Rochester Red Wings
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| Rochester Red Wings | ||
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| League | International League | |
| Division | North Division | |
| Year founded | 1929 | |
| Major League affiliation | Minnesota Twins | |
| Home ballpark | Frontier Field | |
| Previous home ballparks | Silver Stadium | |
| City | Rochester, New York | |
| Current uniform colors | red, black, gold | |
| Previous uniform colors | ||
| Logo design | A red bird holding a baseball bat on its shoulders wearing a black baseball uniform sitting on top of a baseball with red wings outlined in black. Centered above the bird is the "Rochester Red Wings" wordmark in red outlined in gold and black. | |
| Division titles | ||
| League titles | 1939, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1997 | |
| Manager | Stan Cliburn | |
| Owner | Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. | |
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.
The Red Wings were an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals for 33 years (1928-1960), then spent 42 years (1961-2002) as a farm club of the Baltimore Orioles. The franchise played from 1929 through 1996 at Silver Stadium before moving to the modern facilities at Frontier Field in 1997.
Baseball in Rochester dates back to 1877 with the "Rochesters" of the International Association, and Rochester had a franchise in the league now known as the International League as early as 1885. The current franchise has been playing in Rochester since 1899, when the team was known as the Rochester Bronchos and won the league championship in its inaugural season.
Incidentally, only six franchises in the history of North American professional sports have been playing in the same city and same league continuously and uninterrupted since the 1800's: The Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and Rochester Red Wings.
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[edit] Ownership
The club is one of a very few current professional sports franchises that are publicly owned (the Green Bay Packers of the NFL are the most notable example of this). Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. owns and operates the team and is comprised of fans of the team as shareholders. The organization was formed in the fall of 1956 in response to the then owners, the St. Louis Cardinals, putting the team up for sale. Morrie Silver, a Rochester businessman, spearheaded a drive to sell shares in Rochester Community Baseball to raise money to buy the team and its stadium from the Cardinals and keep the franchise in Rochester. The organization retains sole ownership of the team to this day. Red Wing Stadium was renamed Silver Stadium in honor of Morrie Silver in August 1968.
[edit] Longest baseball game ever
The Rochester Red Wings, along with the Pawtucket Red Sox, hold the record for the longest professional baseball game, lasting a total of 33 innings and 8 hours, 25 minutes over the course of three different days. The game was held at McCoy Stadium, beginning on April 18, 1981. It was suspended at 4 o'clock the next morning, and Rochester lost 3-2 when the game resumed on June 23.
[edit] Titles
The Red Wings have played for the Governors' Cup, the championship of the International League, 21 times, winning 10. Both numbers are IL records.
- 1933 - Lost to Buffalo
- 1934 - Lost to Toronto
- 1939 - Defeated Newark
- 1950 - Lost to Baltimore
- 1952 - Defeated Montréal
- 1953 - Lost to Montréal
- 1955 - Defeated Toronto
- 1956 - Defeated Toronto
- 1960 - Lost to Toronto
- 1961 - Lost to Buffalo
- 1964 - Defeated Syracuse
- 1971 - Defeated Tidewater
- 1974 - Defeated Syracuse
- 1982 - Lost to Tidewater
- 1986 - Lost to Richmond
- 1988 - Defeated Tidewater
- 1990 - Defeated Columbus
- 1993 - Lost to Charlotte
- 1996 - Lost to Columbus
- 1997 - Defeated Columbus
- 2006 - Lost to Toledo
[edit] Notable alumni
- Francisco Liriano
- Dennis Martinez
- Joe Mauer (rehab)
- Tim McCarver
- Johnny Mize
- Justin Morneau
- Eddie Murray
- Stan Musial
- Mike Mussina
- Jim Palmer (rehab)
- Boog Powell
- Cal Ripken, Jr.
- Cal Ripken, Sr. (player and manager)
- Brian Roberts
- Frank Robinson (manager)
- Curt Schilling
- Red Schoendienst
- Earl Weaver (manager)
[edit] External links
- Rochester Red Wings web site
- Photographs of Red Wing / Silver Stadium, former home of the Rochester Red Wings - Rochester Area Ballparks
- Photographs of Frontier Field, current home of the Rochester Red Wings - Rochester Area Ballparks
| Minnesota Twins Franchise | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | AA | A | Rookie |
| Rochester Red Wings | New Britain Rock Cats |
Fort Myers Miracle Beloit Snappers |
Elizabethton Twins Gulf Coast Twins VSL Twins |
| International League | ||||
| North Division | South Division | West Division | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bisons | Ottawa Lynx | Pawtucket Red Sox | Rochester Red Wings | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees | Syracuse Chiefs | Charlotte Knights | Durham Bulls | Norfolk Tides | Richmond Braves | Columbus Clippers | Indianapolis Indians | Louisville Bats | Toledo Mud Hens | ||
