London Tigers
Encyclopedia
The London Tigers were a professional AA baseball
team that played in the Eastern League
from 1989 to 1993. They played at Labatt Memorial Park in London
, Ontario
, and were affiliated with the Detroit Tigers
.
moved to the city and took on the name London Tigers.
Sitting on the Tigers' Board of Directors were President Dan Ross, Vice President Mike Tucker, Vice-President and General Manager Bob Gilson, Vice-President and Assistant General Manager General Manager Bill Wilkinson and Vice-President Brian Costello.
Sitting on the Tigers' Advisory Board were Brad Nelson, Bill MacDougall, London restaurant entrepreneur Mike Smith, Spencer Clark, Bruce Johnson and Tom Whealy.
The inaugural season homeopener for the Tigers was on Friday, April 7, 1989, against the Albany, New York
, Yankees.
During the team's inaugural season, the club derived its offence from unusual sources—shortstop and catcher. Shortstop Travis Fryman
led the EL with 30 doubles, while hitting .265/.297/.402 and catcher Phil Clark
batted .298/.328/.427.
Third baseman Scott Livingstone
hit a team-high 14 HR but batted just .217. Paul Wenson went 2-3 with a 3.50 ERA one year after leading the EL in ERA while Darren Hursey (8-13, 3.97) led the league in losses, hits allowed (183) and runs allowed (92). The Tigers went 63-76 and finished 6th of 8 teams.
The London Tigers, managed by former New York Yankee star, Chris Chambliss
drew 167,679 fans, more than they had their last two years in Glens Falls
.
Chambliss was named Manager of the Year in the 1990 Eastern League after London finished 76-63, just three games behind the Albany Yankees, while attendance was just 15 fans off of the opening season's pace.
All-Star first baseman Rico Brogna
was named the #3 prospect in the circuit and led the league in homers (21), and tied for the lead in RBI (77) while hitting .262/.331/.447. Mike Wilkins (13-5, 2.42), Dave Haas
(13-8, 2.99) and Rusty Meacham
(15-9, 3.13) gave the club a nice trio of arms; Wilkins was 6th in the league in ERA, Haas 9th and Meacham led in wins.
In the post-season, London lost the first two games to the Canton-Akron Indians
but then won three in a row at home Labatt Park
. They then beat the New Britain Red Sox in three straight games to become the first Detroit Tigers
farm club to win the Eastern League championship.
managed the team to sixth place in 1991 with a 61-78 record as attendance slipped to 150,435.
Brogna was again named one of the top prospects in the loop (4th) though he spent some of the year in the International League
while he hit .273/.330/.457; for the second straight year he hit as many doubles as homers for London. Steve Pegues
hit .301 and Lou Frazier
stole 42 bases and drew 77 walks. John Doherty (3-3, 15 Sv, 2.22) was the top pitcher on the squad.
managed London to a 67-70 record in 1992 as the team finished in fifth. Attendance dropped to 112,913, lowest in the EL.
The club's top position players were all repeats at AA
. All-Star 1B Ivan Cruz
hit .273/.321/.407 in his second year with London; he drove in 104 to become the first EL player to top 100 since Mark Grace five years earlier. OF Frazier (in his 4th year at AA and third with London) hit .252/.376/.298 and led the circuit in walks (95), steals (58) and times caught stealing (23). Greg Sparks (in his 5th season at AA) hit .232/.331/.482 and topped the league with 25 homers; he was named to the All-Star team at DH. 3B Rob Reimink (.296/.393/.381 in his second year with London) was 4th in the league in average and Tyrone Kingwood (in his second AA season) (.284/.333/.385, 22 SB) also placed in the top 10 in average.
as manager, the Tigers again drew the fewest fans, with 103,840, when Runnells led the team to a 63-75, 6th place finish.
The team at least wasn't loaded with minor-league veterans—21-year-old OF Danny Bautista
hit .285/.336/.382 and stole 28 bases; 23-year-old OF Rudy Pemberton
posted a .276/.311/.435 line with 15 homers; 23-year-old 2B Shannon Penn (.260/.335/.310) led the league with 53 stolen bases and 22-year-old OF Bobby Higginson
batted .308/.362/.464 after a call-up from the Lakeland Tigers
. Felipe Lira
went 10-4 with a 3.38 ERA, the third-best ERA in the league, and was the last London Tiger to make the EL All-Star team. Jose Lima
went 8-13 with a 4.07 ERA.
After the 1993 campaign, the Tigers, frustrated with sinking attendance, moved the team to Trenton, New Jersey
where they became the Trenton Thunder
. After one year in Trenton, the Thunder switched affiliation from Detroit to the Boston Red Sox
.
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 that played in the Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
from 1989 to 1993. They played at Labatt Memorial Park in London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and were affiliated with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
History
After 47 years without a pro team, professional baseball returned to London in 1989 when the Glens Falls TigersGlens Falls Tigers
The Glens Falls Tigers were an American minor league baseball team from Glens Falls, New York that played in the Eastern League from 1986 until 1988. The team was founded in 1980 as the Glens Falls White Sox, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. In 1986, the team affiliated with the...
moved to the city and took on the name London Tigers.
Sitting on the Tigers' Board of Directors were President Dan Ross, Vice President Mike Tucker, Vice-President and General Manager Bob Gilson, Vice-President and Assistant General Manager General Manager Bill Wilkinson and Vice-President Brian Costello.
Sitting on the Tigers' Advisory Board were Brad Nelson, Bill MacDougall, London restaurant entrepreneur Mike Smith, Spencer Clark, Bruce Johnson and Tom Whealy.
The inaugural season homeopener for the Tigers was on Friday, April 7, 1989, against the Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, Yankees.
During the team's inaugural season, the club derived its offence from unusual sources—shortstop and catcher. Shortstop Travis Fryman
Travis Fryman
David Travis Fryman is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and shortstop, and currently a hitting instructor for the Cleveland Indians farm system...
led the EL with 30 doubles, while hitting .265/.297/.402 and catcher Phil Clark
Phil Clark (baseball outfielder)
Phillip Benjamin Clark is a former Major League Baseball player. He played infield and outfield for the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, and Boston Red Sox...
batted .298/.328/.427.
Third baseman Scott Livingstone
Scott Livingstone
Scott Louis Livingstone is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1991–98, for the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos....
hit a team-high 14 HR but batted just .217. Paul Wenson went 2-3 with a 3.50 ERA one year after leading the EL in ERA while Darren Hursey (8-13, 3.97) led the league in losses, hits allowed (183) and runs allowed (92). The Tigers went 63-76 and finished 6th of 8 teams.
The London Tigers, managed by former New York Yankee star, Chris Chambliss
Chris Chambliss
Carroll Christopher Chambliss is a former Major League Baseball player who played from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves...
drew 167,679 fans, more than they had their last two years in Glens Falls
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
.
Chambliss was named Manager of the Year in the 1990 Eastern League after London finished 76-63, just three games behind the Albany Yankees, while attendance was just 15 fans off of the opening season's pace.
All-Star first baseman Rico Brogna
Rico Brogna
Rico Joseph Brogna is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves in his career starting in 1992, and from 1994 to 2001...
was named the #3 prospect in the circuit and led the league in homers (21), and tied for the lead in RBI (77) while hitting .262/.331/.447. Mike Wilkins (13-5, 2.42), Dave Haas
Dave Haas
Robert David Haas is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of three seasons in the majors, from until , for the Detroit Tigers.-Sources:...
(13-8, 2.99) and Rusty Meacham
Rusty Meacham
Russell Loren Meacham , is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball between 1991 and 2001.- Early career :...
(15-9, 3.13) gave the club a nice trio of arms; Wilkins was 6th in the league in ERA, Haas 9th and Meacham led in wins.
In the post-season, London lost the first two games to the Canton-Akron Indians
Canton-Akron Indians
The Canton-Akron Indians are a defunct minor league baseball team. They played in the Eastern League at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton, Ohio from 1989 to 1996...
but then won three in a row at home Labatt Park
Labatt Park
Labatt Memorial Park is a baseball stadium near the forks of the Thames River in central London, Ontario, Canada. It is in size, has 5,200 seats and a natural grass field...
. They then beat the New Britain Red Sox in three straight games to become the first Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
farm club to win the Eastern League championship.
Third year in London
Gene RoofGene Roof
Eugene Lawrence Roof is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played during three seasons at the major league level for the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 12th round of the 1976 amateur draft...
managed the team to sixth place in 1991 with a 61-78 record as attendance slipped to 150,435.
Brogna was again named one of the top prospects in the loop (4th) though he spent some of the year in the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
while he hit .273/.330/.457; for the second straight year he hit as many doubles as homers for London. Steve Pegues
Steve Pegues
Steve Pegues is a former Major League Baseball player who was an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds and later the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pegues was drafted in the first round of the 1987 amateur draft by the Detroit Tigers but debuted with the Reds on July 6, 1994. During his rookie campaign he batted...
hit .301 and Lou Frazier
Lou Frazier
Arthur Louis Frazier is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of five seasons in the majors, between 1993 and 1998, for the Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers, and Chicago White Sox. He was primarily a left fielder.From 2007-2008 Frazier was the first base coach for the...
stole 42 bases and drew 77 walks. John Doherty (3-3, 15 Sv, 2.22) was the top pitcher on the squad.
Fourth year in London
Mark DeJohnMark DeJohn
Mark Stephen DeJohn is an American professional baseball coach who in will serve as field coordinator of instruction in the St. Louis Cardinals' farm system. He is a former minor league manager and Major League infielder and coach...
managed London to a 67-70 record in 1992 as the team finished in fifth. Attendance dropped to 112,913, lowest in the EL.
The club's top position players were all repeats at AA
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. All-Star 1B Ivan Cruz
Ivan Cruz
Luis Iván Cruz is a retired Major League Baseball first baseman. He played during four seasons at the major league level for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 28th round of the 1989 amateur draft...
hit .273/.321/.407 in his second year with London; he drove in 104 to become the first EL player to top 100 since Mark Grace five years earlier. OF Frazier (in his 4th year at AA and third with London) hit .252/.376/.298 and led the circuit in walks (95), steals (58) and times caught stealing (23). Greg Sparks (in his 5th season at AA) hit .232/.331/.482 and topped the league with 25 homers; he was named to the All-Star team at DH. 3B Rob Reimink (.296/.393/.381 in his second year with London) was 4th in the league in average and Tyrone Kingwood (in his second AA season) (.284/.333/.385, 22 SB) also placed in the top 10 in average.
Fifth and final year in London
In 1993 with Tom RunnellsTom Runnells
Thomas William Runnells is the Bench Coach of the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball, and a former infielder, coach and manager in American Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
as manager, the Tigers again drew the fewest fans, with 103,840, when Runnells led the team to a 63-75, 6th place finish.
The team at least wasn't loaded with minor-league veterans—21-year-old OF Danny Bautista
Danny Bautista
Daniel Bautista Alcántara is a former MLB baseball outfielder. He is more commonly known as Danny Bautista....
hit .285/.336/.382 and stole 28 bases; 23-year-old OF Rudy Pemberton
Rudy Pemberton
Rudy Héctor Pemberton Pérez is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball, from through , for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox , playing mainly as a right fielder...
posted a .276/.311/.435 line with 15 homers; 23-year-old 2B Shannon Penn (.260/.335/.310) led the league with 53 stolen bases and 22-year-old OF Bobby Higginson
Bobby Higginson
Robert Leigh Higginson is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Detroit Tigers. He has a career batting average of .272. He attended Frankford High School and Temple University....
batted .308/.362/.464 after a call-up from the Lakeland Tigers
Lakeland Tigers
The Lakeland Flying Tigers are a minor league baseball team based in Lakeland, Florida.Home games are played at Joker Marchant Stadium; opened in 1966 and renovated in 2003. The park, which also doubles as the Detroit Tigers spring training home, seats 8,500 fans...
. Felipe Lira
Felipe Lira
Antonio Felipe Lira is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers , Seattle Mariners and Montreal Expos . He batted and threw right-handed.- Career :...
went 10-4 with a 3.38 ERA, the third-best ERA in the league, and was the last London Tiger to make the EL All-Star team. Jose Lima
José Lima
José Desiderio Rodriguez Lima was a Dominican right-handed pitcher who spent thirteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers , Houston Astros , Kansas City Royals , Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets...
went 8-13 with a 4.07 ERA.
After the 1993 campaign, the Tigers, frustrated with sinking attendance, moved the team to Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
where they became the Trenton Thunder
Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
. After one year in Trenton, the Thunder switched affiliation from Detroit to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.