The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the

Cleveland Guardians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 fans. The nickname "RubberDucks" refers to Akron's history in the rubber industry, in particular as the birthplace of tire and rubber companies such as Goodyear, Firestone, B.F. Goodrich and General Tire.

History

The franchise began as the

Binghamton Triplets The Binghamton Triplets were a minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York between 1923 and 1963. The franchise played as members of the New York–Penn League (1923–1937), Eastern League (1938–1963), New York–Penn League (19 ...

, a charter member of the

New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...

in 1923. They played in Binghamton, New York at Johnson Field, winning 10 titles over their 46 seasons. After the 1968 season,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

businessman John Alevizos acquired the franchise and moved it to

Gill Stadium Gill Stadium is a sporting stadium located in Manchester, New Hampshire. It is one of the oldest concrete-and-steel ballparks in the United States. The venue, which mainly hosts amateur baseball and football contests, has a capacity of 3,012. ...

, in

Manchester, Massachusetts Manchester-by-the-Sea (also known simply as Manchester, its name prior to 1989) is a coastal town on Cape Ann, in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is known for scenic beaches and vista points. According to the 2020 population ...

, to become the Manchester Yankees. After 3 seasons in Manchester, the franchise then relocated to

West Haven, Connecticut West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. It is located on the coast of Long Island Sound. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was 55,584. History Settled in 1648, West Haven (then known as West Farms) ...

, under new ownership, and became the

West Haven Yankees West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

playing at Quigley Stadium. While in West Haven, the franchise won 4 Eastern League titles in their 8 seasons. After the 1979 season, the franchise then moved to

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...

to become the

Lynn Sailors The Lynn Sailors were a Minor League Baseball franchise that originated in 1980 in Lynn, Massachusetts. The Sailors were affiliated with the Seattle Mariners from 1980 to 1982 and with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1983, when they were known as the L ...

playing at

Fraser Field Fraser Field is a baseball park in Lynn, Massachusetts that has played host to many minor-league baseball teams over the years. The North Shore Navigators of the New England Collegiate Baseball League call Fraser Field home. In the springtime, ...

. During the 1983 season they were known as the Lynn Pirates. After the 1983 season, the franchise was moved to Burlington, Vermont, and became the

Vermont Reds The Vermont Reds are a defunct minor league baseball team. They played in the Eastern League at Centennial Field in Burlington, Vermont from 1984 to 1987. They were affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. The team won the Eastern League Champions ...

playing at

Centennial Field Centennial Field is the name of the baseball stadium at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, and is the home of the Vermont Lake Monsters. Beyond the left-field fence is the former home of the University of Vermont's men's and wome ...

. As the Reds, the franchise won 3 more Eastern League titles in 5 seasons. In 1988 they were known as the Vermont Mariners. After the 1988 season, the franchise moved to Canton, Ohio and became the Canton-Akron Indians playing at

Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Canton, Ohio, USA, primarily used for baseball. The facility is named after former Major League Baseball player Thurman Munson, who grew up in Canton. Munson was a New York Yankees catcher who was ki ...

. After the 1996 season, the franchise moved up I-77 to Akron, Ohio and became the Akron Aeros. Opening Day on April 10, 1997 marked the debut of the Akron Aeros. With 9,086 fans in attendance, the Aeros and Harrisburg Senators played the first game at Canal Park. The Aeros went on to finish the season with a record of 51–90. Despite the last place record, the team drew a Double-A league-leading 473,272 fans to Canal Park that season. In the 1998 season, the Aeros put together a 30-game "worst-to-first" turnaround; after finishing the prior year 34½ games back, they proceeded to win the Southern Division that season by 8½ games. However, after losing in the playoffs that year, it would be three more years until the Aeros found their way back to the postseason. On September 6, 1999, the Aeros set an Eastern League attendance record for three straight seasons and once again led all Double-A teams after 522,459 fans attended Canal Park in 1999. In 2002, the team posted a 93–48 record, the third-highest win total in the Eastern League in 50 years. They built on that success and finally won two league championships (their first since moving to Ohio) in 2003 and 2005. In 2006, the Aeros again posted the best regular-season record in the league, but lost the playoff title to

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

after taking the series to a deciding fifth game. From 2005 to 2008, the Aeros advanced to the Eastern League Championship Series. Although the Aeros won the ELCS in 2005, they were defeated in three consecutive trips from 2006 to 2008. In 2009, the Aeros again advanced to the league championship and defeated the

Connecticut Defenders The Connecticut Defenders were a Minor League Baseball team based in Norwich, Connecticut. The team, which played in the Eastern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major-league club from 2003 until following the 2009 ...

(three games to one) capping a 95-win season and their third title in the last seven years. Jared Head was named the playoff MVP. In their first three seasons in Canal Park, the Aeros led all of Double-A in attendance, becoming the first team at that level to draw a half-million fans in a single season. The team was sold by Mike Agganis to

Ken Babby Ken Babby is an American businessperson. He is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Fast Forward Sports Group. Previously, Babby served as Chief Revenue Officer/ Vice President and General Manager, Digital for ''The Washington Post''. Presentl ...

in October 2012.

2014–present

On October 29, 2013, the Akron Aeros officially changed their name to the Akron RubberDucks. The RubberDucks won their first Eastern League Championship under the new name in 2016, sweeping Trenton 3-0. Akron also hosted the 2016 Eastern League All-Star Game at Canal Park. Nolan Jones (48362691206)

In conjunction with

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the RubberDucks were placed into the

Double-A Northeast AA, Aa, Double A, or Double-A may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''America's Army'', a 2002 computer game published by the U.S. Army * '' Ancient Anguish'', a computer game in existence since 1992 * Aa!, a J-Pop musical group * Do ...

. They won the Southwest Division title with a 73–46 record. They qualified for the championship playoffs by possessing the league's best record. Akron defeated the Bowie Baysox, 3–0, in the best-of-five series to win the Double-A Northeast championship.

Rouglas Odor Rouglas José Odor (born January 26, 1968) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder and coach. Odor is the manager of the Akron RubberDucks, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. Career Odor attended the University of New Or ...

was selected as the league Manager of the Year. In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.

Season-by-season results

*1997: 51–90 (5th), manager Jeff Datz *1998: 81–60 (1st), manager

Joel Skinner Joel Patrick Skinner (born February 21, 1961) is an American professional baseball manager and coach, and former Major League catcher and manager. Skinner mostly has managed at the minor-league level, save for one half of one season at the helm ...

• Lost to

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

3–1 in first round of playoffs *1999: 69–71 (5th), manager Joel Skinner *2000: 75–68 (3rd), manager

Eric Wedge Eric Michael Wedge (born January 27, 1968) is an American former baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and manager. As a player, Wedge attended Northrop High School in Fort Wayne and played on the school's state champion baseball team in ...

*2001: 68–74 (3rd), manager

Chris Bando Christopher Michael Bando (born February 4, 1956) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the 1980s, spending most of his career with the Cleveland Indians before playing for the Detroit ...

*2002: 93–48 (1st), manager

Brad Komminsk Brad Lynn Komminsk (born April 4, 1961), is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He attended Shawnee High School in Lima, Ohio, where he played basketball and baseball and was an all-state linebacker in football. He received athle ...

• Lost to

3–2 in first round of playoffs *2003: 88–53 (1st), manager Brad Komminsk • Defeated Altoona 3–1 in first round of playoffs; defeated

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

3–0 in ELCS *2004: 63–78 (5th), manager Brad Komminsk *2005: 84–58 (1st), manager

Torey Lovullo Salvatore Anthony "Torey" Lovullo ( ; born July 25, 1965) is an American professional baseball manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB), appointed November 4, 2016. Lovullo served as the first base coach for the Toron ...

• Defeated Altoona 3–2 in first round of playoffs; defeated

3–1 in ELCS *2006: 87–55 (1st), manager Tim Bogar • Defeated Altoona 3–2 in first round of playoffs; lost to

3–2 in ELCS *2007: 80–61 (2nd), manager Tim Bogar • Defeated

Erie Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...

3–1 in first round of playoffs; lost to Trenton 3–1 in ELCS *2008: 80–62 (2nd), manager

Mike Sarbaugh James Michael Sarbaugh (born April 25, 1967) is a baseball coach for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a former minor league baseball player and minor league manager for the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A farm team of ...

• Defeated Bowie 3–1 in first round of playoffs; lost to Trenton 3–1 in ELCS *2009: 89–53 (1st), manager Mike Sarbaugh • Defeated

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...

3–0 in first round of playoffs; defeated

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

3–1 in ELCS *2010: 71–71 (4th), manager Joel Skinner *2011: 73–69 (4th), manager

Chris Tremie Christopher James Tremie (born October 17, 1969) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career in with the Chicago White Sox. After his MLB debut, Tremie had stints with eight minor league te ...

*2012: 82-59 (1st), manager Chris Tremie • Defeated Baysox 3–2 in first round of playoffs; defeated Trenton 3–1 in ELCS *2013: 68-73 (5th), manager Edwin Rodriguez *2014: 73-69 (2nd), manager Dave Wallace *2015: 73-69 (4th), manager Dave Wallace *2016: 77-64 (1st), manager Dave Wallace • Defeated Altoona 3–1 in first round of playoffs; defeated Trenton 3-0 in ELCS *2017: 69-71 (3rd), manager

Mark Budzinski Mark Joseph Budzinski (born August 26, 1973) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who played with the Cincinnati Reds in 2003, and is currently the first base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. Playing career Budzinski pl ...

*2018: 78-62 (2nd), manager Tony Mansolino • Defeated Altoona 3–1 in first round of playoffs; lost to

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

3–0 in ELCS *2019: 61-79 (5th), manager

*2020: Season canceled due to

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

*2021: 73-46 (1st), manager Rouglas Odor • Defeated Bowie 3-0 in Double-A Northeast Championship Series *2022: 79-59 (2nd), manager Rouglas Odor Note: Place indicates finish in Eastern League's Northern Division from 1980 to 1982; in divisionless Eastern League from 1983 to 1993; in Eastern League's Southern Division from 1994 to 2009; in Eastern League's Western Division from 2010 to 2020; in Double-A Northeast's Southwest Division in 2021.

Notoriety

Over the off-season between the 2010–2011 season, the Aeros received national attention after introducing a number of new promotions as well as menu items at Canal Park. The team was featured in a segment titled "Back in Black" during

The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...

performed by comedian

Lewis Black Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, or any other cultural trends. He hosted the Comedy Central series '' Lewi ...

. In the segment, Black talks about several of the menu items including The "Three Dog Night" consisting of a hot dog in a Bratwurst in a Kielbasa, and "The Nice to Meat You Burger". The food was also covered by CNBC Sports Financial Analyst

Darren Rovell Darren Rovell (born June 30, 1978) is a sports business analyst who works for The Action Network. He previously worked for ESPN. Early life and education He attended and graduated cum laude from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, i ...

. For the 2016 season, several different promotions were announced, including (but not limited to) Thirsty Thursdays, Star Wars Night on May 4, Shooter McGavin Bobblehead Night, and An action-filled two days for the Eastern League All-Star Game.

Media

Games are broadcast on

WHLO WHLO (640 AM) is a commercial talk radio station licensed to Akron, Ohio, carrying a talk radio format. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station serves both the Akron and Canton metro areas as the local affiliate for ABC News Radio, ''The Clay Travis ...

AM 640 and the iHeartRadio app. Jim Clark - in his 29th year in 2022 - as well as Marco LaNave call play by play.

Attendance

On August 12, 2017, the RubberDucks reported their highest single-game attendance since rebranding of 8,396 fans.

Roster

References

External links

*
Statistics from Baseball-Reference

Statistics from The Baseball Cube
{{Ohio Sports Baseball teams established in 1923 Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates Eastern League (1938–present) teams 1997 establishments in Ohio Professional baseball teams in Ohio Sports in Akron, Ohio Double-A Northeast teams