American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
From BR Bullpen
| American Association | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Founded | 2005 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country |  United States
|
| Current champions | Sioux Falls Canaries |
| Official website | Official Site |
The American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a independent league located in the midwestern and the southeastern United States. The American Association operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball and is not affiliated with either organization. The circuit has ten clubs, split into two divisions. Miles Wolff is currently the league's commissioner.
| North Division | |
|---|---|
| Team | Manager |
| Lincoln Saltdogs | Marty Scott |
| St. Paul Saints | George Tsamis |
| Sioux City Explorers | Les Lancaster |
| Sioux Falls Canaries | Steve Shirley |
| Wichita Wingnuts | Kevin Hooper |
| South Division | |
| Team | Manager |
| El Paso Diablos | Butch Henry |
| Fort Worth Cats | Chad Tredaway |
| Grand Prairie AirHogs | Pete Incaviglia |
| Pensacola Pelicans | Talmadge Nunnari |
| Shreveport-Bossier Captains | Ricky Van Asselberg |
Contents |
[edit] History
The American Association was founded in October 2005 by four former Northern League teams (the Lincoln Saltdogs, St. Paul Saints, Sioux City Explorers, and Sioux Falls Canaries); these teams were joined by five teams from the Central Baseball League (the Coastal Bend Aviators, El Paso Diablos, Fort Worth Cats, Pensacola Pelicans, and Shreveport Sports) and by an expansion team (the St. Joe Blacksnakes).
[edit] 2006
The league began play in 2006, with a 96-game schedule. The first All-Star Game was played in El Paso, Texas on July 18th, with the American Association defeating the Can-Am League 5 to 3. At the end of that season, the Fort Worth Cats defeated the St. Paul Saints three games to two to win the first league championship.
[edit] Playoffs
- Semifinals St. Paul defeated Lincoln 3 games to 1; Fort Worth defeated Shreveport 3 games to 2
- Finals Fort Worth defeated St. Paul 3 games to 2
[edit] 2007
All ten clubs returned for the American Association's second season in 2007, with teams once again playing a 96-game schedule. The All-Star Game was held on July 17th in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with the team representing the South Division defeating the North Division 6 to 4. The Cats and Saints faced off again to battle for the championship, with Fort Worth winning once again in five games.
[edit] Playoffs
- Semifinals St. Paul defeated Lincoln 3 games to 0; Fort Worth defeated El Paso 3 games to 2
- Finals Fort Worth defeated St. Paul 3 games to 2
[edit] 2008
Two new clubs, the Grand Prairie AirHogs and the Wichita Wingnuts, joined the American Association in 2008 while two others, the Coastal Bend Aviators and the St. Joe Blacksnakes, ceased operation. The league's All-Star Game was played on July 22nd at Midway Stadium, home of the St. Paul Saints. The Sioux Falls Canaries won the championship, beating the Grand Prairie Air Hogs in the finals.
[edit] Cities Represented
- El Paso, TX: El Paso Diablos (from Central Baseball League) 2006-present
- Ft. Worth, TX: Fort Worth Cats (from Central Baseball League) 2006-present
- Grand Prairie, TX: Grand Prairie AirHogs 2008-present
- Lincoln, NE: Lincoln Saltdogs (from Northern League) 2006-present
- Pensacola, FL: Pensacola Pelicans (from Central Baseball League) 2006-present
- Robstown, TX: Coastal Bend Aviators (from Central Baseball League) 2006-2007
- St. Joseph, MO: St. Joe Blacksnakes 2006-2007
- St. Paul, MN: St. Paul Saints (from Northern League) 2006-present
- Shreveport, LA: Shreveport Sports (from Central Baseball League) 2006-present
- Sioux City, IA: Sioux City Explorers (from Northern League) 2006-present
- Sioux Falls, SD: Sioux Falls Canaries (from Northern League) 2006-present
- Wichita, KS: Wichita Wingnuts 2008-present
[edit] External links
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