The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball. A champion has been determined at the end of each season since the league was formed in 1884.
Through 1932, champions were usually the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the season. From 1933 to 2020, postseason playoffs were held to determine champions. Participants from 1933 to 1987 were usually the four teams with the highest winning percentages. From 1988 to 2020, the four qualifiers were the division winners and one or two wild card teams. The winner of each season's playoffs was awarded the Governors' Cup. These playoffs and the issuing of trophy were discontinued in 2021, when the winner was the team with the best regular-season record. In 2022, the league championship was determined by a single playoff game between the East and West division winners. Beginning with the 2023 season, the league adopted a split season format, in which the league championship is determined by a best-of-three playoff series between the winners of each half of the season, with the winner meeting the champion of the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A National Championship Game. [1]
The Rochester Red Wings have won 19 International League championships, more than any other team, followed by the Columbus Clippers (11) and the Baltimore Orioles, original Buffalo Bisons, and Toronto Maple Leafs (10). Among active IL franchises, Rochester has won 19 championships, the most of all teams, followed by Columbus (11) and the Durham Bulls and Syracuse Mets (8). During the era of the Governors' Cup playoffs from 1933 to 2020, the most cup titles were won by Columbus (11), followed by Rochester (10) and Syracuse (8).
The International League was founded in 1884. [2] The modern circuit traces its roots from several predecessor leagues: the Eastern League (1884), New York State League (1885), International League (1886–1887), International Association (1888–1890), Eastern Association (1891), and Eastern League (1892–1911). [3] It adopted consistent use of the International League name in 1912. [3] After the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, [4] the league was known as the Triple-A East in 2021 before reverting to the International League moniker in 2022. [5] [6]
A league champion has been determined at the end of each season. With few exceptions, champions from 1884 to 1932 were simply the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the regular championship season. The first league champions were the Trenton Trentonians, who won by four games over the Lancaster Ironsides in 1884. [7] The 1891 and 1892 seasons were contested as split seasons or "double seasons". Under this format, the schedule was split into two parts. The team with the best record at the end of the first season won the first pennant. Standings were then reset so that all clubs had clean records to begin the second season. If the same team won both seasons, they were declared the league champion. [8] This was the case in 1891 when the original Buffalo Bisons won both halves. [9] If a different team won the second season, the two winners would meet in a playoff series to determine the champion. [8] This happened in 1892 when the Binghamton Bingoes, winners of the second season, defeated the Providence Clamdiggers, winners of the first season, four games to two. [10] In 1932, the Newark Bears became the last team to win the championship by virtue of winning the regular-season pennant before a recurring series of playoffs were instituted. [11]
Frank Shaughnessy, general manager of the International League's Montreal Royals, was interested in developing a way for multiple clubs to share in the excitement of postseason play. His new playoff format, devised to maintain the interest of fans and players alike during the Great Depression, provided an opportunity for four teams to compete for the league's championship. In 1933, he introduced his plan to league president Charles H. Knappe, and the result was the Governors' Cup playoffs. Several other leagues noticed the success of the "Shaughnessy Plan" and began using the system as well. [12]
The governors of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York and the lieutenant governors of the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, in which the league's eight teams were located at the time, sponsored a trophy to be awarded annually to the winner of the International League playoffs. The original trophy, designed by the supervisor of the league's umpires and silversmith W. B. Carpenter, was created out of solid silver. [12] In 1988, IL president Harold Cooper donated the trophy to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, where it is on permanent display. A new trophy was minted in its place to be presented to the winner of the Governors' Cup playoffs. [12]
Under this system, the top four teams in the league, based on winning percentage, competed for the championship. From 1933 to 1987, the first round typically consisted of a best-of-seven-games series between the first and fourth-place teams and a series between the second and third-place teams. The winners of these semifinals then faced one another for the championship in a best-of-seven series. The first Governors' Cup was won in 1933 by the original Buffalo Bisons, who defeated the Rochester Red Wings, 4–2. [13] Sporadically from 1966 to 1980, one or both rounds were reduced to best-of-five series. From 1981 to 2020, both rounds were the best-of-five.
The IL utilized a divisional alignment for the first time in 1963. The first-place teams from each division, North and South, met in the first round, as did the second-place teams, with the winners meeting in the finals. [14] The circuit reverted to having no divisions in 1964 but returned to the same playoff format with North and South Divisions for 1973 and 1974. [15] [16]
From 1988 to 1991, the International League held an interleague partnership with the American Association, called the Triple-A Alliance, in which they played an interlocking schedule, and the leagues' champions met in the Triple-A Classic. [17] During this period, the IL was divided into East and West Divisions, and the division winners faced off in a best-of-five series to determine champions. After the dissolution of the Triple-A Alliance following the 1991 season, the International League maintained this divisional alignment but returned to having a semifinal round wherein the top two teams in each division played each other to qualify for the Governors' Cup finals. [17] [18]
The league was split into three divisions, North, South, and West, from 1998 to 2020. Under this arrangement, the three division winners and a wild card team, the team with the best second-place record, qualified for the playoffs. The best-of-five semifinals pitted the North Division winner against the wild card team, and the South and West Division winners against each other. The winners then played in a best-of-five round to determine the champion. [19] The last team to win the championship this way was the Columbus Clippers, who won the last Governors' Cup in 2019. [20] The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [4]
The International League ceased operations before the 2021 season in conjunction with Major League Baseball's (MLB) reorganization of Minor League Baseball. [5] In place of the International League, MLB created the Triple-A East, a circuit divided into three divisions, Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast. [21] Prior to the 2022 season, MLB renamed the Triple-A East the International League, and it carried on the history of the IL prior to reorganization. [6] Rather than hold playoffs for its championship, the Triple-A East's 2021 title was awarded to the team with the best regular-season record. [22] The Durham Bulls won this championship by four-and-a-half games ahead of the Buffalo Bisons. [23] [24]
Along with these changes, all references to the Governors' Cup as the championship of the International League were discontinued and a different trophy was awarded. [25] [26] [27] In 2022, the league was reorganized in East and West Divisions. [28] Under this alignment, the winners of each division met in a single game to determine the league champion. [29]
Beginning in 2023, the regular-season was split into two halves, and the winners of each half meet in a best-of-three series for the league championship. [30] [31]
Record | Regular-season win–loss record |
---|---|
GA | Games ahead of the second-place team |
Score | Score of the Governors' Cup championship series |
---|---|
P | Regular-season pennant winner (1933–1962, 1964–1972, 1975–1987) |
N | North Division winner (1963, 1973–1974, 1998–2020) |
S | South Division winner (1963, 1973–1974, 1998–2020) |
E | East Division winner (1988–1997) |
W | West Division winner (1988–2020) |
Score | Score of the championship series |
---|
Year | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Durham Bulls | — [lower-alpha 8] | Buffalo Bisons | [24] |
2022 | Durham Bulls | 1–0 | Nashville Sounds | [160] |
2023 | Norfolk Tides | 2–1 | Durham Bulls | [161] |
2024 | Omaha Storm Chasers | 2–1 | Columbus Clippers | [162] |
Active International League teams appear in bold.
Team | Wins | Year(s) |
---|---|---|
Rochester Red Wings (Rochester Bronchos/Hustlers) | 19 | 1899, 1901, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1939, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1997 |
Columbus Clippers | 11 | 1979, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2019 |
Baltimore Orioles | 10 | 1908, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1944, 1950 |
Buffalo Bisons (1886–1970) | 1891, 1904, 1906, 1915, 1916, 1927, 1933, 1936, 1957, 1961 | |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 1902, 1907, 1912, 1917, 1918, 1926, 1934, 1960, 1965, 1966 | |
Durham Bulls | 8 | 2002, 2003, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 |
Montreal Royals | 1898, 1941, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1958 | |
Syracuse Mets (Syracuse Chiefs) | 1935, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1954, 1969, 1970, 1976 | |
Norfolk Tides (Tidewater Tides) | 6 | 1972, 1975, 1982, 1983, 1985, 2023 |
Newark Bears | 5 | 1932, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1945 |
Providence Grays (Providence Clamdiggers) | 1894, 1896, 1900, 1905, 1914 | |
Richmond Braves | 1978, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2007 | |
Pawtucket Red Sox | 4 | 1973, 1984, 2012, 2014 |
Syracuse Stars | 3 | 1885, 1888, 1897 |
Toledo Mud Hens | 1967, 2005, 2006 | |
Buffalo Bisons (1979–present) | 2 | 1998, 2004 |
Charlotte Knights | 1993, 1999 | |
Detroit Wolverines | 1889, 1890 | |
Indianapolis Indians | 1963, 2000 | |
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees) | 2008, 2016 | |
Atlanta Crackers | 1 | 1962 |
Binghamton Bingoes | 1892 | |
Charleston Charlies | 1977 | |
Erie Blackbirds | 1893 | |
Havana Sugar Kings | 1959 | |
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Jacksonville Suns) | 1968 | |
Jersey City Skeeters | 1903 | |
Louisville Bats (Louisville RiverBats) | 2001 | |
Newark Indians | 1913 | |
Omaha Storm Chasers | 2024 | |
Ottawa Lynx | 1995 | |
Springfield Maroons | 1895 | |
Toronto Canucks | 1887 | |
Trenton Trentonians | 1884 | |
Utica Pent-Ups | 1886 |
Team | Governors' Cup wins | Year(s) |
---|---|---|
Columbus Clippers | 11 | 1979, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2019 |
Rochester Red Wings | 10 | 1939, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1997 |
Syracuse Mets (Syracuse Chiefs) | 8 | 1935, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1954, 1969, 1970, 1976 |
Montreal Royals | 7 | 1941, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1958 |
Durham Bulls | 6 | 2002, 2003, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2018 |
Norfolk Tides (Tidewater Tides) | 5 | 1972, 1975, 1982, 1983, 1985 |
Richmond Braves | 1978, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2007 | |
Buffalo Bisons (1886–1970) | 4 | 1933, 1936, 1957, 1961 |
Newark Bears | 1937, 1938, 1940, 1945 | |
Pawtucket Red Sox | 1973, 1984, 2012, 2014 | |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 1934, 1960, 1965, 1966 | |
Toledo Mud Hens | 3 | 1967, 2005, 2006 |
Baltimore Orioles | 2 | 1944, 1950 |
Buffalo Bisons (1979–present) | 1998, 2004 | |
Charlotte Knights | 1993, 1999 | |
Indianapolis Indians | 1963, 2000 | |
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees) | 2008, 2016 | |
Atlanta Crackers | 1 | 1962 |
Charleston Charlies | 1977 | |
Havana Sugar Kings | 1959 | |
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Jacksonville Suns) | 1968 | |
Louisville Bats (Louisville RiverBats) | 2001 | |
Ottawa Lynx | 1995 |
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.
The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy merchant sailing vessels known as clippers. The team has played their home games at Huntington Park since 2009. They previously played at Cooper Stadium from 1977 to 2008.
The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960. Tacoma has competed in the PCL since 1960, including the 2021 season when it was known as the Triple-A West. The team operated under several monikers before becoming the Rainiers in 1995.
The Las Vegas Aviators, formerly known as the Las Vegas 51s and Las Vegas Stars, are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Summerlin South, Nevada, a community in Las Vegas. The Aviators play their home games at Las Vegas Ballpark, a 10,000-seat facility which opened in 2019. The team previously played at Cashman Field from 1983 to 2018.
The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the winged mammal and baseball bats, such as those manufactured locally under the Louisville Slugger brand. The team plays their home games at Louisville Slugger Field, which opened in 2000. The Bats previously played at Cardinal Stadium from 1982 to 1999.
The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The Cubs have played their home games at Principal Park since 1992, replacing Sec Taylor Stadium which the Cubs used from 1969 to 1991.
The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named for Baseball Hall of Famer and Texas native Nolan Ryan, who was nicknamed "The Ryan Express." Ryan, along with son Reid Ryan and Don Sanders make up the team's ownership group, Ryan Sanders Baseball.
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The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which opened in 1996. The Indians previously played at Owen J. Bush Stadium from 1931 to 1996 and at two versions of Washington Park from 1902 to 1931.
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The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball (MLB).
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The Memphis Blues were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1968 to 1976. They competed in the Double-A Texas League from 1968 to 1973 as an affiliate of the New York Mets. Memphis transferred to the Triple-A International League in 1974, where they were affiliated with the Montreal Expos from 1974 to 1975 and Houston Astros in 1976. Their home games were played at Blues Stadium
The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and play their home games at Five County Stadium. "Mudcats" is a Southern synonym for catfish.
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