Lake Erie Crushers
Encyclopedia
The Lake Erie Crushers are a professional baseball
team based in Avon, Ohio
. It is a member of the independent Frontier League
, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
.
The Crushers won the Frontier League
Championship in their inaugural season. They defeated the River City Rascals
three games to two after losing the first two games of the series.
After years of talk, Frontier League officials decided to put a team in Lorain County. After initially hinting it would be in Lorain, they decided to go with Avon because, rumor was, they weren’t happy with the stadium Lorain was offering them, which is now known as The Pipe Yard.
The Name the Team contest was launched in October, and the hundreds of entries were whittled down. Fans then voted on finalist selections, choosing from Ohio, Lorain County, Avon, Cleveland or Lake Erie for the team location name and the Groove, Ironmen, Red Tails, Artichokes, Crushers, Walleyes and Woollies for the team name.
Edelson said any of the runner-up names could have been selected, but the team wanted a name that represented the area. The name recognized the vineyards in Lorain County and crushing grapes to make wine. Edelson said that the Crushers name also alluded to the industrial nature of the area. Avon Mayor Jim Smith said the name is perfect because grapes and wine are an important part of this area's history. Several wineries remain active in the area, he added.
"Lake Erie Crushers is just about as good a name as you can possibly get", the mayor said.
{|class="wikitable" width="40%"
! colspan="5" align="center"|Lake Erie Crushers All-Stars
|-
! Year !! Player !! Position !! Game Location
|-
|rowspan="5"| 2009|| Andrew Davis || Third Base || rowspan="5"|Road Ranger Stadium
Loves Park, Illinois
|-
| Tim Binkoski || Out Fielder
|-
| Luke Hetherington || Out Fielder
|-
| Gordon Gronkowski || DH
|-
| Paul Fagan || Pitcher
|-
|rowspan="4"| 2010|| Andrew Davis || Third Base || rowspan="4"|Rent One Park
Marion, Illinois
|-
| Jodam Rivera || Shortstop
|-
| Josh Roberts || Pitcher
|-
| Travis Risser || Pitcher
|-
| Jeff Cinadr || Pitcher
|2011|| Andrew Davis || Third Base || rowspan="4"||| All Pro Freight Stadium
Avon, Ohio
|-
| Nick Mahin || Outfielder
|-
| Kelyn Schellenberg || Pitcher
|-
| Joel Collins || Catcher
|-
| Kyle Shaffer || Catcher
by John Massarelli, who is entering his third season with the Crushers. In 2009, he successfully led his squad to a 57-38 regular season record and ultimately, the Frontier League Championship. The 2010 season saw Lake Erie fall just five games short of the playoffs as the Crushers went 50-46 making the team's all-time record 107-84. Dave Schaub, Chris Steinborn and Curt Ickes each rejoin the Crushers for the 2011 season as well. New to the staff is Matt Yonkof, a Lorain County native. Matt will be the Crushers athletic trainer.
, which has been their home since their inception in 2009. The stadium, built and owned by the City of Avon
, has a capacity of 5,000, including 3,000 box seats, 11 private suites, four-person terrace tables, berm seating and picnic and patio areas for group outings. The playing surface is artificial turf, which will afford Cleveland State University
the opportunity to play more home games despite facing inclement weather in March and April. The stadium also includes concession stands, a gift shop and a state-of-the-art sound system.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team based in Avon, Ohio
Avon, Ohio
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,446 people, 4,088 households, and 3,143 families residing in the city. The population density was 548.4 people per square mile . There were 4,291 housing units at an average density of 205.6 per square mile...
. It is a member of the independent Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
The Crushers won the Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
Championship in their inaugural season. They defeated the River City Rascals
River City Rascals
The River City Rascals are a professional baseball team based in O'Fallon, Missouri, in the United States. The Rascals are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 1999 season to the present, the Rascals have played their...
three games to two after losing the first two games of the series.
History
Avon Professional Baseball unveiled the name and logo on Thursday, December 4, 2008 of the Frontier League team that will begin play in Avon. The name was chosen from entries submitted in a Name the Team contest sponsored by The Morning Journal. Team owner Steven Edelson said more than 800 team name ideas were submitted.After years of talk, Frontier League officials decided to put a team in Lorain County. After initially hinting it would be in Lorain, they decided to go with Avon because, rumor was, they weren’t happy with the stadium Lorain was offering them, which is now known as The Pipe Yard.
The Name the Team contest was launched in October, and the hundreds of entries were whittled down. Fans then voted on finalist selections, choosing from Ohio, Lorain County, Avon, Cleveland or Lake Erie for the team location name and the Groove, Ironmen, Red Tails, Artichokes, Crushers, Walleyes and Woollies for the team name.
Edelson said any of the runner-up names could have been selected, but the team wanted a name that represented the area. The name recognized the vineyards in Lorain County and crushing grapes to make wine. Edelson said that the Crushers name also alluded to the industrial nature of the area. Avon Mayor Jim Smith said the name is perfect because grapes and wine are an important part of this area's history. Several wineries remain active in the area, he added.
"Lake Erie Crushers is just about as good a name as you can possibly get", the mayor said.
Seasons
| Lake Erie Crushers (Frontier League Frontier League The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either... ) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | W-L | PCT | Place | Postseason | Frontier League Champions |
| 2009 | 57-38 | .600 | 2nd in FL East | Frontier League Division Series: Defeated the Kalamazoo Kings Kalamazoo Kings The Kalamazoo Kings are a professional baseball team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the United States. The Kings are a member of the Eastern Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball... 3-2. Frontier League Championship Series: Defeated the River City Rascals River City Rascals The River City Rascals are a professional baseball team based in O'Fallon, Missouri, in the United States. The Rascals are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 1999 season to the present, the Rascals have played their... 3-2. |
Lake Erie Crushers |
| 2010 | 50-46 | .521 | 4th in FL East | No Postseason | River City Rascals River City Rascals The River City Rascals are a professional baseball team based in O'Fallon, Missouri, in the United States. The Rascals are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 1999 season to the present, the Rascals have played their... |
| 2011 | 51-45 | .537 | 2nd in FL East | Frontier League Division Series vs Joliet Slammers. |
2011 All-Star Game
On July 13, 2011, the Lake Erie Crushers and All Pro Freight Stadium will host the 2011 Frontier League All-Star Game. A total of eight Crushers have been voted into the game by the Frontier League's managers, coaches, media and front offices. There have been five fielders and three pitchers to play in the game for the Crushers with third baseman Andrew Davis being the only repeat All-Star.{|class="wikitable" width="40%"
! colspan="5" align="center"|Lake Erie Crushers All-Stars
|-
! Year !! Player !! Position !! Game Location
|-
|rowspan="5"| 2009|| Andrew Davis || Third Base || rowspan="5"|Road Ranger Stadium
Loves Park, Illinois
|-
| Tim Binkoski || Out Fielder
|-
| Luke Hetherington || Out Fielder
|-
| Gordon Gronkowski || DH
|-
| Paul Fagan || Pitcher
|-
|rowspan="4"| 2010|| Andrew Davis || Third Base || rowspan="4"|Rent One Park
Marion, Illinois
|-
| Jodam Rivera || Shortstop
|-
| Josh Roberts || Pitcher
|-
| Travis Risser || Pitcher
|-
| Jeff Cinadr || Pitcher
|2011|| Andrew Davis || Third Base || rowspan="4"||| All Pro Freight Stadium
Avon, Ohio
|-
| Nick Mahin || Outfielder
|-
| Kelyn Schellenberg || Pitcher
|-
| Joel Collins || Catcher
|-
| Kyle Shaffer || Catcher
Staff
The Lake Erie Crushers are managedManager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
by John Massarelli, who is entering his third season with the Crushers. In 2009, he successfully led his squad to a 57-38 regular season record and ultimately, the Frontier League Championship. The 2010 season saw Lake Erie fall just five games short of the playoffs as the Crushers went 50-46 making the team's all-time record 107-84. Dave Schaub, Chris Steinborn and Curt Ickes each rejoin the Crushers for the 2011 season as well. New to the staff is Matt Yonkof, a Lorain County native. Matt will be the Crushers athletic trainer.
- John Massarelli, ManagerManager (baseball)In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
- Dave Schaub, Hitting Coach
- Chris Steinborn, Pitching Coach
- Curt Ickes, Player Development Specialist
- Matt Yonkof, Athletic TrainerAthletic trainerAn athletic trainer is a certified, health care professional who practices in the field of sports medicine. Athletic training has been recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care profession since 1990....
Stadium
The Crushers play at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, OhioAvon, Ohio
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,446 people, 4,088 households, and 3,143 families residing in the city. The population density was 548.4 people per square mile . There were 4,291 housing units at an average density of 205.6 per square mile...
, which has been their home since their inception in 2009. The stadium, built and owned by the City of Avon
Avon, Ohio
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,446 people, 4,088 households, and 3,143 families residing in the city. The population density was 548.4 people per square mile . There were 4,291 housing units at an average density of 205.6 per square mile...
, has a capacity of 5,000, including 3,000 box seats, 11 private suites, four-person terrace tables, berm seating and picnic and patio areas for group outings. The playing surface is artificial turf, which will afford Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University is a public university located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 when the state of Ohio assumed control of Fenn College, and it absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1969...
the opportunity to play more home games despite facing inclement weather in March and April. The stadium also includes concession stands, a gift shop and a state-of-the-art sound system.