The 2009 International League season began on Thursday, April 9, with all fourteen teams competing on opening day. The regular season ended on Monday, September 7.
In the semifinal playoff rounds, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees defeated the Gwinnett Braves 3-1 and the Durham Bulls defeated the Louisville Bats 3-2. The Bulls swept the Yankees 3-0 in the championship series to win the Governors' Cup.
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Before the 2009 season, three IL teams signed player development contracts (PDC) with different parent clubs.
The Columbus Clippers signed a four-year PDC with the Cleveland Indians through 2012 on September 18, 2008. The Clippers had previously been affiliated with the Washington Nationals for two years after ending their 28-year partnership with the New York Yankees. The Indians become the Clippers' third affiliate in four years.
The Syracuse Chiefs signed a two-year PDC with the Washington Nationals through 2010 on September 20, 2008. The Chiefs had previously been affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays since 1978 and had been the only Triple-A affiliate in Toronto's history.
The Buffalo Bisons signed a two-year PDC with the New York Mets through 2010 on September 21, 2008. The Bisons had previously been affiliated with the Cleveland Indians for 14 seasons, winning three league championships (2 in the IL, 1 in the AA). The Bisons adopted a new logo and the Mets' team colors as their own to reflect the new partnership.
After 43 seasons and 5 Governor's Cup championships, the Richmond Braves moved to Lawrenceville, Georgia becoming the Gwinnett Braves. One factor in the franchise's decision to relocate was reportedly a failure to reach an agreement on building a new ballpark in Richmond.
The Columbus Clippers moved from Cooper Stadium to Huntington Park in Columbus' Arena District. The stadium, which cost $56 million and will seat 10,000, opened on April 18 as the Clippers hosted their rival Toledo Mud Hens. Columbus-based bank holding company Huntington Bancshares Inc. bought the stadium's naming rights $12 million over 23 years.
The newly relocated Gwinnett Braves (formerly Richmond Braves) moved into Gwinnett Stadium in Lawrenceville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. The 10,000 seat stadium is a focal point of a planned mixed-use entertainment district and opened on April 17 as the Braves host the Norfolk Tides. As of February 2009, the naming rights to the stadium have not been sold.
April 9 is the Opening Day of the 2009 International League season. The following games are scheduled:
The 2009 Triple-A All-Star Game will be the 22nd meeting between all-stars of the International and Pacifc Coast leagues, with the game taking place on July 17 at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon. For the twelfth time, the International League will field a team of its best players to compete against the host Pacific Coast League's best players. The International League will look to even up the All-Star Game series, as the PCL holds a six games to five lead over the IL.
| International League - North Division | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees | 81 | 60 | .574 | — |
| Syracuse Chiefs | 76 | 68 | .528 | 6½ |
| Lehigh Valley IronPigs | 71 | 73 | .493 | 11½ |
| Rochester Red Wings | 70 | 74 | .486 | 12½ |
| Pawtucket Red Sox | 61 | 82 | .427 | 21 |
| Buffalo Bisons | 56 | 87 | .392 | 26 |
| International League - South Division | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Durham Bulls | 83 | 61 | .576 | — |
| x-Gwinnett Braves | 81 | 63 | .563 | 2 |
| Norfolk Tides | 71 | 71 | .500 | 11 |
| Charlotte Knights | 67 | 76 | .469 | 15½ |
| International League - West Division | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Louisville Bats | 84 | 58 | .592 | — |
| Toledo Mud Hens | 73 | 70 | .510 | 11½ |
| Indianapolis Indians | 70 | 73 | .490 | 14½ |
| Columbus Clippers | 57 | 85 | .401 | 27 |
y-division champion
x-wild card winner
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Jordan Brown | .336 |
| HR | Shelley Duncan | 30 |
| RBI | Shelley Duncan | 99 |
| R | Shelley Duncan | 85 |
| H | Jesus Feliciano | 154 |
| SB | Drew Stubbs | 46 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Justin Lehr | 13 |
| L | Charlie Zink | 15 |
| ERA | Carlos Torres | 2.39 |
| SO | Carlos Carrasco | 148 |
| IP | Wade Davis | 158.2 |
| SV | Luis Valdez | 27 |
The 2009 International League playoffs will take place at the conclusion of the regular season in September.
| 1st Round | Governors' Cup | |||||||
| Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees | 3 | |||||||
| Gwinnett Braves | 1 | |||||||
| Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees | 0 | |||||||
| Durham Bulls | 3 | |||||||
| Louisville Bats | 2 | |||||||
| Durham Bulls | 3 | |||||||
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