Eastern League Baseball

Eastern League (1938-Present)

Milestones

Formed: 1938 (Re-branded from New York-Pennsylvania League)
Status: Active

First Game:

Seasons: 

States & Provinces: 15
(CT, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, ONT, PA, QUE, RI, VA, VT, WV)

Leadership

Trophy Case

Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award

Year Player Position Team
1962 Jim Ray Hart Third Baseman Springfield Giants
1963 Bob Chance First Baseman Charleston Indians
1964 Frank Bertaina Pitcher Elmira Pioneers
1965 Owen Johnson Catcher Pittsfield Red Sox
1966 Tom Fisher Pitcher Elmira Pioneers
1967 Bernie Smith Outfielder Williamsport Mets
1968 Carmen Fanzone Third Baseman Pittsfield Red Sox
1969 Angel Mangual Outfielder York Pirates
1970 Greg Luzinski First Baseman Reading Phillies
1971 Gene Locklear Outfielder Trois-Rivieres Aigles
1972 Fernando Gonzalez Third Baseman Sherbrooke Pirates
1973 Tom Robson First Baseman Pittsfield Rangers
1974 Ken Macha Catcher Thetford Mines Pirates
1975 Dave Bergman First Baseman West Haven Yankees
1976 Danny Thomas Outfielder Berkshire Brewers
1977 Harry Spilman First Baseman Trois-Rivieres Aigles
1978 Jeff Yurak Outfielder Holyoke Millers
1979 Rick Lancellotti Outfielder Buffalo Bisons
1980 Mark Davis Pitcher Reading Phillies
1981 Ron Kittle Outfielder Glens Falls White Sox
1982 Jim Bennett Outfielder West Haven A's
1983 Jeff Stone Outfielder Reading Phillies
1984 Pat Adams First Baseman Glens Falls White Sox
1985 Cory Snyder Third Baseman Waterbury Indians
1986 Rafael Palmeiro Outfielder Pittsfield Cubs
1987 Mark Grace First Baseman Pittsfield Cubs
1988 Rob Richie Outfielder Glens Falls Tigers
1989 Wes Chamberlain Outfielder Harrisburg Senators
1990 Jeff Bagwell Third Baseman New Britain Red Sox
1991 Matt Stairs Infielder Harrisburg Senators
1992 Russ Davis Third Baseman Albany-Colonie Yankees
1993 Cliff Floyd First Baseman Harrisburg Senators
1994 Mark Grudzielanek Shortstop Harrisburg Senators
1995 Jay Payton Outfielder Binghamton Mets
1996 Vladimir Guerrero Outfielder Harrisburg Senators
1997 Kevin Millar First Baseman Portland Sea Dogs
1998 Calvin Pickering First Baseman Bowie Baysox
1999 Andy Tracy Third Baseman Harrisburg Senators
2000 Adam Hyzdu Outfielder Altoona Curve
2001 Marlon Byrd Outfielder Reading Phillies
2002 Victor Martinez Catcher Akron Aeros
2003 Alex Rios Outfielder New Haven Ravens
2004 Ryan Howard First Baseman Reading Phillies
2005 Mike Jacobs First Baseman Binghamton Mets
2006 Adam Lind Outfielder New Hampshire Fisher Cats
2007 Jordan Brown First Baseman Akron Aeros
2008 Lou Montanez Outfielder Bowie Baysox
2009 Carlos Santana Catcher Akron Aeros
2010 Brandon Laird Third Baseman Trenton Thunder
2011 Travis d'Arnaud Catcher New Hampshire Fisher Cats
2012 Darin Ruf First Baseman Reading Phillies
2013 Allan Dykstra First Baseman Binghamton Mets
2014 Steven Moya Outfielder Erie SeaWolves
2015 Brock Stassi First Baseman Reading Fightin' Phils
2016 Dylan Cozens Outfielder Reading Fightin' Phils
2017 Garabez Rosa Outfielder Bowie Baysox
2018 Cavan Biggio Second Baseman New Hampshire Fisher Cats
2019 Chris Gittens First Baseman Trenton Thunder
2020 Season Cancelled COVID-19 Pandemic
2021 Oswaldo Cabrera Second Baseman Somerset Patriots
2022 Quincy Nieporte First Baseman Erie SeaWolves

 

Background

The Eastern League was part of the Class AA level of Minor League Baseball. The league officially traced its history to the formation of the New York-Pennsylvania League in 1923. It took the name Eastern League in 1938.  Because FWiL primarily categorizes leagues by name, this page only contemplates Eastern League history since 1938, which we should note was a departure from the league’s own official record-keeping.

In its final alignment in the earl 21st century, the EL was clustered in its traditional home base of the Northeastern U.S., plus Ohio and parts of the mid-Atlantic. From early 1970’s to early 1990’s the EL sporadically included teams in the Eastern Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. But the circuit has not had a Canadian team in the 21st century.

2020 Shakeup

What would have been the Eastern League’s final season of play was cancelled by the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. On February 12, 2021, Major League Baseball summarily disbanded all of the historic league entities of the Minor League system, including the Eastern League.

11 of the 12 Eastern League franchises from the 2019 season were offered Professional Development League (PDL) licenses to continue on in the downsized and re-organized Minor League Baseball ecosystem. These eleven clubs joined the generically named “Double-A Northeast” league, along with the Somerset (NJ) Patriots, a former independent team offered a PDL by the New York Yankees at the expense of their former Eastern League affiliate, the Trenton Thunder.

The Thunder, champions of the Eastern League’s final season in 2019, were summarily exiled to the MLB Draft League, an amateur/collegiate league.

 

Eastern League Franchise List

Franchise Years Active Eastern League Champions
Akron Aeros 1997-2013 2003-2005-2009-2012
Akron RubberDucks 2014-Present 2016
Albany Senators 1938-1959 1945-1954
Albany-Colonie A's 1983-1984 None
Albany-Colonie Yankees 1985-1994 1988-1989-1991
Allentown Cardinals 1954-1956 1955
Allentown Red Sox 1958-1960 None
Altoona Curve 1999-Present 2010-2017
Berkshire Brewers 1976 None
Binghamton Mets 1992-2016 1992-1994-2014
Binghamton Rumble Ponies 2017-Present None
Binghamton Triplets 1938-1963 & 1967-1968 1940-1944-1949-1952-1953-1958-1967
Bowie Baysox 1993-Present 2015
Bristol Red Sox 1973-1982 1975-1978-1981
Canton-Akron Indians 1989-1996 None
Connecticut Defenders 2006-2009 None
Elmira Royals 1971 1971
Erie SeaWolves 1999-Present None
Glens Falls Tigers 1986-1988 None
Glens Falls White Sox 1980-1985 None
Hagerstown Suns 1989-1992 None
Hardware City Rock Cats 1995-1996 2001 (Co-Champions; as New Britain Rock Cats)
Harrisburg Senators 1987-Present 1987-1993-1996-1997-1998-1999
Hartford Chiefs 1946-1952 None
Hartford Yard Goats 2016-Present None
Holyoke Millers 1977-1982 1980
Jersey City A's 1978 None
Jersey City Indians 1977 None
Johnstown Red Sox 1961 None
Lancaster Red Roses 1958-1961 None
London Tigers 1989-1993 1990
Lynn Pirates 1983 None
Lynn Sailors 1980-1982 None
Manchester Yankees 1969-1971 None
Nashua Angels 1983 None
Nashua Pirates 1984-1986 None
New Britain Red Sox 1983-1994 1983
New Britain Rock Cats 1996-2015 2001 (Co-Champions)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2004-Present 2004-2011-2018
New Haven Ravens 1994-2003 2000
Norwich Navigators 1995-2005 2002
Pawtucket Indians 1966-1967 None
Pawtucket Red Sox 1970-1972 None
Pittsfield Cubs 1985-1988 None
Pittsfield Rangers 1972-1975 None
Pittsfield Red Sox 1965-1969 1965
Pittsfield Senators 1970-1971 None
Portland Sea Dogs 1994-Present 2006
Quebec Carnavals 1971-1975 None
Quebec Metros 1976-1977 None
Reading Fightin' Phils 2013-Present None
Reading Phillies 1967-2012 1968-1973-1995-2001 (co-champions)
Reading Red Sox 1963-1964 None
Richmond Flying Squirrels 2010-Present None
Sherbrooke Pirates 1972-1973 None
Somerset Patriots 2021-Present 2022
Thetford Mines Miners 1975 None
Thetford Mines Pirates 1974 1974
Trenton Thunder 1994-2019 2007-2008-2013
Trois-Rivieres Aigles 1971-1977 None
Vermont Mariners 1988 None
Vermont Reds 1984-1987 1984-1985-1986
Waterbury A's 1979 None
Waterbury Angels 1984 None
Waterbury Dodgers 1973-1976 None
Waterbury Giants 1966-1967 None
Waterbury Giants 1977-1978 None
Waterbury Indians 1968-1969 None
Waterbury Indians 1985-1986 None
Waterbury Pirates 1970-1971 1970
Waterbury Reds 1980-1983 None
West Haven A's 1981-1982 1982
West Haven Whitecaps 1980 None
West Haven Yankees 1972-1979 1972-1976-1977-1979
Williamsport Bills 1987-1991 None
Williamsport Tigers 1947-1949 & 1950-1951 None
York Pirates 1968-1969 1969

Comments

2 Responses

  1. Missed Elmira Pioneers, UticA Blue Sox, Hartford Chiefs. Scenedicaty Blue Jays. Eastern League was A ball in the 40 ‘s and 50’s others :Williamsport,Scranton

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