Atlantic League of Professional Baseball

For the previous incarnations of the Atlantic League, which operated between 1896 and 1900 and in 1914, see Atlantic League (1896–1900) and Atlantic League (1914).
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
Sport Baseball
Founded 1998
No. of teams 8
Country(ies) United States
Most recent champion(s) York Revolution
Most titles Somerset Patriots (5)
Official website atlanticleague.com

The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either. The Atlantic League requires cities to have the market for a 4,000 to 7,500-seat ballpark and for the facility to be maintained at or to exceed AAA standards.[1] The level of Atlantic League play can be categorized as between AA and AAA.

Contents

History

In 1998, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball played its inaugural season. The creation of the league was the result of the New York Mets' objection to Frank Boulton's proposal to move the former Albany-Colonie Yankees to Long Island. The Mets objected to the move because of its territorial rights to the region. Boulton, a Long Island native, decided to create a new league that would have a higher salary cap for its players and a longer season than most of the other independent baseball organizations. He modeled the Atlantic League after the older Pacific Coast League, with facilities that exceed AAA-level standards. Boulton also emphasized signing players of Major League Baseball experience for all Atlantic League teams, raising the level of play above other independent leagues.

The Long Island Ducks continue to be a strong draw in the region, averaging 400,000 fans a season, and have seen the likes of such Major League alumni as Edgardo Alfonzo, Pedro Borbón, Jr., José Offerman, Donovan Osborne, Bill Pulsipher, Armando Ríos, John Rocker, and Mark Whiten. In 2007, Frank Boulton expressed his contentment with the Atlantic League and the Ducks to Baseball America saying, "The Long Island Ducks are the best thing I've ever done in baseball."[2]

Current Atlantic League franchises

Team City/Area Stadium Founded Joined
Freedom Division
Lancaster Barnstormers Lancaster, PA Clipper Magazine Stadium 2003 2005
Somerset Patriots Bridgewater Township, NJ TD Bank Ballpark 1998 1998
Sugar Land Skeeters Sugar Land, TX Constellation Field 2010 2012
York Revolution York, PA Sovereign Bank Stadium 2006 2007
Liberty Division
Bridgeport Bluefish Bridgeport, CT The Ballpark at Harbor Yard 1997 1998
Camden Riversharks Camden, NJ Campbell's Field 1999 2001
Long Island Ducks Central Islip, NY Bethpage Ballpark 1998 2000
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Waldorf, MD Regency Furniture Stadium 2006 2008
Future teams
Loudoun Hounds Dulles, VA The Dog Yard 2010 2013

Former teams

Team City Stadium Capacity Years History
Aberdeen Arsenal Bel Air, Maryland Thomas Run Park 1,000 1999-2001 Replaced by the Aberdeen IronBirds (Orioles Class-A affiliate)
Atlantic City Surf Atlantic City, New Jersey Bernie Robbins Stadium 5,500 1998-2006 Moved to Can-Am League
Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds Quakertown, Pennsylvania Memorial Park 800 1999-2002 Formerly the Newburgh Black Diamonds (1998–1999). Became the first Pennsylvania Road Warriors
Nashua Pride Nashua, New Hampshire Holman Stadium 4,375 1998-2005 Moved to Can-Am League
Newark Bears Newark, New Jersey     1998-2010 Moved to Can-Am League
Newburgh Black Diamonds Newburgh, New York Delano-Hitch Stadium 3,100 1998-1999 Became the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds (1999–2002), which became the first Pennsylvania Road Warriors (2002–2004)
Pennsylvania Road Warriors Pennsylvania     2002-2004 Formerly the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds (1999–2002), which had been the Newburgh Black Diamonds (1998-1999). Dissolved by league to make way for the Lancaster Barnstormers
Road Warriors       2006-2007, 2011 Dissolved by league to make way for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

Atlantic League Championship Series

Year Winner Division Games Loser Division Games
1998 Atlantic City Surf South 3 Bridgeport Bluefish North 1
1999 Bridgeport Bluefish North 3 Somerset Patriots North 0
2000 Nashua Pride North 3 Somerset Patriots South 0
2001 Somerset Patriots South 3 Newark Bears North 2
2002 Newark Bears South 3 Bridgeport Bluefish North 0
2003 Somerset Patriots South 3 Nashua Pride North 2
2004 Long Island Ducks North 3 Camden Riversharks South 0
2005 Somerset Patriots South 3 Nashua Pride North 0
2006 Lancaster Barnstormers South 3 Bridgeport Bluefish North 0
2007 Newark Bears North 3 Somerset Patriots South 1
2008 Somerset Patriots Freedom 3 Camden Riversharks Liberty 1
2009 Somerset Patriots Freedom 3 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Liberty 1
2010 York Revolution Freedom 3 Bridgeport Bluefish Liberty 0
2011 York Revolution Freedom 3 Long Island Ducks Liberty 1

All-Star Game

Year Location Stadium Winner Score
1998 Atlantic City, New Jersey Bernie Robbins Stadium Atlantic City 6-4
1999 Bridgeport, Connecticut The Ballpark at Harbor Yard South 8-3
2000 Bridgewater, New Jersey Commerce Bank Ballpark North 2-0
2001 Newark, New Jersey Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium North 10-0
2002 Central Islip, New York Citibank Park South 4-1
2003 Nashua, New Hampshire Holman Stadium South 2-1
2004 Camden, New Jersey Campbell's Field North 10-8
2005 Atlantic City, New Jersey Bernie Robbins Stadium North 9-6
2006 Bridgeport, Connecticut The Ballpark at Harbor Yard North 4-1
2007 Lancaster, Pennsylvania Clipper Magazine Stadium North 8-6
2008 Bridgewater, New Jersey Commerce Bank Ballpark Freedom 8-6
2009 Newark, New Jersey Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium Liberty 7-5
2010 Central Islip, New York Suffolk County Sports Park Liberty 7-1

League records

Main article: Atlantic League records

Alumni

(past and present)
 

See also

References

  1. ^ "Atlantic League Market Requirements". Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. http://www.atlanticleague.com/about.html. Retrieved May 6, 2006. 
  2. ^ Baseball America's 2007 Independent organization of the year

External links

Team websites

Current ballparks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
Freedom Division
Liberty Division
Expansion