Triple-A Classic | |
---|---|
Status | Defunct |
Location(s) | Varies (see prose) |
Years active | 4 |
Inaugurated | Sep 7 –12, 1988 |
Most recent | Sep 11 –16, 1991 |
Participants | League champions of the American Association and International League baseball leagues |
Organized by | Triple-A Alliance |
The Triple-A Classic was an interleague postseason championship series held annually between the league champions of the American Association (AA) and International League (IL) Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball from 1988 to 1991.
Over a four-year period, the AA and IL had an interleague partnership called the Triple-A Alliance in which they played an interlocking schedule during the regular-season. After the leagues held separate playoffs to determine their champions, each winner met in the best-of-seven Triple-A Classic to determine an overall champion. The partnership and the Triple-A Classic were discontinued after the 1991 season due to poor attendance, high travel costs, and the difficulty of drawing up season schedules.
All four Triple-A Classics were won by American Association teams. The Indianapolis Indians won the first two series held in 1988 and 1989, the Omaha Royals won in 1990, and the Denver Zephyrs won the final series in 1991.
Periodically from 1904 to 1975, the champions from the top-classification leagues of Minor League Baseball met in the postseason to determine a champion amongst them. The Little World Series (1904–1931) and Junior World Series (1932–1975) usually consisted of a best-of-seven (or eight) series modeled on the World Series of Major League Baseball. Most often, it was held between the champions of the International League (IL) and the American Association (AA), though the Pacific Coast League (PCL) participated in place of the IL in 1919. [1] Officials from the IL voted to discontinue the series after 1975 due to their playoff teams being weakened by major league call-ups, the unavailability of some stadiums late in the year, high travel expenses, and low attendance, which led to low revenue for team owners. [2] A Triple-A World Series was held in 1983 as a round-robin tournament between the champions of all three leagues, but this became a one-time event following poor attendance and the leagues being unable to decide on a suitable location for future events. [3] [4]
The Triple-A Alliance, an interleague partnership between the eight teams of the American Association (AA) and the eight teams of the International League (IL), was formed in 1987 at the annual Triple-A fall meeting. [5] The Triple-A Pacific Coast League, located primarily in the Western United States, chose not to participate due to the difficulties and high costs associated with travel to cities in the other leagues. [6] Beginning in 1988, each league held separate playoffs after their regular-seasons to determine their own champions, with the winners meeting in the Triple-A Classic, a best-of-seven series to determine an Alliance champion. [7] [8]
The 1988 Triple-A Classic was approved for only one year with the provision that it not be televised. [9] The first three games were scheduled to be held at the International League champion's ballpark, while the fourth and any additional necessary games were to be played at the American Association champion's stadium. [10] The AA's Indianapolis Indians defeated the IL's Rochester Red Wings, 4–2. [1] Total attendance for the six-game-series was 24,602, an average of 4,100 per game. [9]
Deeming the Triple-A Alliance and Classic a success, the Alliance approached Major League Baseball about continuing the Classic for three years. [9] Permission was granted, and the interleague partnership was extended through 1991. [11] Major League Baseball, however, refused to allow the series to be televised so as not to compete with their own televised pennant race games. [11] The first three games of the 1989 Classic were scheduled for the AA champion's ballpark and the remaining games at that of the IL champion. [12] Home-field advantage continued to alternate each year. [13] [14]
On July 9, 1991, at the Triple-A All-Star Game, International League team owners voted, 5–3, to discontinue interleague play with the American Association after the season. [15] Randy Mobley, alliance commissioner and president of the AA, persuaded the IL to wait until the winter meetings to make a final decision. [16] However, that September at the Triple-A fall meeting, the IL voted 4–3, with one abstention, to terminate the alliance, while the AA was unanimous in wishing to continue. [16] A combination of poor attendance, travel costs, and difficulty in drawing up season schedules were all factors in their decision to end the partnership. [17]
The final Triple-A Classic was won by the AA's Denver Zephyrs, 4–1, versus the Columbus Clippers. [1] Six years later, Triple-A owners voted for a realignment plan that resulted in the American Association disbanding and its teams being absorbed by the International League and Pacific Coast League after the 1997 season. [18] This paved the way for a revival of the Triple-A World Series in 1998. [19]
† | Indicates home team |
---|
The Indianapolis Indians qualified for the 1988 Triple-A Classic by winning the AA championship over the Omaha Royals, 3–1. [20] The Rochester Red Wings won the IL championship and a series berth by defeating the Tidewater Tides, 3–1. [21] The first three games were to be held at Rochester's Silver Stadium, while the remaining games were to be played at Indianapolis' Owen J. Bush Stadium. [10]
In Game One, Rochester defeated Indianapolis, 3–2. The Indians led 2–0 until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Red Wings' Ken Landreaux tied the game with a two-run home run. Craig Worthington hit the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth. [22] Rochester took a 2–0 series lead by winning Game Two, 5–0. Landreaux collected four of his team's five RBIs with a third-inning grand slam. Pete Harnisch pitched a complete game shutout for the Red Wings. [23] In Game Three, Indianapolis starting pitcher Randy Johnson tossed a complete game and allowed only 2 runs on 8 hits while his team scored 10 runs on 16 hits in a 10–2 Indians win. Paul Noce led the scoring with three RBIs collected in a bases-loaded triple in the eighth. [24] Indianapolis evened the series with an 11–8 win in Game Four. The Indians' Darryl Motley and Tim Hulett each had three RBIs in the high-scoring affair. [25] Indianapolis made it three-straight victories with an 8–4 Game Five win. The Indians broke a 4–4 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning when Mark Bailey drove in Alonzo Powell for the decisive run. [26] Game Six remained scoreless until the Indians collected three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Red Wings got a run in the top of the ninth, to make the score 3–1. Then, with the go-ahead run at home plate, runners at first and second base, two outs, and a 2–2 count, Tom Waddell struck out Carl Nichols with a fastball to win the game and give Indianapolis a 4–2 series win. [27] Third baseman Tim Hulett, who had a batting average of .286 with 6 RBIs, was selected as the series MVP. [28]
Game | Date | Winning team (MLB affiliation) | League | Score | Losing team (MLB affiliation) | League | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 7 | Rochester Red Wings † (BAL) | IL | 4–3 | Indianapolis Indians (MON) | AA | 3,027 | [29] |
2 | September 8 | Rochester Red Wings † (BAL) | IL | 5–0 | Indianapolis Indians (MON) | AA | 4,345 | [30] |
3 | September 9 | Indianapolis Indians (MON) | AA | 10–2 | Rochester Red Wings † (BAL) | IL | 8,840 | [31] |
4 | September 10 | Indianapolis Indians † (MON) | AA | 11–8 | Rochester Red Wings (BAL) | IL | 3,532 | [32] |
5 | September 11 | Indianapolis Indians † (MON) | AA | 8–4 | Rochester Red Wings (BAL) | IL | 2,029 | [33] |
6 | September 12 | Indianapolis Indians † (MON) | AA | 3–1 | Rochester Red Wings (BAL) | IL | 2,829 | [34] |
Indianapolis won the series, 4–2. |
The Indianapolis Indians qualified for the 1989 Triple-A Classic, their second appearance in the series, by winning the AA championship versus the Omaha Royals, 3–2. [35] The Richmond Braves qualified by winning the IL championship against the Syracuse Chiefs, 3–2. [36] The first three games were to be held at Indianapolis' Owen J. Bush Stadium before the remainder of the series shifted to The Diamond in Richmond. [12]
Indianapolis opened the series with a 7–4 win in Game One. They took the lead in the bottom of the third inning on a three-run home run by Razor Shines and did not relinquish. [37] Game Two was halted after four innings due to rain, with the Indians leading 5–2. After a nearly four-hour delay, it was postponed and rescheduled for the next day as a day-night doubleheader. [38] The Alliance's rules allowed for completing suspended games from the point they were stopped, but Alliance commissioner Harold Cooper ruled that it did not apply to playoff games. As a result, the game would be played over from the start. [39] In the replayed Game Two, Richmond got out to an early 2–0 lead in the first, but Indianapolis scored four runs in the fifth and held the lead for a 4–3 victory. [40] The Indians also won the nightcap by a score of 4–3. [40] In Game Four, Indianapolis scored five runs in the fifth inning to erase a 3–0 Braves lead on the way to a 7–4 win, a four-game sweep, and their second Triple-A Classic title. [41] Outfielder Darryl Motley was selected as the series MVP after he hit .371 with 6 RBIs. [41]
Game | Date | Winning team (MLB affiliation) | League | Score | Losing team (MLB affiliation) | League | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 7 | Indianapolis Indians † (MON) | AA | 7–4 | Richmond Braves (ATL) | IL | 3,029 | [42] |
— | September 8 | Postponed (rain). Rescheduled for September 9 as part of a doubleheader. [lower-alpha 1] | 3,029 | [38] | ||||
2 | September 9 (1) | Indianapolis Indians † (MON) | AA | 4–3 | Richmond Braves (ATL) | IL | 3,011 | [43] |
3 | September 9 (2) | Indianapolis Indians † (MON) | AA | 4–3 | Richmond Braves (ATL) | IL | 3,011 | [43] |
4 | September 10 | Indianapolis Indians (MON) | AA | 7–4 | Richmond Braves † (ATL) | IL | 7,301 | [44] |
Indianapolis won the series, 4–0. |
The Omaha Royals secured a spot in the 1990 Triple-A Classic by winning the AA championship over the Nashville Sounds, 3–2. [45] The Rochester Red Wings qualified for their second Classic by winning the IL championship against the Columbus Clippers, 3–2. [46] The first three games were to be held at Rochester's Silver Stadium, and the rest of the series was to be played at Omaha's Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. [13]
Rochester took Game One, 4–3, behind the bat of Chris Hoiles, who hit a three-run home run in the first inning. [47] Carrying a 4–3 lead into the ninth inning of Game Two, it looked like the Red Wings would make it two wins in a row until the Royals rallied for four runs on the way to a 7–4 victory. Omaha's Russ Morman singled to tie the game, and Tommy Hinzo tripled in two runs for the lead. [48] Game Three remained tied, 4–4, until the top of the 12th when the Royals' Chito Martínez drove in the winning run for a 5–4 win. [49] The Royals won Game Four, in which the two teams combined for 33 hits, 9–7. [50] Omaha scored four runs in the first inning of Game Five, which would be all they needed. The Royals won the game, 9–3, and the Triple-A Classic, 4–1. [51] Omaha first baseman Russ Morman was selected as the series MVP for his .571 average with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs. [51]
Game | Date | Winning team (MLB affiliation) | League | Score | Losing team (MLB affiliation) | League | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 10 | Rochester Red Wings † (BAL) | IL | 4–3 | Omaha Royals (KCR) | AA | 2,435 | [52] |
2 | September 11 | Omaha Royals (KCR) | AA | 7–4 | Rochester Red Wings † (BAL) | IL | 4,071 | [53] |
3 | September 12 | Omaha Royals (KCR) | AA | 7–4 (12) | Rochester Red Wings † (BAL) | IL | 4,896 | [54] |
4 | September 13 | Omaha Royals † (KCR) | AA | 9–7 | Rochester Red Wings (BAL) | IL | 5,012 | [55] |
5 | September 14 | Omaha Royals † (KCR) | AA | 9–3 | Rochester Red Wings (BAL) | IL | 8,207 | [56] |
Omaha won the series, 4–1. |
The Denver Zephyrs qualified for the 1991 Triple-A Classic by winning the AA championship over the Buffalo Bisons, 3–2. [57] The Columbus Clippers secured their spot by sweeping the Pawtucket Red Sox, 3–0, to win the IL championship. [58] The first three games were scheduled to be held at Denver's Mile High Stadium before the remainder of the series moved to Columbus' Cooper Stadium. [14]
Denver took Game One, 5–2, behind the starting pitching of Mark Kiefer, who did not allow a hit until the fifth inning. Columbus threatened in the ninth, but reliever Tim Fortugno retired the last two batters with the bases loaded. [59] The Zephyrs took a two-game lead with a 13–1 victory in Game Two. William Suero collected three RBIs and came around to score three runs. [60] Though the Zephyrs managed only four hits, Denver won Game Three, 3–2. [61] Game Four was postponed after the Clippers' uniforms and equipment did not reach the stadium in time for the game. [62] Played the next night, Columbus won Game Four, 10–1, with the crucial runs being scored in the first inning on a ground rule double by John Ramos and a groundout by Torey Lovullo. [63] In an extra-innings Game Five, Denver's William Suero reached second base on a two-base error, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jim Olander, and scored what would be the winning run on a ground out by Carmen Castillo in the top of the 11th. Denver held on to the lead, winning the game, 5–4, and the Classic, 4–1. [64] Zephyrs starter Mark Kiefer, who earned the win in Game One and stuck out 10 batters over eight innings, was named the series MVP. [64]
Game | Date | Winning team (MLB affiliation) | League | Score | Losing team (MLB affiliation) | League | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 11 | Denver Zephyrs † (MIL) | AA | 5–2 | Columbus Clippers (NYY) | IL | — | [59] |
2 | September 12 | Denver Zephyrs † (MIL) | AA | 13–1 | Columbus Clippers (NYY) | IL | — | [60] |
3 | September 13 | Denver Zephyrs † (MIL) | AA | 3–2 | Columbus Clippers (NYY) | IL | — | [61] |
— | September 14 | Postponed (equipment). Rescheduled for September 15. [lower-alpha 2] | — | [62] | ||||
4 | September 15 | Columbus Clippers † (NYY) | IL | 10–1 | Denver Zephyrs (MIL) | AA | — | [63] |
5 | September 16 | Denver Zephyrs (MIL) | AA | 5–4 (11) | Columbus Clippers † (NYY) | IL | — | [64] |
Denver won the series, 4–1. |
All four Triple-A Classics were won by American Association teams. The Indianapolis Indians won the first two series held in 1988 and 1989, the Omaha Royals won in 1990, and the Denver Zephyrs won the final series in 1991.
Year | Winning team (MLB affiliation) | League | Score | Losing team (MLB affiliation) | League | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | Indianapolis Indians (MON) | AA | 4–2 | Rochester Red Wings (BAL) | IL | 24,602 | [1] |
1989 | Indianapolis Indians (MON) | AA | 4–0 | Richmond Braves (ATL) | IL | 19,381 | [1] |
1990 | Omaha Royals (KCR) | AA | 4–1 | Rochester Red Wings (BAL) | IL | 24,621 | [1] |
1991 | Denver Zephyrs (MIL) | AA | 4–1 | Columbus Clippers (NYY) | IL | — | [1] |
Each year, one player from the winning team was recognized for their outstanding play in the series and given the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award.
Year | Player | Team (MLB affiliation) | League | Position | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | Tim Hulett | Indianapolis Indians (MON) | AA | Third baseman | [28] |
1989 | Darryl Motley | Indianapolis Indians (MON) | AA | Outfielder | [41] |
1990 | Russ Morman | Omaha Royals (KCR) | AA | First baseman | [51] |
1991 | Mark Kiefer | Denver Zephyrs (MIL) | AA | Starting pitcher | [64] |
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 American Association (AA) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated primarily in the Midwestern and South Central United States from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997. It was classified as a Triple-A league, which is one grade below Major League Baseball, for most of its existence.
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.
The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field, located in downtown Rochester. Founded in 1899, they are the oldest continuously operating sports franchise in North America below the major league level.
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, and play their home games at Werner Park, which opened in 2011. The team previously played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium from 1969 to 2010.
The Triple-A World Series was an interleague postseason championship series between the league champions of the affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball to determine an overall champion of the classification held in 1983 and from 1998 to 2000.
Joseph Salvatore Altobelli was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder who played for the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball. He was also a manager for the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago Cubs. He batted and threw left-handed.
Eric Kevin Bruntlett is an American former professional baseball utility player. Between 2003 and 2009, he played seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies.
William Derrick Bates is an American former professional baseball second baseman and pinch runner who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds. In 29 career games, Bates had a batting average of .125 with six hits, two runs batted in (RBI), 11 runs, and eight stolen bases. Though his defensive position was at second base, the Reds primarily used Bates as a pinch runner. After he scored the winning run in Game 2 of the 1990 World Series, Bates never played in MLB again.
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).
Triple-A has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). There are 30 teams, one per each Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, with 20 in the IL and 10 in the PCL. Triple-A teams are generally located in smaller cities as well as larger metropolitan areas without MLB teams, such as Austin, Jacksonville, Columbus, and Indianapolis. Four Triple-A teams play in the same metro areas as their parent clubs.
The Triple-A National Championship Game is a single interleague postseason baseball game between the league champions of the two affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball (MiLB)—the International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League (PCL)—to determine an overall champion of the classification. With the exceptions of 2020 and 2021, the game has been held at the end of each season since 2006.
The Triple-A All-Star Game was an annual baseball game held from 1988 to 2019 between professional players from the affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball. These leagues were the International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1998 to 2019. Previously, the American Association competed along with the IL and PCL before it disbanded following the 1997 season. The 2020 game was cancelled along with the entire minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 game was postponed and not rescheduled after a delayed start to the season. There has been no indication that the Triple-A All-Star Game will resume in the future.
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
NASL Final 1970 was the North American Soccer League's postseason championship final of the 1970 season. As no championship game was played for the 1969 season, it was the first championship game since the 1968 season. The event was contested in a two-game aggregate match between the Rochester Lancers and the Washington Darts. The first leg was held on September 5, 1970 at Aquinas Memorial Stadium in Rochester, New York, with the Lancers victorious by a score of 3–0. The second leg was played on September 13, 1970 at Brookland Stadium in Washington, D.C. That day the Darts came out on top by the score of 3–1. Renato Costa, who played under the alias of "Raul Herrera" that year, scored three of Rochester's four goals. With the two-legged competition completed, the Rochester Lancers held a 4–3 aggregate lead and were crowned the 1970 NASL champions.
The Triple-A Alliance was an interleague partnership between the American Association (AA) and International League (IL) Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball from 1988 to 1991. The two leagues played an interlocking schedule consisting of 40 to 44 interleague games per team. At the end of each season, an Alliance champion was determined in the Triple-A Classic, a best-of-seven postseason series.
The 2003 Colgate Raiders football team was an American football team that represented Colgate University during the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Colgate was undefeated in the regular season, won the Patriot League championship and played in the Division I-AA national championship game.
The Rochester Express, originally named the Rochester Zeniths, were a professional softball team that played in two professional softball leagues from 1978 through 1982 at various locations in the Rochester, New York area.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)