Staten Island Yankees

The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team located in the New York City borough of Staten Island from 1999 to 2020. Nicknamed the "Baby Bombers", the Yankees were the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees and played in the New York–Penn League at Richmond County Bank Ballpark along the waterfront in St. George. The Yankees won six New York–Penn League championships (2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2011). The team was replaced locally by the Staten Island FerryHawks of the independent Atlantic League.

History

The franchise originated in 1983 as the Watertown Pirates (affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates), and became the Watertown Indians (affiliated with the Cleveland Indians) in 1989.

In 1999, in a deal brokered by New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the Yankees affiliation was transferred from the Oneonta Yankees to the Watertown franchise, which was relocated and renamed the Staten Island Yankees. The Oneonta Yankees, in turn, became a Detroit Tigers affiliate and were renamed the Oneonta Tigers.

The Staten Island Yankees played their first two seasons at College of Staten Island Baseball Complex before moving into the Richmond County Bank Ballpark for the 2001 season.

The first SI Yankee to reach the major leagues as a New York Yankee was in 2003; pitcher Jason Anderson, pitching in relief in an 8-4 Yankee win over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. (The first Staten Island Yankee to reach the majors for any team was Wily Mo Peña, who broke in with the Cincinnati Reds, in 2002.)

On March 26, 2006, the ''Staten Island Advance'' reported that the team's majority owners, the Getzler family, were considering selling their 51% share of the team, and were asking for between three and five million dollars. The New York Yankees purchased the Getzlers’ interest in the team and in return hired Mandalay Sports Properties to run the day-to-day operations of the team. Part of the agreement was that the New York Yankees and Mandalay become equal partners with Mandalay owning 50% of the Staten Island Yankees.

In 2006, the Yankees were managed by Gaylen Pitts, noted for frequently being ejected from games. In a game on August 25, 2006, Pitts was ejected and then returned to the field in sandals after a batter was hit by a pitch in the 9th inning of a 21–6 victory over the Brooklyn Cyclones.

In 2007, the Yankees were managed by Mike Gillespie, who had led the 1998 USC Trojans to a College World Series championship. Gillespie led the Baby Bombers to their third consecutive playoff appearance before losing to the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2007 NYPL Playoffs, 2 games to none.

Former Florida Gator coach Pat McMahon managed the Yankees for the 2008 season.

Former major league catcher Josh Paul managed the Yankees for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. in 2010, due to Dave Eiland taking a leave of absence, SI Yankees manager Paul was summoned to fill in as the New York Yankees bullpen coach, during which time former major leaguer Jody Reed filled in as the interim manager for the Staten Island Yankees.

On June 20, 2016, the team launched a campaign to rename the organization starting with the 2017 season. On September 8, 2016, the potential names were whittled down to five, with an online vote beginning on the team's website from that date; the candidate names were the Bridge Trolls, Heroes, Killer Bees, Pizza Rats, and Rock Pigeons. Ultimately, the team decided to retain the Yankees moniker but to call itself the Staten Island Pizza Rats for select games as an alternate identity.

Prior to the 2020 season, it was announced that the team would be shuttered when the MLB/MiLB agreement ended at the conclusion of the 2020 season under a proposed plan calling for the Short Season Class A designation to be eliminated. The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. On November 7, 2020, the New York Yankees announced that they were withdrawing from Staten Island as well as abandoning their affiliation with the Trenton Thunder as they were moving forward with their new Double-A affiliate: the Somerset Patriots, but they would seek to place a team from the independent Atlantic League at Richmond County Bank Ballpark in 2021. On December 3, 2020, the Staten Island Yankees announced that the club would cease operations.

Year-by-year record

Notable alumni

Over a hundred Staten Island Yankees players reached the major leagues, not including MLB players who were with the team on a rehab assignment.

The following MLB players made rehab appearances with the Staten Island Yankees:
* Orlando Hernandez (2001)
*José Contreras (2003)
*Kevin Brown (2004)
*Steve Karsay (2004)
* Felix Rodríguez (2005)
*Octavio Dotel (2006)
*Jeff Karstens (2007) – the only former SI Yankee to return on an MLB rehab assignment
*Darrell Rasner (2007)
*Jonathan Albaladejo (2008)
* Phil Hughes (2011)

Mascots

The original Staten Island Yankees Mascot was Scooter the "Holy Cow." A combination of New York Yankees shortstop Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto and his commentating catch phrase "Holy Cow!" Scooter debuted for the Staten Island Yankees when the franchise relocated from Watertown, New York, in 1999. In summer 2003, the Baby Bombers debuted Scooter's sisters Red and Huckleberry (or "Huck"). Scooter and his sisters were a staple at SI Yankee games, leading fan rallies and between-inning on-field games. The cows were known to have a The Three Stooges-like relationship in which Red and Huck often teamed up to trick and trap Scooter

Retired numbers

*6: Brett Gardner
*17: Robinson Canó
*19: Jason Anderson
*41: Chien-Ming Wang
*42: Jackie Robinson

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.milb.com/staten-island

Statistics from Baseball-Reference

Baseball teams established in 1999
Baseball teams disestablished in 2020
Defunct New York–Penn League teams
Professional baseball teams in New York (state)
Sports in Staten Island
New York Yankees minor league affiliates
Defunct baseball teams in New York City
1999 establishments in New York City
2020 disestablishments in New York (state)
2020 in New York City
History of Staten Island