Trenton Thunder
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| Trenton Thunder | ||
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| League | Eastern League | |
| Division | Northern Division | |
| Year founded | 1989 | |
| Major League affiliation | New York Yankees | |
| Home ballpark | Mercer County Waterfront Park | |
| Previous home ballparks | Labatt Park | |
| City | Trenton, New Jersey | |
| Current uniform colors | blue, black | |
| Previous uniform colors | navy, orange | |
| Logo design | A "T" with the Norse god Thor holding a lightning bolt. | |
| Division titles | ||
| League titles | ||
| Manager | Tony Franklin | |
| Owner | Joe Finley and Samuel Plumeri | |
The Trenton Thunder are an American minor league baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Northern Division of the Eastern League. The Thunder's home field is Mercer County Waterfront Park in Trenton, New Jersey.
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[edit] Team History
The Thunder moved to Trenton from London, Ontario, where they had been known as the London Tigers, playing at historic Labatt Park. The club was affiliated with the Detroit Tigers at that time, but switched affiliations to the Boston Red Sox in 1995. As a Red Sox affiliate, the club recorded three first-place finishes, but was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round each time. In 2003, the Thunder became aligned with the Yankees; the Red Sox adopted the Portland Sea Dogs at that time. The switch reflected both teams' fanbases, as Central New Jersey is home to a large number of Yankees fans, while Maine is part of Red Sox Nation.
On July 17, 1995, pitcher Jeff Suppan became the first former Thunder player to play in the major leagues. He was the losing pitcher in a 4-3 Red Sox loss at Fenway Park to the Kansas City Royals.
In 2006, the Thunder became the first team in Minor League Baseball history to draw over 400,000 fans for twelve consecutive seasons at the Double-A level or below. Through 13 seasons, over 5.4 million people had attended a Thunder game.[2]
[edit] Notable alumni
Former Thunder players have earned spots on the big-league rosters of the Boston Red Sox and several other teams over the years. Tony Clark and Nomar Garciaparra were arguably the first two real successes to pass through the Thunder organization, breaking in with the Tigers and Red Sox, respectively.
Cleveland Indians outfielder Trot Nixon was a member of the Thunder in the 1995 and 1996 seasons before being called up by the Red Sox. He went on to become a fan favorite in Boston.
Shea Hillenbrand played for the Thunder in the 1999 and 2000 seasons before being promoted to Boston, where he became a familiar presence at first and third base. He now plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
David Eckstein, a key component of the 1999 Trenton Thunder team, is currently a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2002, Eckstein, then the shortstop for the Anaheim Angels, became the first former Thunder player to play on a World Series champion. Pitcher Carl Pavano followed suit with the Florida Marlins in 2003, as did Trot Nixon and Adam Hyzdu with the 2004 World Champion Red Sox.
Ex-Thunder infielder Robinson Canó and starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang were promoted to the New York Yankees during the 2005 season. Outfielder Melky Cabrera was called up to the Bronx for a short stint in 2005 and played the majority of the 2006 season for the club as well.
[edit] Retired numbers
- 5: Nomar Garciaparra
- 33: Tony Clark
- 42: Jackie Robinson+
+Jackie Robinson never played for the Trenton Thunder, but his number, 42, was retired by every Major League Baseball team and affiliate. See grandfather clause.
[edit] Season records
| Season | Affiliation | Manager | Record |
| 1994 | Tigers | Tom Runnells | 55-85, 5th place South |
| 1995 | Red Sox | Ken Macha | 73-69, 1st place South (tie) |
| 1996 | Red Sox | Ken Macha | 86-56, 1st place South |
| 1997 | Red Sox | DeMarlo Hale | 71-70, 4th place South |
| 1998 | Red Sox | DeMarlo Hale | 71-70, 3rd place South |
| 1999 | Red Sox | DeMarlo Hale | 92-50, 1st place North |
| 2000 | Red Sox | Billy Gardner, Jr. | 67-75, 5th place North |
| 2001 | Red Sox | Billy Gardner, Jr. | 67-75, 5th place North |
| 2002 | Red Sox | Ron Johnson | 63-77, 5th place North (tie) |
| 2003 | Yankees | Stump Merrill | 70-71, 4th place North |
| 2004 | Yankees | Stump Merrill | 64-78, 6th place North |
| 2005 | Yankees | Bill Masse | 74-68, 2nd place North |
| 2006 | Yankees | Bill Masse | 80-62, 1st place North |
[edit] Playoff appearances
- 1995 season: Lost to Reading, 3-0 in semifinals
- 1996 season: Lost to Harrisburg, 3-1 in semifinals
- 1999 season: Lost to Norwich, 3-2 in semifinals
- 2005 season: Lost to Portland, 3-2 in semifinals
- 2006 season: Lost to Portland 3-1 in semifinals
[edit] Waterfront Park
Official Name: Samuel J. Plumeri Field at Mercer County Waterfront Park
Address: One Thunder Road, Trenton, NJ 08611
Opened: 1994
Seating Capacity: 6,440
Dimensions: LF - 330 ft, CF - 407 ft, RF - 330 ft
Waterfront Park is located right on the banks of the Delaware River, creating beautiful scenery for guests.
[edit] Mascots
[edit] Boomer
![The Boomer Race has been a fixture at Thunder games. [1]](../../../upload/thumb/9/94/Boomerrace.jpg/250px-Boomerrace.jpg)
Boomer is the Thunder's well-known and much-loved mascot. He is a blue "Thunderbird" with a yellow beak and buck teeth. He wears a Thunder uniform as well as purple and yellow shades. Boomer traditionally takes part in many of the promotions and activities throughout Thunder home games, such as a race around the bases against a young fan. Boomer's likeness has appeared on numerous pieces of merchandise, and he is involved with several programs assisting children in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These factors have made him perhaps the most popular and enduring aspect of the Trenton Thunder.
[edit] Chase
Chase "That Golden Thunder" is a five year old Golden Retriever who has been part of the Thunder family for the past three seasons. He often serves as "batdog" only during the first inning at most Thunder home games, retrieving bats and balls and returning them to the Thunder dugout. Contrary to popular belief, his teeth do not leave marks in the equipment, as Retrievers are trained to carry birds without puncturing them. Later in the game, Chase usually catches frisbees to win a cash prize for a lucky fan. He does however have a golden tooth due to his bat carrying duties. Chase has garnered significant media attention, appearing on FOX, CNN, the YES Network, UPN9, WNBC4, and even Japanese television.
[edit] Current Roster
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Pitchers
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Catchers
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Infielders
Outfielders
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[edit] External links
| New York Yankees Franchise | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | AA | A | Rookie |
| Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees | Trenton Thunder |
Tampa Yankees Charleston RiverDogs Staten Island Yankees |
Gulf Coast Yankees |
| Eastern League | ||
| Northern Division | Southern Division | |
|---|---|---|
| Binghamton Mets | Connecticut Defenders | New Britain Rock Cats | New Hampshire Fisher Cats | Portland Sea Dogs | Trenton Thunder | Akron Aeros | Altoona Curve | Bowie Baysox | Erie SeaWolves | Harrisburg Senators | Reading Phillies | |
