The Aigles de Trois-Rivières (English: ''Three Rivers Eagles'') were a Canadian Minor League Baseball team of the

Eastern League Eastern League may refer to: Baseball in the United States ''Most recent leagues listed first'' * Eastern League (1938–present), a minor league established in 1923 and renamed Eastern League in 1938, at the Double-A level * Eastern League (1916� ...

and the Double-A affiliate of the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

from 1971 to 1977. They were located in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, and played their home games at Stade Municipal de Trois-Rivières.

History

The city of

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of ...

was previously represented in Minor League Baseball by the

Trois-Rivières Royals The baseball team in Trois-Rivières, Quebec has gone through many incarnations. They began as the Trois-Rivières Renards and played in the Quebec Provincial League and the original Canadian–American League from 1940–1942 when they were shut ...

in the Provincial League and the

Canadian–American League The Canadian–American League, nicknamed the Can-Am League, was a class C level minor league baseball circuit which ran from 1936 through 1951, with a three-year break during World War II. Teams *Amsterdam Rugmakers, 1938–1942, 1946–19 ...

off-and-on from 1939 to 1955. The Eagles were created as an

expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...

of the Double-A

in 1971, along with the Québec Carnavals, as the league grew from six teams to eight. They played their home games at Stade Municipal de Trois-Rivières. The

moved their Double-A affiliation to Trois-Rivières from the Southern League's

Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in differe ...

. During their seven-year partnership, the Eagles were supplied with multiple future major leaguers by the Reds, then one of the premier powers in baseball known as the "

Big Red Machine The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division titl ...

The Eagles' first club, managed by Jim Snyder, won the 1971 National Division title with a 78–59 record before falling to the Elmira Royals, 3–1, in the playoffs. Snyder was recognized as the Eastern League Manager of the Year and

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

Gene Locklear was selected for the Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award. The team led the league in attendance with 109,436 people in their inaugural season. They captured a second division title in 1972 (76–60), but again fell in the postseason, this time 3–0 to the West Haven Yankees. They had the second-highest attendance (119,751) behind Québec. The 1973 team finished in third place at 67–72, games out of first, but still drew the second-highest attendance in the league. The 1974 Eagles finished fourth (last) in the division with a 65–73 record, but had the highest attendance (84,843). In 1975, Ron Plaza replaced Snyder as manager during the season. The team set a franchise-low 57–80 mark, 27 games out of first. Attendance suffered as well, as they dropped to fourth. New manager Roy Majtyka led the Eagles to win the 1976 Northern Division title (83–55), but they were swept 3–0 by West Haven in the playoffs. Majtyka was the league's Manager of the Year. Their attendance was a third-best 62,655. Chuck Goggin managed the 1977 club to win the Canadian-American Division title with a 76–62 record in their final year. As in the previous postseason, West Haven defeated them in the championship playoffs, 3–0.

First baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

Harry Spilman won the Eastern League MVP Award. The Eagles' attendance had dropped to a seventh-place 52,927. In 1978, the Eastern League shed both the Eagles and the renamed Québec Métros as it shrank back to six teams. The Reds moved their Double-A affiliation back to the Southern League, partnering with the expansion

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music indus ...

. The city of Trois-Rivières was later represented by the Aigles de Trois-Rivières, a summer amateur-league team in the Ligue de Baseball Élite du Québec and the Trois-Rivières Aigles of the independent

Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...

Season-by-season record

Notable alumni

* Santo Alcalá *

Joaquín Andújar Joaquín Andújar (; December 21, 1952 – September 8, 2015) was a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, and Oakland Athletics from 1976 through 19 ...

Bill Caudill William Holland Caudill (born July 13, 1956) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Caudill was one of the top closers in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to . Early years Caudill attended Aviation High School in Redondo Beach, C ...

Doug Corbett Douglas Mitchell Corbett (born November 4, 1952) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher who played for the Minnesota Twins, California Angels and Baltimore Orioles between 1980 and 1987. Early years Doug Corbett was ...

* Dan Driessen *

Rawly Eastwick Rawlins Jackson "Rawly" Eastwick (born October 24, 1950), is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, ...

Doug Flynn Robert Douglas Flynn, Jr. (born April 18, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1975 to 1985 as an infielder for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos ...

Ken Griffey, Sr. George Kenneth Griffey (born April 10, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from through , most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that wo ...

* Steve Henderson *

Tom Hume Thomas Hubert Hume (born March 29, 1953) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies, from to . Hume was drafted by the Reds with the 16th pick ...

Ray Knight Charles Ray Knight (born December 28, 1952) is an American former Major League Baseball infielder best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets. Originally drafted by the Reds in the tenth round of the 1970 Major League ...

Mike LaCoss Michael James LaCoss (born May 30, 1956), is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Baseball career Minor Leagues LaCoss was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the third round of the 1974 amateur draft. Cincinnati Reds LaCoss made ...

Will McEnaney William Henry McEnaney (February 14, 1952) is a former professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of six seasons in Major League Baseball (1974–79) with the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. ...

* Harry Spilman *

Pat Zachry Patrick Paul Zachry (born April 24, 1952) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball from to , and is likely best remembered as one of the players the Cincinnati Reds sent to the New York Mets in the infamous " ...

References

;Specific ;General *

External links

Statistics from Baseball-Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trois-Rivieres Aigles Baseball teams established in 1971 Baseball teams disestablished in 1977 Baseball teams in Quebec Cincinnati Reds minor league affiliates Defunct baseball teams in Canada Defunct Eastern League (1938–present) teams Sport in Trois-Rivières