Tombstone
Born: November 3, 1984 – The Buffalo Bisons relocate to Pittsfield, MA1McDonogh, Bob. “League gives baseball team formal OK”. The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, MA). November 5, 1984
Moved: December 16, 1988 (Williamsport Bills)
First Game: April 12, 1985 (L 5-4 @ Albany-Colonie Yankees)
Last Game: September 3, 1988 (L 8-5 vs. Vermont Mariners)
Eastern League Championships: None
Stadium
Wahconah Park (4,500)
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1985-1986: Larry Revo, Stuart Revo, Miles Wolff & North Johnson
- 1986-1988: Larry Revo, Stuart Revo, Marv Goldklang, et al.
Major League Affiliation: Chicago Cubs
Attendance
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Source: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3rd ed.), Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, 2007
Record Book
Eastern League Most Valuable Player
- 1986: Rafael Palmiero
- 1987: Mark Grace
Background
The Pittsfield Cubs were the Class AA farm club of the Chicago Cubs for four seasons between 1985 and 1988. The arrival of the Cubs marked the return of pro baseball to historic Wahconah Park for the first time since the Berkshire Brewers departed after the 1976 season.
When Buffalo Bisons owner Bob Rich purchased a triple-A franchise in September 1984 to bring to Buffalo, he displaced his existing double-A Eastern League franchise. Baseball America publisher Miles Wolff and his partners swooped in to purchase Rich’s now obsolete Eastern League franchise and swiftly shifted the club to Pittsfield.
Road To Wrigley
Although Pittsfield would only serve the Cubs for four seasons, the western Massachusetts city enjoyed a procession of future Major League stars including Joe Girardi, Mark Grace, Jamie Moyer and Rafael Palmeiro.
Palmeiro (’86) and Grace (’87) both won Eastern League Most Valuable Player awards while playing in Pittsfield.
Move to Pennsylvania & Aftermath
After the 1988 season, during which Pittsfield sold the fewest tickets in the eight-team Eastern League for the second year in a row, majority owner Stuart Revo announced his ball club would relocate to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the 1989 season. Pittsfield immediately received a New York Mets farm club to replace the Cubs, though the Pittsfield Mets (1989-2002) would compete at a much lower competitive standard in the short season Class-A New York-Penn League.
The Pittsfield Cubs marked an early minor league investment for New York Yankees limited partner Marv Goldklang. Goldklang went on to operate and advise numerous long-running minor league clubs during the 1990’s and 2000’s and was one of the key figures in the revival of independent professional baseball during the early-mid 1990’s.
Pittsfield Cubs Shop
Links
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One Response
Anyone who actually saw the Pittsfield Cubs play will tell you that Hector Villanueva was certainly in the top 5 key players. Great clutch player and ultimate competitor with Pittsfield.