| South Bend Silver Hawks Founded in 1988 South Bend, Indiana |
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| League titles | 1989, 1993, 1991, 1997, 2001 (co-champions with Kane County), 2005 | ||
| Division titles | 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2006, and 2008 | ||
| Owner(s)/Operated by: Joe Kernan | |||
| Manager: Mark Haley | |||
| General Manager: Lynn Kachmarik | |||
The South Bend Silver Hawks are a U.S. Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks, that plays in the Midwest League.
South Bend, Indiana was awarded a Midwest League franchise in 1988. Originally affiliated with the Chicago White Sox and bearing the name of the parent club, the team was renamed in 1994. The name "Silver Hawks" was chosen to as an homage to the Studebaker Silver Hawk automobile, which was once manufactured in South Bend. In 1997 the team switched affiliations to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Notable former players include Mark Reynolds, Brandon Webb, and Justin Upton (the #1 overall draft pick in 2005).
The team's home park is Coveleski Stadium, built in 1987 and named for Stan Coveleski, the Hall of Fame pitcher who once resided in South Bend. The franchise attendance record of 258,424 was set in 1994.
Despite playing through rumors of sale and relocation in the near future to Marion, Illinois, the Silver Hawks managed a championship season in 2005, beating the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers three games to two to win the 2005 Midwest League Championship. The team also won league titles in 1989 and 1993.
Former Indiana Governor (and former South Bend Mayor) Joe Kernan bought the Silver Hawks in 2005. At the time, Kernan made it clear that a principal objective of the group was to keep the team from leaving South Bend.
In November of 2011, Kernan announced that his group had reached an agreement with a new owner of the team who would keep the team in South Bend for at least the next twenty years. That agreement was with Andrew Berlin of Chicago, Illinois. Berlin, part owner of the Chicago White Sox, ensured his commitment by signing a twenty year cummulative lease agreement with the city of South Bend for the use of Coveleski Stadium.
As of December 2011, the sale of the team remains pending approval of Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and the Midwest League.
The team has one mascot, Swoop. Professional wrestler Brian Costello often MCs various contests between innings.
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| Arizona Diamondbacks franchise | |||
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| Triple-A | Double-A | Class A | Rookie |
| Reno Aces | Mobile BayBears |
Visalia Rawhide South Bend Silver Hawks Yakima Bears |
Missoula Osprey DSL Diamondbacks |
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