Rhode Island Tiger Sharks
Encyclopedia
The Rhode Island Tiger Sharks were a former Northeast League minor-league baseball team, located in West Warwick, Rhode Island
. The Northeast League was an independent league and as such none of the teams in it were affiliated with Major League Baseball
teams. The team played its home games at McCarthy Field
and existed just one season, 1996.
The Northeast League hosted its first season in 1995 and played as a six-team league, with all teams being based in the state of New York
. The league immediately looked to expand and also three of the original six teams did not make it to a second year. The Northeast League wanted to expand into the New England
Region and had to search fast. West Warwick would be one of the New England cities granted a franchise, taking over for the Mohawk Valley Landsharks. Bangor, Maine
was granted the other.
The home field for the Tiger Sharks was McCarthy Field. The stadium proved not to be very conducive to minor-league baseball play. The left and right field lines were only about 300 feet from home plate and dead center field was only about 370 feet away. Although many home runs were hit that season, very few were by the Tiger Sharks. The team finished dead-last in the six-team league, with a record of 19–61, a full 36 games behind the first place Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs
and 11 games behind second to last place Adirondack. The team finished dead last in the league in runs per game with just 4.03 runs per game, and also sported a league-worst ERA of 6.37. They only hit 37 home runs while giving up 92. The only recognizable player for the Tiger Sharks was former New York Yankees
utility outfielder Mike Humphreys
.
It did not take long to figure out that minor-league baseball was not suited for the city and the park. Only about 200 fans attended per game and after the 1996 season the decision was made to shut down the team. The Tiger Sharks became the Allentown Ambassadors
.
West Warwick, Rhode Island
West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 29,191 at the 2010 census.West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the western bank of the Pawtuxet River, was the population and...
. The Northeast League was an independent league and as such none of the teams in it were 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...
teams. The team played its home games at McCarthy Field
McCarthy Field
McCarthy Field is a baseball stadium in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The field is located in Riverpoint Park, where the north and south branches of the Pawtuxet River merge....
and existed just one season, 1996.
The Northeast League hosted its first season in 1995 and played as a six-team league, with all teams being based in the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The league immediately looked to expand and also three of the original six teams did not make it to a second year. The Northeast League wanted to expand into the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
Region and had to search fast. West Warwick would be one of the New England cities granted a franchise, taking over for the Mohawk Valley Landsharks. Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
was granted the other.
The home field for the Tiger Sharks was McCarthy Field. The stadium proved not to be very conducive to minor-league baseball play. The left and right field lines were only about 300 feet from home plate and dead center field was only about 370 feet away. Although many home runs were hit that season, very few were by the Tiger Sharks. The team finished dead-last in the six-team league, with a record of 19–61, a full 36 games behind the first place Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs
Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs
The Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs were a minor league baseball team based in Albany, New York from 1995 to 2002. The team played at Heritage Park in Colonie. The Diamond Dogs competed in the Northeast League from 1995-98 and then in the Northern League when the two leagues merged prior to the 1999...
and 11 games behind second to last place Adirondack. The team finished dead last in the league in runs per game with just 4.03 runs per game, and also sported a league-worst ERA of 6.37. They only hit 37 home runs while giving up 92. The only recognizable player for the Tiger Sharks was former 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...
utility outfielder Mike Humphreys
Mike Humphreys
Michael Butler Humphreys is a former Major League Baseball player. Humphreys played for the New York Yankees from to . He batted and threw right-handed. Humphreys played collegiately for the Texas Tech Red Raiders...
.
It did not take long to figure out that minor-league baseball was not suited for the city and the park. Only about 200 fans attended per game and after the 1996 season the decision was made to shut down the team. The Tiger Sharks became the Allentown Ambassadors
Allentown Ambassadors
The Allentown Ambassadors were an independent baseball team that competed in the Northeast League and the Northern League from 1997 until 2003. They played their home games at Allentown, Pennsylvania's Bicentennial Park.- History :...
.