Winnipeg Goldeyes

Last updated

Winnipeg Goldeyes
Winnipeg Goldeyes 2021.png Winnipeg Goldeyes cap insignia.jpg
Team logoCap insignia
Information
League American Association of Professional Baseball (2011–present) (West Division)
Location Winnipeg, Manitoba
Ballpark Blue Cross Park (1999–2019, 2021–present)
Founded 1994
Nickname(s)The Fish
League championships4 (1994, 2012, 2016, 2017)
Division championships10 (1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2014, 2017)
Former league(s)
Former ballparks
ColoursRed, dark red, light grey, dark grey, gold, white
      
Retired numbers5, 6, 21, 22 and 31
Ownership Sam Katz
Manager Logan Watkins
General ManagerAndrew Collier
Media Shaw Spotlight
CJNU 93.7 FM
Envol 91 FM
Winnipeg Sun
Winnipeg Free Press
Website www.goldeyes.com

The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Northern League from 1994 until 2010. The Goldeyes were champions of the Northern League in 1994. They are also three-time champions of the American Association; having won in 2012, and back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. The team is named after the goldeye, a fish usually served as a smoked delicacy and commonly called Winnipeg goldeye. [1]

Contents

History

There have been two separate and distinct baseball teams based out of Winnipeg to use the Goldeyes name, each playing in different incarnations of the Northern League. They first played in the original Northern League from 1954 until 1964. During that time, the Goldeyes were a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals and they won the league championship three times (1957, 1959, and 1960). The Goldeyes returned to the Short Season-A Northern League for one season, 1969, as an affiliate of the expansion Kansas City Royals, [2] but they did not return in 1970, and the entire league shut down after the 1971 season.

The Goldeyes name was resurrected in 1994 when the independent league Rochester Aces of the new Northern League relocated to Winnipeg. It was decided the team would take on the name of the former Winnipeg team in honor of the past. In their inaugural season in Winnipeg, the new Goldeyes captured the Northern League championship. [3]

The Goldeyes became the longest tenured franchise in the Northern League following the departure of the St. Paul Saints, Sioux City Explorers, and Sioux Falls Canaries to the breakaway American Association in 2005; however, the team would jump to the American Association after the 2010 season. [4] [5] The Goldeyes captured their first American Association championship in 2012, sweeping the Wichita Wingnuts in the finals. [3]

The Goldeyes fueled their rivalry with Wichita in 2016, when they defeated the Wingnuts in game five in Wichita for their second American Association championship. [6] Next season, the teams would meet again; this matchup looked as if the Wingnuts won the series in game four after a ground-out won the game and the team began celebrating on the mound. However, the umpire had called a balk and the strike was re-thrown; the Goldeyes tied the game later in the at-bat and forced a marathon 17-inning game. [7] This was the longest game in American Association history, which they won to play a game five. [8] The Goldeyes would seal back-to-back championships with an 18–2 victory over Wichita at home in Winnipeg. [9]

In 2020, the league announced that the Goldeyes would compete as one of six teams in a condensed 60-game season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. [10] However, they would not play games at Shaw Park, and were instead based at Newman Outdoor Field (thus sharing a home field with the Fargo Moorhead RedHawks). Due to continued border restrictions, the Goldeyes announced plans to initially play home games during the 2021 season out of The Ballpark at Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee, the former home of the Jackson Generals. However, Jackson Mayor Scott Conger notified the teams that the Generals lost their authority to manage the city-owned ballpark when they lost their affiliation with Minor League Baseball and that they were issued an eviction notice to leave the stadium after May 30, nine days after the Goldeyes' May 21 home opener. [11] On June 1, the Goldeyes entered into a new license agreement with the city to continue use of the facility. [12] On July 22, the Goldeyes were granted permission from the federal and provincial governments to return to Shaw Park for games beginning on August 3. [13]

Stadium

From 1994 to 1998, the Goldeyes played their homes games at Winnipeg Stadium, a Canadian football stadium retrofitted for baseball. The team moved into CanWest Global Park (now Blue Cross Park), their own baseball-only facility, prior to the 1999 season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Goldeyes played its 2020 season home games at Newman Outdoor Field, and April–July home games in the 2021 season at The Ballpark at Jackson.

Season-by-season records

    First Half Second Half Overall  
SeasonLeagueDivisionW–LFinishW–LFinishW–LWin% Playoffs
1994NLN/A16–245th27–131st43–37.538Won championship
1995NLN/A25–172nd22–213rd47–38.553Lost championship series
1996NLWest25–172nd25–172nd50–34.595Lost divisional series
1997NLWest29–121st24–182nd53–30.639Lost championship series
1998NLWest25–182nd33–101st58–28.674Lost division series
1999NLWest28–151st20–233rd48–38558Lost championship series
2000NLWest24–193rd24–192nd48–38.558Lost Central semi-final
2001NLNorth29–161st23–221st52–38.578Lost championship series
2002NLNorth28–171st28–171st56–34.622Lost championship series
2003NLEast26–182nd29–161st55–34.618Lost championship series
2004NLNorth26–213rd30–182nd56–39.589Did not qualify
2005NLNorth22–254th25–234th47–48.495Did not qualify
2006NLNorth27–212nd25–232nd52–44.542Lost West final
2007NLNorth27–202nd25–232nd52–43.547Lost Division Finals
2008NLN/A51–453rdN/AN/A51–45.531Lost semi-final
2009NLN/A55–412ndN/AN/A55–41.573Lost semi-final
2010NLN/A46–536thN/AN/A46–53.465Did not qualify
2011AANorth60–401stN/AN/A60–40.600Lost Division Finals
2012AANorth55–452ndN/AN/A55–45.550Won championship
2013AANorth56–442ndN/AN/A56–44.560Did not qualify
2014AANorth63–371stN/AN/A63–37.630Lost division series
2015AANorth47–522ndN/AN/A47–52.475Did not qualify
2016AANorth58–422ndN/AN/A58–42.580Won championship
2017AANorth62–381stN/AN/A62–38.620Won championship
2018AANorth41–595thN/AN/A41–59.410Did not qualify
2019AANorth57–434thN/AN/A57–43.570Did not qualify
2020AAN/A29–314thN/AN/A29–31.483Did not qualify
2021AANorth50–494thN/AN/A50–49.505Did not qualify

Playoffs

Roster

Active rosterCoaches/Other

Pitchers



 

Catchers

  • -- Rob Emery
  • -- Kevin Garcia

Infielders

  •  1 Andy Armstrong
  • -- Edwin Arroyo
  • -- Ramón Bramasco
  •  8 Dayson Croes
  • -- Adam Hall

Outfielders

  • -- Roby Enriquez
  • -- Ryan Holgate
  • 14 Miles Simington
 

Manager

Coaches

  • -- Mark Brewer (pitching)
  • -- Adam Donachie (hitting)
  •    Ty Hassel (trainer)
  • 35 Danny Perron (bullpen)
  •    Jamie Samson (clubhouse manager)

Injury icon 2.svg Disabled list
‡ Inactive list
§ Suspended list

Roster  updated April 10, 2024
Transactions

Retired numbers

Notable alumni

See also

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References

  1. "Goldeye". The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  2. "Winnipeg Goldeyes – Team History". Winnipeg Goldeyes. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
  3. 1 2 Prest, Ashley (September 15, 2015). "Goldeyes win second championship in franchise history, first since '94" . Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  4. Four Clubs Added to American Association
  5. Wiebe, Ken (October 10, 2010). "Fish Check Into A.A." Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  6. "Goldeyes win second straight American Association Championship title". CBC News. September 19, 2016.
  7. "Baseball team loses after phantom balk call interrupts team's championship celebration". USA Today . September 19, 2017.
  8. "Goldeyes keep championship hopes alive with wild 17-inning win". CBC Manitoba . September 19, 2017.
  9. "Goldeyes win second straight American Association Championship title". CBC Manitoba . September 21, 2017.
  10. "American Association unveils plans for 2020 season". americanassociationbaseball.com. 12 June 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  11. Shields, Brandon (May 16, 2021). "A Timeline of Jackson Generals and City of Jackson's Heated Exchanges". Jackson Sun. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  12. Reichard, Kevin (June 1, 2021). "Goldeyes to Play in Jackson Following Agreement with City". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  13. Schuster, Steve (July 22, 2021). "Goldeyes Will Return to Winnipeg, Home Opener August 3rd". Winnipeg Goldeyes. Retrieved July 22, 2021.

Sources