Tri-City ValleyCats

Not to be confused with Tri-City Dust Devils.

Tri-City ValleyCats
Founded in 1977
Troy, New York


Team logo	Cap insignia

Class-level

Current

Short-Season A

Minor league affiliations

League

New York–Penn League

Division

Stedler Division

Major league affiliations

Current

Houston Astros (2001–present)
New York Mets (1977–2000)

Minor league titles

League titles (3)

1984
2010
2013

Division titles (7)

1984
2004
2006
2010
2012
2013
2015

Team data

Nickname

Tri-City ValleyCats (2002–present)
Pittsfield Astros (2001)
Pittsfield Mets (1989–2000)
Little Falls Mets (1977–1988)

Ballpark

Joseph L. Bruno Stadium (2002–present)
Wahconah Park (1989–2000)
Little Falls Veterans Memorial Park (1977–1988)

Owner(s)/
Operator(s)

Bill Gladstone Alfred Roberts

Manager

Lamarr Rogers

General Manager

Rick Murphy

The Tri-City ValleyCats (often shortened to 'Cats) are a minor league baseball team based in Troy, New York, and the 2010 and 2013 champions of the New York–Penn League (NYPL). The ValleyCats are the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. The name Tri-City is based on the three nearby cities of Albany, Schenectady and Troy, which make up New York State's Capital District. The ValleyCats play at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium which opened in 2002 on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College located in Troy. They compete in the Stedler Division with the Vermont Lake Monsters, Connecticut Tigers, and Lowell Spinners.

Team history

Before Tri-City

Prior to their arrival in Troy, the club was based first in Little Falls, New York, as the Little Falls Mets from 1977 to 1988, and then in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, as the Pittsfield Mets (1989-2000), and Pittsfield Astros (2001).

2002 season

The ValleyCats played their first game on the road in Lowell, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, June 18, 2002, against their rival the Lowell Spinners. The Spinners had a 3–1 lead going into the 8th inning, but a triple by Aneudi Cuevas down the right field line drove in three runs leading the ValleyCats to a 5–4 victory.

2006 season

In their 2006 season, the ValleyCats registered an attendance of 129,126 in 37 contests, averaging 3,489 fans per game. On July 4, 2006, the ValleyCats set a new all-time home attendance mark as 6,123 people attended a game against their rival the Lowell Spinners which was later broken in the following years.

2008 season

All-Star game

The Valley Cats hosted the 4th annual New York–Penn League All Star Game at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in 2008. The game was played between teams made up of the affiliates of National League (NL) and American League (AL) teams. The ValleyCats, affiliate's of the National League's Houston Astros, were part of the NL squad. Four ValleyCats were voted to play in the game: first baseman Phil Disher, left fielder Jack Shuck, pitcher Philip Rummel, and center fielder Thomas Steele. However, Steele was injured two weeks before the game and was replaced by Tri-City third baseman David Flores. The NL All Stars won the game on a walk-off RBI by ValleyCats third baseman David Flores. Flores was also voted MVP of the game.^[1]

No-hitter

On June 21, 2008, pitchers Shane Wolf, David Miller, and Ashton Mowdy combined to throw the first no-hitter in the franchise's history. Wolf is a native of nearby Lansing, New York. The final score of the game was 10–0 over the Oneonta Tigers.^[2]

Attendance

On July 4, 2008, The ValleyCats once again broke their single game attendance record drawing 6,630 to the ballpark, 2,130 more than the listed ballpark capacity. The ValleyCats won, 9–2, against the Jamestown Jammers.^[3] The ValleyCats also set a season attendance record in 2008 with 140,631 fans in attendance despite missing many games due to rain delays.

PDC extension

On September 5, 2008, the ValleyCats extended their PDC (player development contract) with the Houston Astros through the 2010 season.^[4]

2009 season

The ValleyCats once again broke attendance records in 2009. Their single game attendance record was broken again on July 4 against the Brooklyn Cyclones. 6,838 fans attended the game that the ValleyCats ultimately lost, 2–1.^[5] The ValleyCats also set a new single season attendance record, attracting 145,976 fans to Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in 2009.^[6] The ValleyCats finished the season in fourth place in the Stedler Division, 18 games behind the first place Lowell Spinners.^[7]

2010 season / Champions

After three losing seasons, the ValleyCats finally turned around to be one of the front runners of the Stedler Division. They were the underdog in the 2010 NY–Penn League playoffs with a 38–36 record, winning their division by a half game over the Connecticut Tigers, but found themselves back in the championship series for the third time in their short history, later beating the heavy favorite Brooklyn Cyclones and their 51–24 record two games to none. [Jim Pankovits], the manager of the ValleyCats, left the Astros organization during the off-season to become the manager of Seattle Mariners double-A team the Jackson Generals.

2011 season

The Astros extended their PDC thru 2012. Stubby Clapp, who was previously the hitting coach for the Astros' single-A affiliate, the Lexington Legends, became the ValleyCats new manager.

Mascots

Valley Cats play in 2006. Note the inflatable Uncle Sam in the outfield.

The Valley Cats have several mascots, the two most prominent being Southpaw and his grandfather, Pappy. Southpaw is a jersey-wearing cat, representing the "ValleyCat", the team's nickname. Another fan favorite is Sammy Baseball who wears a patriotic costume and represents Uncle Sam, reputedly derived from Samuel Wilson who operated a meat packing plant in Troy. The Tri-City Mayors, large caricature heads representing the current Mayors of Troy, Albany, and Schenectady, race (and dance) on a nightly basis at the ballpark. Ketchup, Mustard, and Relish mascots participate in the hot dog race. Other mascots include Spiedie the Chicken, Ribbie the Pig, Zoggy the Dinosaur, and Rowdy the River Rat, obtained when the Albany River Rats moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.^[8]

Season results

Season	Affiliation	Manager	Record
2002	Astros	Iván DeJesús	27–48, 4th place Stedler
2003	Astros	Iván DeJesús	44–32, 2nd place Stedler
2004	Astros	Gregg Langbehn	50–25, 1st place Stedler
2005	Astros	Gregg Langbehn	34–42, 3rd place Stedler
2006	Astros	Gregg Langbehn	43–31, 1st place Stedler
2007	Astros	Pete Rancont	27–47, 4th place Stedler
2008	Astros	Pete Rancont	28–45, 4th place Stedler
2009	Astros	Jim Pankovits	27–48, 4th place Stedler
2010	Astros	Jim Pankovits	38–36, 1st place Stedler
2011	Astros	Stubby Clapp	33–42, 3rd place Stedler
2012	Astros	Stubby Clapp	51–25, 1st place Stedler
2013	Astros	Ed Romero	44–32, 1st place Stedler
2014	Astros	Ed Romero	48–28, 1st place Stedler

NY–Penn League Champions	NY–Penn League finalists	Stedler Division Champions	Wild Card Winner

Post-season results

2004: Defeated Brooklyn Cyclones, 2 games to 1; lost to Mahoning Valley Scrappers, 2 games to 0, in championship round.
2006: Defeated Auburn Doubledays 2 games to none; lost to Staten Island Yankees, 2 games to 1, in championship round.
2010: Defeated Batavia Muckdogs 2 games to 1; Defeated Brooklyn Cyclones 2 games to 0, in championship round.
2012: Defeated Auburn Doubledays 2 games to 1; lost to Hudson Valley Renegades 2 game to 1, in championship round.
2013: Defeated Aberdeen IronBirds 2 game to 0; Defeated State College Spikes 2 games to 1, in championship round.

Fast facts

Total Attendance
- Joseph L. Bruno Stadium
  - 2002 – 108,409
  - 2003 – 103,984
  - 2004 – 110,497
  - 2005 – 116,674
  - 2006 – 129,126
  - 2007 – 136,809
  - 2008 – 140,631 (7th most in NY–Penn League).^[9]
  - 2009 – 145,976 (6th most in NY–Penn League).^[10]
  - 2010 – 155,315 (5th most in NY–Penn League).^[11]
  - 2011 – 156,279 (6th most in NY–Penn League).^[12]
  - 2012 – 159,966 (5th most in NY–Penn League).^[13]
  - 2013 – 156,712 (5th most in NY–Penn League).^[14]
Ballpark Dimensions
- LF – 325 feet
- CF – 400 feet
- RF – 325 feet
First Game
- Tuesday, June 18, 2002 vs Lowell Spinners (at LeLacheur Park, Lowell, Massachusetts – W5–4)
Season Records (2002–present)
- Hits
  - 2005 – Neil Sellers (96)
- Doubles
  - 2003 – Brock Koman (25)
- Triples
  - 2007 – Collin DeLome (7)
- Home runs
  - 2004 – Mario Garza (15)
- Runs Batted In
  - 2004 – Mario Garza (65)
- Stolen Bases
  - 2003 – Josh Anderson (26)
- Wins
  - 2004 – Ronnie Ventura (11)
- Saves
  - 2012 – Blake Ford (14)
- Strikeouts
  - 2003 – Matt Albers (94)

Roster

Tri-City ValleyCats roster

Players

Coaches/Other

Pitchers

13 Austin Nicely
6 Luis Ramirez

Catchers

11 Richard Gonzalez
45 Kevin Martir

Infielders

32 Keach Ballard
38 Kolbey Carpenter
10 Arturo Michelena

Outfielders

16 Hector Roa

Manager

48 Lamarr Rodgers

Coaches

Drew French (pitching)
Dillon Lawson (hitting)

7-day disabled list
* On Houston Astros 40-man roster
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
† Temporary inactive list
Roster updated April 8, 2016
Transactions
→ More MiLB rosters
→ Houston Astros minor league players

Notable alumni