Frederick Keys

Last updated

Frederick Keys
FrederickKeys.PNG Keys cap.PNG
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class Collegiate summer (2021–present)
Previous classes Class A-Advanced (1989–2020)
League MLB Draft League (2021–present)
Previous leagues
 Carolina League (1989–2020)
Major league affiliations
TeamUnaffiliated (2021–present)
Previous teams Baltimore Orioles (1989–2020)
Minor league titles
League titles (4)
  • 1990
  • 2005
  • 2007
  • 2011
Division titles (5)
  • 1990
  • 2005
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2011
Team data
NameFrederick Keys (1989–present)
ColorsBlack, orange, yellow
   
MascotKeyote
Ballpark Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium (1990–present)
Previous parks
 McCurdy Field (1989)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Attain Sports and Entertainment
General managerSlater Fuchs [1]
Manager René Rivera [2]

The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for the "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team mascot "Frank Key", short for Francis Scott Key, joined the current mascot, a coyote named Keyote, at the beginning of the 2011 baseball season. [3] The Keys were purchased from Maryland Baseball Holding, LLC by Attain Sports and Entertainment in January 2022. [4] Home games are played at Harry Grove Stadium.

Contents

Prior to Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues following the 2020 season, the Keys were a Minor League Baseball team that served as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles from 1989 to 2020. [5]

Early professional baseball in Frederick

Frederick was one of the founding members of the Blue Ridge League, which existed from 1915 to 1930. [6] The team, which went by the names of Hustlers, Champs and Warriors, won league championships in 1915 and 1921. Games were played at the Frederick Fairgrounds until 1924 when McCurdy Field was built. With the collapse of the Blue Ridge League in 1931, it would be several decades before professional baseball returned to Frederick.

Frederick players from this era who were major leaguers:

Debut

The team was founded in 1989 when the Baltimore Orioles decided to move their Class A affiliate from Hagerstown, Maryland. The city of Frederick convinced the owners of the then-Hagerstown Suns to move the team to Frederick and promised a 4,000-seat stadium to be built for the 1990 season. For the 1989 season, the Keys played at McCurdy Field, a Babe Ruth League stadium, while waiting for the construction of the new stadium to be completed. [7] The Keys opened by losing both ends of a doubleheader (including a seven-inning perfect game by Dennis Burlingame) against the Durham Bulls. [8] Their first win came on April 11, 1989, with a 3–1 victory over the Kinston Indians in the Keys' first-ever home game. [9]

Only two players in Keys history have been transferred directly from Frederick to the Baltimore Orioles (excluding rehab related transfers). On September 3, 1996, Eugene Kingsale's contract was purchased by the Orioles. On June 11, 2005, Jeff Fiorentino's contract was purchased by the Orioles in order to replace the injured Luis Matos.

The Keys have played in the Carolina League Championship Series, the Mills Cup Series, five times. Four series were against the Kinston Indians, while the series in 2007 was against the Salem Avalanche. They won their first series in 1990, defeating the Indians three games to two. They won their second cup in the 2005 season, defeating Kinston three games to two at historic Grainger Stadium in the best of five series. They were swept by the Indians in 2006, 3 games to 0. They won the 2007 series against the Salem Avalanche three games to one. They defeated Kinston in the 2011 series three games to one.

Playoff history

Notable former Keys

Several Keys alumni have gone on to play in the major leagues. In their inaugural season, the opening day roster featured several future major leaguers: David Segui, Francisco de la Rosa, Luis Mercedes, Jack Voigt, and Pete Rose Jr. [10]

Other Keys alumni include:

Roster

Frederick Keys roster
PlayersCoaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 39 Valek Cisneros
  • 25 Wyatt Evans
  • 26 Adam Falinski
  • 40 Cooper Foster
  • 50 Jacob Gomez
  • 43 Brayden Kurtz
  • 29 Trevor Long
  • 27 Kaden Moeller
  • 35 Justin Needles
  • 45 Dawson Netz
  • 37 Grant Richars
  • 44 Christian Rodriguez
  • 17 Sempa Shawali Sherican
  • 10 Tom Sun
  • 16 Evan Yates
  • 15 Bradon Zastrow
  • 21 Joe Zhu

Catchers

  • 36 Owen Carapellotti
  • 24 Irvin Escobar
  •  6 Dennis Kasumba
  • 28 Brock Tibbitts

Infielders

  • 46 Cam Clayton
  • 32 Elijah Clayton
  •  3 Brody Fahr
  • 48 Jadyn Fielder
  • 14 Allan Gil-Fernandez
  • 34 Daylan Pena

Outfielders

  •  1 Royce Clayton Jr.
  •  9 JoJo Jackson
  •  7 Tervell Johnson
  • 13 Zech Samayoa
  • 19 Irvin Weems III


Manager

Coaches


Injury icon 2.svg 7-day injured list

~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated June 13, 2024
 Transactions
→ More MiLB rosters

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina League</span> Minor League Baseball league

The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league temporarily operated for the 2021 season as the Low-A East before reassuming its original moniker in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk Tides</span> Minor League Baseball team

The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapeake Bay. The team plays their home games at Harbor Park, which opened in 1993. The Tides previously played at High Rock Park in 1961 and 1962, Frank D. Lawrence Stadium from 1961 to 1969, and at Met Park from its opening in 1970 until the end of the 1992 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowie Baysox</span> Minor league baseball team

The Bowie Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluefield Blue Jays</span> Minor league baseball team

The Bluefield Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. The team played their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park, a historic stadium in Bluefield's city park. The park, which straddles the West Virginia–Virginia state line, was operated by the West Virginia city; however, Bowen Field lies entirely within Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Knights</span> Minor league baseball team

The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 2014 and is located in Uptown Charlotte. The team previously played at Knights Park (1976–1988), Knights Castle (1989), and Knights Stadium (1990–2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinston Indians</span> Minor league baseball team

The Kinston Indians were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League (CL) located in Kinston, North Carolina, from 1978 to 2011. They played their home games at Grainger Stadium, which opened in 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynchburg Hillcats</span> Minor league baseball team

The Lynchburg Hillcats are a Minor League Baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia that plays in the Carolina League and is the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 2014, the Cincinnati Reds in 2010, and the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1995 to 2009. The Hillcats play home games at Bank of the James Stadium; refurbished and renamed in 2004, the stadium seats 4,291 fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potomac Nationals</span> Minor league baseball team

The Potomac Nationals were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They were located in Woodbridge, Virginia, and played their home games at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. After the 2019 season, the team relocated to Fredericksburg, Virginia, becoming the Fredericksburg Nationals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrtle Beach Pelicans</span> Minor League Baseball team in South Carolina

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at Pelicans Ballpark, which opened in 1999 and seats up to 6,599 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince George's Stadium</span> Sports venue in Bowie, Maryland, United States; primarily used for baseball

Prince George's Stadium is a multipurpose sports venue located in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, near Bowie, primarily used for baseball. It is home of the Baltimore Orioles' Double-A affiliated Bowie Baysox in the Eastern League. The stadium is the result of a cooperative venture between Maryland Baseball Limited Partnership and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and is built on park property.

The Eastern Shore Baseball League was a class D minor league baseball league that operated on the Delmarva Peninsula for parts of three different decades. The league's first season was in 1922 and the last was in 1949, although the years were not consecutive, and featured teams from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. The first incarnation lasted from 1922 to mid-1928, the second from 1937 to 1941, and the third from 1946 to 1949. Though the level of play was competitive and many future major leaguers gained experience in the ESBL, funding the league remained a constant problem for the rural franchises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Orioles (minor league)</span> Minor league baseball team

The city of Baltimore, Maryland, has been home to two Minor League Baseball teams called the Baltimore Orioles, in addition to the three Major League Baseball teams that have used the name

The 1983 American League Championship Series was played between the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles from October 5 to 8.

The 1969 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in North America's Major League Baseball (MLB). In the first season after the American League was split into two divisions, the Orioles won the first-ever American League East title, finishing first with a record of 109 wins and 53 losses, 19 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers, who had won the World Series in the previous season.

The Newark Bears were an American Minor League Baseball team that played in the top-level International League from 1917 through the 1949 season, with the exception of the 1920 campaign and part of 1925. The Bears succeeded the Newark Indians, originally the Sailors, who played in the same circuit from 1902. During the Bears' lifetime, the International League was graded one step below the Major League Baseball level, Class AA through 1945 and Triple-A starting in 1946. The franchise played its home games at Ruppert Stadium in what is now known as the Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey; the stadium was demolished in 1967. The 1932, 1937, 1938, and 1941 Bears were recognized as being among the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chambersburg Maroons</span> Baseball team in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.

The Chambersburg Maroons were a baseball team located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. They called historic Henninger Field their home, and had done so since the club's creation in 1895. They played their last season in 2010, ending 116 years of existence.

The Hagerstown Hubs were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The team played predominantly in the Blue Ridge League (1915–1930) and briefly in the Middle Atlantic League (1931). Their home games were in Willow Lane Park from 1915 to 1929 and Municipal Stadium during the 1930 and 1931 seasons.

The Martinsburg Blue Sox were an American minor league baseball team based in Martinsburg, West Virginia. They played in the Blue Ridge League between 1915 and 1929 and were an affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929.

The Hagerstown Suns Minor League Baseball team was established in Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1981. The Suns remained in the Carolina League through 1988. In 1989, team ownership purchased the Williamsport Bills franchise of the Double-A Eastern League (EL) and relocated the team to Hagerstown. The Double-A Suns carried on the history of the Class A team that preceded it. After just four seasons, the Eastern League franchise left. The Myrtle Beach Hurricanes franchise of the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL) relocated to Hagerstown for the 1993 season where they became the Suns and continued the previous Suns teams' history.

The 1970 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1970 season. The winners of each division advance to the postseason and face each other in a League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.

References

  1. ↑ "Frederick Keys name Slater Fuchs new general manager". Frederick News-Post . June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  2. ↑ McGee, Branden (February 21, 2023). "Former Major League Catcher Rene Rivera Will Lead Keys in 2023". Frederick Keys. MLB Draft League. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  3. ↑ "New Mascot Frank Key Joins Keys". Unlocking the Keys. March 30, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  4. ↑ Ruiz, Nathan (January 13, 2022). "Orioles' Double-A team Bowie Baysox, former affiliate Frederick Keys change ownership". The Baltimore Sun.
  5. ↑ Cooper, J. J. (December 9, 2020). "Frederick Becomes Sixth Team To Join MLB Draft League". Baseball America.
  6. ↑ "Blue Ridge League". Boys of the Blue Ridge, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  7. ↑ Duggan, Paul (January 12, 1989). "The Boys of Summers Past; Cherished Memories Resurface as Baseball Returns to Frederick". The Washington Post . ProQuest   140085073.
  8. ↑ "Perfect Game only Half of Keys' Troubles". The Washington Post . April 10, 1989. pp. C7. ProQuest   140018712.
  9. ↑ Eichelberger, Curtis (April 12, 1989). "Keys Find 1st Victory in Home Opener, 3–1". The Washington Post . pp. D4. ProQuest   140024139.
  10. ↑ Goff, Steve (April 7, 1989). "Keys, Cannons Ready to Play". The Washington Post . pp. D7. ProQuest   140059670.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.