	6,270
	Lowell Spinners	Boston Red Sox	Lowell, Massachusetts	Edward A. LeLacheur Park	4,767
	Tri-City ValleyCats	Houston Astros	Troy, New York	Joseph L. Bruno Stadium	4,500
	Vermont Lake Monsters	Oakland Athletics	Burlington, Vermont	Centennial Field	4,400

¹ Hosting 2015 New York–Penn League All-Star Game

Current team rosters

League champions by year

Year	Winning Team
2015	West Virginia Black Bears
2014	State College Spikes
2013	Tri-City ValleyCats
2012	Hudson Valley Renegades
2011	Staten Island Yankees
2010	Tri-City ValleyCats
2009	Staten Island Yankees
2008	Batavia Muckdogs
2007	Auburn Doubledays
2006	Staten Island Yankees
2005	Staten Island Yankees
2004	Mahoning Valley Scrappers
2003	Williamsport Crosscutters
2002	Staten Island Yankees
2001	Brooklyn Cyclones and Williamsport Crosscutters^2
2000	Staten Island Yankees
1999	Hudson Valley Renegades
1998	Oneonta Yankees and Auburn Doubledays^1
1997	Pittsfield Mets
1996	Vermont Expos
1995	Watertown Indians
1994	New Jersey Cardinals
1993	Niagara Falls Rapids
1992	Geneva Cubs
1991	Jamestown Expos
1990	Oneonta Yankees
1989	Jamestown Expos
1988	Oneonta Yankees
1987	Geneva Cubs
1986	St. Catharines Blue Jays
1985	Oneonta Yankees
1984	Little Falls Mets
1983	Utica Blue Sox
1982	Niagara Falls Sox
1981	Oneonta Yankees
1980	Oneonta Yankees
1979	Oneonta Yankees
1978	Geneva Cubs
1977	Oneonta Yankees
1976	Elmira Pioneers
1975	Newark Co-Pilots
1974	Oneonta Yankees
1973	Auburn Phillies
1972	Niagara Falls Pirates
1971	Oneonta Yankees
1970	Auburn Twins
1969	Oneonta Yankees
1968	Oneonta Yankees
1967	Auburn Twins
1966	Auburn Mets
1965	Binghamton Triplets
1964	Auburn Mets
1963	Batavia Pirates
1962	Auburn Mets
1961	Olean Red Sox
1960	Wellsville Braves
1959	Wellsville Braves
1958	Geneva Redlegs
1957	Erie Sailors
1956	Wellsville Braves
1955	Hamilton Cardinals
1954	Corning Red Sox
1953	Jamestown Falcons
1952	Jamestown Falcons
1951	Hornell Dodgers
1950	Olean Oilers
1949	Bradford Blue Wings
1948	Lockport Reds
1947	Jamestown Falcons
1946	Jamestown Falcons and Batavia Clippers
1945	Batavia Clippers
1944	Jamestown Falcons
1943	Wellsville Yankees
1942	Jamestown Falcons
1941	Bradford Bees
1940	Olean Oilers
1939	Olean Oilers

¹co-champions were named in 1998, as torrential rains in Central New York made both Auburn's and Oneonta's fields unplayable

²co-champions were named in 2001, as the championship series was cancelled due to the September 11th attacks with Brooklyn leading one game to none

PONY/NY–Penn League teams (1939–present)

Aberdeen IronBirds Auburn Americans Auburn Astros Auburn Doubledays Auburn Mets Auburn Phillies Auburn Red Stars Auburn Sunsets Auburn Twins Auburn Yankees Batavia Clippers Batavia Indians Batavia Muckdogs Batavia Pirates Batavia Trojans Binghamton Triplets Bradford Beagles Bradford Bees Bradford Blue Wings Bradford Phillies Bradford Yankees Brooklyn Cyclones Connecticut Tigers Corning Athletics Corning Cor-Sox Corning Independents Corning Red Sox Corning Royals Elmira Pioneers Erie Cardinals

Erie Orioles Erie Sailors Erie Senators Geneva Cubs Geneva Pirates Geneva Redlegs Geneva Senators Geneva Twins Glens Falls Redbirds Hamilton Cardinals Hamilton Redbirds Hamilton Red Wings Hornell Dodgers Hornell Maple Leafs Hornell Maples Hornell Redlegs Hudson Valley Renegades Jamestown Braves Jamestown Dodgers Jamestown Expos Jamestown Falcons Jamestown Jaguars Jamestown Jammers Jamestown Tigers Little Falls Mets Lockport Cubs Lockport Reds Lockport White Socks Lockport White Sox London Pirates

Lowell Spinners Mahoning Valley Scrappers New Jersey Cardinals Newark Co-Pilots Newark Orioles New Jersey Cardinals Niagara Falls Pirates Niagara Falls Rainbows Niagara Falls Rapids Niagara Falls Sox Olean A's Olean Giants Olean Oilers Olean Red Sox Olean Yankees Oneonta Red Sox Oneonta Tigers Oneonta Yankees Pittsfield Astros Pittsfield Mets Queens Kings St. Catharines Blue Jays St. Catharines Stompers State College Spikes Staten Island Yankees Tri-City ValleyCats

Utica Blue Jays Utica Blue Sox Vermont Expos Vermont Lake Monsters Watertown Indians Watertown Pirates Welland Pirates Wellsville Braves Wellsville Nitros Wellsville Red Sox Wellsville Rockets Wellsville Senators Wellsville Yankees West Virginia Black Bears Williamsport Astros Williamsport Crosscutters Williamsport Cubs Williamsport Red Sox York White Roses

Cities represented

(Current teams in bold)

Connecticut

• Norwich: 2010–present (5 seasons)

Maryland

• Aberdeen: 2002–present (11 seasons)

Massachusetts

• Lowell: 1996–present (17 seasons)
• Pittsfield: 1989–2001 (13 seasons)

New Jersey

• Augusta: 1994–2005 (12 seasons)

New York

• Albany: 2002–present (11 seasons)
• Auburn: 1958–1980, 1982–present (54 seasons)
• Batavia: 1939–1959, 1960–present (70 seasons)
• Binghamton: 1964–66 (3 seasons)
• Brooklyn: 2001–present (12 seasons)
• Corning: 1951–60, 1968–69 (12 seasons)
• Elmira: 1957–61, 1973–95 (28 seasons)
• Geneva: 1958–73, 1977–93 (33 seasons)
• Glens Falls: 1993 (1 season)
• Jamestown: 1939–57, 1962–1973, 1977–2014 (67 seasons)
• Hornell: 1942–57 (16 seasons)
• Little Falls: 1977–88 (12 seasons)
• Lockport: 1942–50 (9 seasons)
• Newark: 1968–79, 1983–87 (17 seasons)
• Niagara Falls: 1939–40, 1970–79, 1982–85, 1989–93 (21 seasons)
• Olean: 1939–59, 1961–66 (27 seasons)
• Oneonta: 1966–2009 (44 seasons)
• Queens: 2000 (1 season)
• Staten Island: 1999–present (14 seasons)
• Utica: 1977–2001 (25 seasons)
• Wappingers Falls: 1994–present (19 seasons)
• Watertown: 1983–98 (16 seasons)
• Wellsville: 1942–1961, 1963–65 (23 seasons)

Ohio

• Youngstown: 1999–present (14 seasons)

Pennsylvania

• Bradford: 1939–42, 1944–57 (18 seasons)
• Erie: 1954–63, 1967, 1981–93, 1995–98 (28 seasons)
• State College: 2006–present (7 seasons)
• Williamsport: 1968–72, 1994–present (24 seasons)

Vermont

• Burlington: 1994–present (19 seasons)

West Virginia

• Morgantown: 2015–present (1 season)

Ontario

• Hamilton: 1939-42, 1946–56, 1988–92 (20 seasons)
• London: 1940–42 (2 seasons)
• St. Catharines: 1986–1999 (14 seasons)
• Welland: 1989–94 (5 seasons)

New York–Penn League Hall of Fame

• Robert Julian (2013)
• Vince McNamara (2013)
• Sam Nader (2013)
• Leo Pinckney (2013)
• Robert Stedler (2013)
• John Elway (2014)
• Randy Johnson (2014)
• Charlie Wride (2014)
• Jim Leyland (2015)
• Don Mattingly (2015)
• Paul Velte (2015)

References

1. "General Information". Lowell Spinners. Retrieved 2008-06-21.

External links

• New York–Penn League