Michigan Battle Cats
Encyclopedia
The Michigan Battle Cats was a minor league baseball team which began playing in the Midwest League
in 1995 and called C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek
, Michigan
home. The franchise had previously been located in Madison
, Wisconsin
in 1994 where they were called the Madison Hatters
. Prior to that the team was located in Springfield
, Illinois
and was known as the Springfield Cardinals
. Upon moving to Battle Creek the team initially sought the name Battle Creek Golden Kazoos to help create a regional tie-in with the city of Kalamazoo
, Michigan
, but legal disputes led to the adoption of the Battle Cats moniker. The team became known as the Battle Creek Yankees
beginning with their affiliation in 2003 with the New York Yankees
, and again changed names and affiliations in 2005 and became the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
. In 2007, citing declining attendance, the team moved to Midland
, Michigan
and became the Great Lakes Loons
.
Some notable alumni include Shea Hillenbrand
, Roy Oswalt
, and Carl Pavano
.
(the Madison Hatters had been affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals
, but St. Louis switched its Midwest League affiliate to Peoria
.
The league also reorganized its 14 franchises from two divisions to three and adopted a three-round post-season playoff including first- and second-half winners from each division plus wildcards. Michigan played in the Eastern Division. The league's records recognize both the winner of the post-season playoffs and the team with the highest overall season record as champions.
In 1995, their first season, the Battle Cats won the first half division championship with a 36–32 record, while their second half record of 39–31 left them one game behind the Fort Wayne Wizards
. Their overall season record of 75–63 was fourth in the league. In the first round of playoffs they beat Fort Wayne two games to none, and in the second round they defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps
two games to one. In the championship round, however, they were swept in three games by the Beloit Snappers
. Battle Cats manager DeMarlo Hale
was named the league's Manager of the Year. Shortstop Donnie Sadler
hit .283 with 9 home runs, led the league in runs scored with 103, and was named to the post-season all-star team. Pitcher Carl Pavano
went 6–6 with a 3.44 earned run average and 138 strikeouts. The team's attendance, 171,794, was eighth in the 14-team league and a marked improvement over the Madison Hatters' attendance of 69,060 the year before.
The 1996 season was less successful, as the Battle Cats finished in fourth place in the five-team division in both the first and second halves, with a 31–38 in the first half and 29–40 in the second half. The only player from the 1996 team who went on to a long major league career was their weak-hitting shortstop, Rafael Betancourt
(who hit just .167); he would later find success as a relief pitcher.
In 1997 the Battle Cats went 38–31 in the first half, but that was only good for second place, 11 games behind West Michigan. In the second half they dropped to fourth place with a 32–36 record. They nevertheless qualified for the playoffs as a wildcard team, but they lost in the first round to the Lansing Lugnuts
two games to one. Second baseman Jim Chamblee hit .300 with 22 home runs and 73 runs batted in and led the league with 112 runs scored. First baseman Shea Hillenbrand
hit .290 with 3 home runs. Pitcher Chris Reitsma
went 4–1 with a 2.90 earned run average and 41 strikeouts.
In the first half of the 1998 season, the Battle Cats went 36–36 and finished in fourth place in the Eastern Division. In the second half, though, they improved to 43–25 and won the division. For the overall season they finished tied for second place in the standings for the entire league, four games behind the West Michigan Whitecaps. In the playoffs the Battle Cats lost to West Michigan in the first round, two games to one. Manager Billy Gardner, Jr.
won the league's Manager of the Year award. Shea Hillenbrand
moved to catcher and hit .349 with 19 home runs, leading the league with a .546 slugging percentage.
. Previously, the Quad City River Bandits had been the Astros' Midwest League affiliate. The Battle Cats finished the first half of the season in second place with a 35–34 record, but went 41–28 in the second half to win the division. In the first round of the playoffs they lost two games to none to Lansing. First baseman Aaron McNeal hit .310, led the league in hits (with 166), home runs (with 38), and runs batted in (with 131), and captured the league's Most Valuable Player award. Second baseman Aaron Miles
hit .317 with 10 home runs and was named, along with McNeal, to the post-season all-star team. Pitcher Roy Oswalt
went 13–4 with a 4.46 earned run average and 143 strikeouts, and Tim Redding
went 8–6 with a 4.97 earned run average and 141 strikeouts.
In 2000, the Midwest League reorganized into two divisions; Michigan played in the six-team Eastern Division, while the Western Division comprised the other eight teams. The playoffs continued to last three rounds and to include eight teams. In the first half, the Battle Cats' 34–34 record placed them in fourth place in their division, but in the second half they won the division with a 48–22 record. (Their overall season record of 82–56 was second in the league.) In the playoffs, they beat the Fort Wayne Wizards
in the first round, two games to one, and the Dayton Dragons
in the second round, two games to none. In the championship round they swept the Beloit Snappers
in three straight games to become the Midwest League champions. Catcher John Buck hit .282 with 10 home runs. Left fielder Jason Lane
hit .299 with 23 home runs and his 104 runs batted in tied for the league lead. Pitcher Carlos Hernández went 6–6 with a 3.82 earned run average and 115 strikeouts. On May 28, Hernández pitched a no-hitter, beating the West Michigan Whitecaps 2–0.
The next season the Battle Cats finished the first half in second place in the division with a 38–30 record, two games behind. They won the division in the second half, 44–25. In the playoffs they lost in the first round to the South Bend Silver Hawks
, two games to none. Shortstop Chris Burke hit .300 with 3 home runs. Pitcher Chad Qualls
tied for the league lead in victories, going 15–6 with a 3.72 earned run average and 125 strikeouts. Despite the on-field success, attendance continued to drop, as it had almost every seasonsince the franchise had moved to Battle Creek, and only 66,088 fans attended. For the second straight summer the team was sold.
In 2002, the Battle Cats won the Eastern Division's first half with a 42–28 record. They finished the second half tied for third with a 37–33 record. In the playoffs, they lost in the first round to Lansing, two games to one. Pitcher Mike Burns went 14–9 with a 2.49 earned run average, and D. J. Houlton
went 14–5 with a 3.14 earned run average. The team was sold again and after the season they switched their affiliation to the New York Yankees
and renamed the franchise as the Battle Creek Yankees
.
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
in 1995 and called C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
home. The franchise had previously been located in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
in 1994 where they were called the Madison Hatters
Madison Hatters
The Madison Hatters were a minor-league baseball team based in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1994. A Class A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, they were a member of the Midwest League...
. Prior to that the team was located in Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and was known as the Springfield Cardinals
Springfield (IL) Cardinals
The Springfield Cardinals were a minor league baseball team located in Springfield, Illinois. The team played in the Midwest League from 1982 to 1993 and was an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team played in Lanphier Park on the northside of Springfield. Affectionately known as the...
. Upon moving to Battle Creek the team initially sought the name Battle Creek Golden Kazoos to help create a regional tie-in with the city of Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, but legal disputes led to the adoption of the Battle Cats moniker. The team became known as the Battle Creek Yankees
Battle Creek Yankees
The Michigan Battle Cats of the Midwest League became the Battle Creek Yankees for the 2003 season. In 2005, their affiliation with the New York Yankees ended. They became an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays known as the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays. The team played their home games in C.O...
beginning with their affiliation in 2003 with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, and again changed names and affiliations in 2005 and became the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
The Southwest Michigan Devil Rays were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the Midwest League in 2005 and 2006. The club began play in 1995 and was previously known as the Michigan Battle Cats and the Battle Creek Yankees. They played their home games at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle...
. In 2007, citing declining attendance, the team moved to Midland
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and became the Great Lakes Loons
Great Lakes Loons
The Great Lakes Loons, based in Midland, Michigan, is a Low Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team plays in the Midwest League and their home park is Dow Diamond, which opened in April 2007.-History:...
.
Some notable alumni include Shea Hillenbrand
Shea Hillenbrand
Shea Matthew Hillenbrand is a professional baseball player who last played for the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League....
, Roy Oswalt
Roy Oswalt
Roy Edward Oswalt is an American Major League Baseball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist who is currently a free agent. Oswalt, a slender six-foot right-handed starting pitcher, is currently in his eleventh major league season...
, and Carl Pavano
Carl Pavano
Carl Anthony Pavano is an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher currently with the Minnesota Twins.-Early career:...
.
Boston Red Sox affiliate: 1995 to 1998
By September 1994, the city of Battle Creek had committed to stadium improvements in order to bring the Madison Hatters franchise to their city. C.O. Brown Stadium had been constructed in 1989 for amateur baseball, and it was substantially improved prior to obtaining the Midwest League franchise. After temporarily being known as the Battle Creek Golden Kazoos, the team adopted the name of Michigan Battle Cats. The team agreed to become an affiliate of the Boston Red SoxBoston 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"...
(the Madison Hatters had been affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, but St. Louis switched its Midwest League affiliate to Peoria
Peoria Chiefs
The Peoria Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria, Illinois. They play in the Midwest League....
.
The league also reorganized its 14 franchises from two divisions to three and adopted a three-round post-season playoff including first- and second-half winners from each division plus wildcards. Michigan played in the Eastern Division. The league's records recognize both the winner of the post-season playoffs and the team with the highest overall season record as champions.
In 1995, their first season, the Battle Cats won the first half division championship with a 36–32 record, while their second half record of 39–31 left them one game behind the Fort Wayne Wizards
Fort Wayne Wizards
The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the San Diego Padres, that plays in the Midwest League. They won their first Midwest League Championship in 2009.-History:...
. Their overall season record of 75–63 was fourth in the league. In the first round of playoffs they beat Fort Wayne two games to none, and in the second round they defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps
West Michigan Whitecaps
The West Michigan Whitecaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Detroit Tigers, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids.-Franchise history:...
two games to one. In the championship round, however, they were swept in three games by the Beloit Snappers
Beloit Snappers
The Beloit Snappers are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, that plays in the Midwest League.Beloit joined the Midwest League as an expansion franchise in 1982. They were a Milwaukee Brewers farm team from its beginning through 2004; they switched to the...
. Battle Cats manager DeMarlo Hale
DeMarlo Hale
DeMarlo Hale is a Major League Baseball coach for the Boston Red Sox.Hale is a former first baseman and outfielder in minor league baseball who played in part of four seasons for the Boston and Oakland organizations between 1984 and 1988.Following his playing career, Hale worked at the Bucky Dent...
was named the league's Manager of the Year. Shortstop Donnie Sadler
Donnie Sadler
Donnie Lamont Sadler is a former right-handed Major League Baseball utility player. An alumnus of Valley Mills High School in Valley Mills, Texas , Sadler is small in stature, standing at only 5'6" tall and weighing 175 pounds...
hit .283 with 9 home runs, led the league in runs scored with 103, and was named to the post-season all-star team. Pitcher Carl Pavano
Carl Pavano
Carl Anthony Pavano is an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher currently with the Minnesota Twins.-Early career:...
went 6–6 with a 3.44 earned run average and 138 strikeouts. The team's attendance, 171,794, was eighth in the 14-team league and a marked improvement over the Madison Hatters' attendance of 69,060 the year before.
The 1996 season was less successful, as the Battle Cats finished in fourth place in the five-team division in both the first and second halves, with a 31–38 in the first half and 29–40 in the second half. The only player from the 1996 team who went on to a long major league career was their weak-hitting shortstop, Rafael Betancourt
Rafael Betancourt
Rafael Jose Betancourt is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. He was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox in September 1999. The Red Sox released him following the 1999 season and then re-signed him as a free agent in December...
(who hit just .167); he would later find success as a relief pitcher.
In 1997 the Battle Cats went 38–31 in the first half, but that was only good for second place, 11 games behind West Michigan. In the second half they dropped to fourth place with a 32–36 record. They nevertheless qualified for the playoffs as a wildcard team, but they lost in the first round to the Lansing Lugnuts
Lansing Lugnuts
The Lansing Lugnuts are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, that plays in the Midwest League.The Midwest League came to Lansing, Michigan in 1996. The franchise began in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1955; after two seasons it moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where it...
two games to one. Second baseman Jim Chamblee hit .300 with 22 home runs and 73 runs batted in and led the league with 112 runs scored. First baseman Shea Hillenbrand
Shea Hillenbrand
Shea Matthew Hillenbrand is a professional baseball player who last played for the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League....
hit .290 with 3 home runs. Pitcher Chris Reitsma
Chris Reitsma
Christopher Michael Reitsma is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played seven seasons in the majors, from until , with the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners.-Red Sox and Reds:...
went 4–1 with a 2.90 earned run average and 41 strikeouts.
In the first half of the 1998 season, the Battle Cats went 36–36 and finished in fourth place in the Eastern Division. In the second half, though, they improved to 43–25 and won the division. For the overall season they finished tied for second place in the standings for the entire league, four games behind the West Michigan Whitecaps. In the playoffs the Battle Cats lost to West Michigan in the first round, two games to one. Manager Billy Gardner, Jr.
Billy Gardner, Jr.
William Frederick Gardner, Jr. is an American minor league baseball manager. In , Gardner is slated to begin his fifth consecutive season as skipper of the Montgomery Biscuits, Double-A Southern League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays...
won the league's Manager of the Year award. Shea Hillenbrand
Shea Hillenbrand
Shea Matthew Hillenbrand is a professional baseball player who last played for the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League....
moved to catcher and hit .349 with 19 home runs, leading the league with a .546 slugging percentage.
Houston Astros affiliate: 1999 to 2002
In 1999, the Michigan Battle Cats switched their affiliation from the Boston Red Sox to the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. Previously, the Quad City River Bandits had been the Astros' Midwest League affiliate. The Battle Cats finished the first half of the season in second place with a 35–34 record, but went 41–28 in the second half to win the division. In the first round of the playoffs they lost two games to none to Lansing. First baseman Aaron McNeal hit .310, led the league in hits (with 166), home runs (with 38), and runs batted in (with 131), and captured the league's Most Valuable Player award. Second baseman Aaron Miles
Aaron Miles
Aaron Wade Miles is a Major League Baseball infielder who is currently a free agent.-Houston Astros:Miles was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 19th round of the 1995 amateur draft...
hit .317 with 10 home runs and was named, along with McNeal, to the post-season all-star team. Pitcher Roy Oswalt
Roy Oswalt
Roy Edward Oswalt is an American Major League Baseball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist who is currently a free agent. Oswalt, a slender six-foot right-handed starting pitcher, is currently in his eleventh major league season...
went 13–4 with a 4.46 earned run average and 143 strikeouts, and Tim Redding
Tim Redding
Timothy James Redding is an American professional baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. He has also pitched for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, and New York Mets.-Biography:...
went 8–6 with a 4.97 earned run average and 141 strikeouts.
In 2000, the Midwest League reorganized into two divisions; Michigan played in the six-team Eastern Division, while the Western Division comprised the other eight teams. The playoffs continued to last three rounds and to include eight teams. In the first half, the Battle Cats' 34–34 record placed them in fourth place in their division, but in the second half they won the division with a 48–22 record. (Their overall season record of 82–56 was second in the league.) In the playoffs, they beat the Fort Wayne Wizards
Fort Wayne Wizards
The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the San Diego Padres, that plays in the Midwest League. They won their first Midwest League Championship in 2009.-History:...
in the first round, two games to one, and the Dayton Dragons
Dayton Dragons
The Dayton Dragons are a Class A minor league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. They play in the Midwest League at Fifth Third Field.The Dragons came to Dayton in 2000...
in the second round, two games to none. In the championship round they swept the Beloit Snappers
Beloit Snappers
The Beloit Snappers are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, that plays in the Midwest League.Beloit joined the Midwest League as an expansion franchise in 1982. They were a Milwaukee Brewers farm team from its beginning through 2004; they switched to the...
in three straight games to become the Midwest League champions. Catcher John Buck hit .282 with 10 home runs. Left fielder Jason Lane
Jason Lane
Jason Dean Lane is a Major League Baseball outfielder in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He was drafted out of the sixth round in . Lane graduated from El Molino High School in Forestville, California in 1995...
hit .299 with 23 home runs and his 104 runs batted in tied for the league lead. Pitcher Carlos Hernández went 6–6 with a 3.82 earned run average and 115 strikeouts. On May 28, Hernández pitched a no-hitter, beating the West Michigan Whitecaps 2–0.
The next season the Battle Cats finished the first half in second place in the division with a 38–30 record, two games behind. They won the division in the second half, 44–25. In the playoffs they lost in the first round to the South Bend Silver Hawks
South Bend Silver Hawks
The South Bend Silver Hawks are a U.S. Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks, that plays in the Midwest League....
, two games to none. Shortstop Chris Burke hit .300 with 3 home runs. Pitcher Chad Qualls
Chad Qualls
Chadford Michael Qualls is a relief pitcher.-Astros:Qualls was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros. He began his career as a starting pitcher with the Michigan Battle Cats in...
tied for the league lead in victories, going 15–6 with a 3.72 earned run average and 125 strikeouts. Despite the on-field success, attendance continued to drop, as it had almost every seasonsince the franchise had moved to Battle Creek, and only 66,088 fans attended. For the second straight summer the team was sold.
In 2002, the Battle Cats won the Eastern Division's first half with a 42–28 record. They finished the second half tied for third with a 37–33 record. In the playoffs, they lost in the first round to Lansing, two games to one. Pitcher Mike Burns went 14–9 with a 2.49 earned run average, and D. J. Houlton
D. J. Houlton
Dennis Sean "D. J." Houlton Jr. was a Major League Baseball pitcher and is currently a member of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan.Houlton attended Servite High School and the University of the Pacific...
went 14–5 with a 3.14 earned run average. The team was sold again and after the season they switched their affiliation to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and renamed the franchise as the Battle Creek Yankees
Battle Creek Yankees
The Michigan Battle Cats of the Midwest League became the Battle Creek Yankees for the 2003 season. In 2005, their affiliation with the New York Yankees ended. They became an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays known as the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays. The team played their home games in C.O...
.
Year-by-year record
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 75-62 | 4th | DeMarlo Hale DeMarlo Hale DeMarlo Hale is a Major League Baseball coach for the Boston Red Sox.Hale is a former first baseman and outfielder in minor league baseball who played in part of four seasons for the Boston and Oakland organizations between 1984 and 1988.Following his playing career, Hale worked at the Bucky Dent... |
Lost League Finals |
| 1996 | 60-78 | 13th | Tom Barrett Tom Barrett (baseball) Thomas Loren Barrett is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox . Barrett was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed... |
|
| 1997 | 70-67 | 4th | Billy Gardner, Jr. Billy Gardner, Jr. William Frederick Gardner, Jr. is an American minor league baseball manager. In , Gardner is slated to begin his fifth consecutive season as skipper of the Montgomery Biscuits, Double-A Southern League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays... |
Lost in 1st round |
| 1998 | 79-61 | 2nd (t) | Billy Gardner, Jr. Billy Gardner, Jr. William Frederick Gardner, Jr. is an American minor league baseball manager. In , Gardner is slated to begin his fifth consecutive season as skipper of the Montgomery Biscuits, Double-A Southern League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays... |
Lost in 1st round |
| 1999 | 76-62 | 3rd | Al Pedrique Al Pedrique Alfredo José Pedrique García , best known as "Al Pedrique" , is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and right-handed batter who played for the New York Mets , Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers... |
Lost in 1st round |
| 2000 | 82-56 | 2nd | Al Pedrique Al Pedrique Alfredo José Pedrique García , best known as "Al Pedrique" , is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and right-handed batter who played for the New York Mets , Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers... |
League Champs |
| 2001 | 82-55 | 3rd | John Massarelli | Lost in 1st round |
| 2002 | 79-61 | 4th | John Massarelli | Lost in 1st round |