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International League
File:Internationalleague.png
International League logo
SportBaseball
Founded1884
No. of teams14
Country(ies)United States
Most recent champion(s)Pawtucket Red Sox
Most titlesRochester Red Wings (10)
Official websitewww.ilbaseball.com

The International League (IL) is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States and Canada (and for several years in the 1950s in Cuba as well). However, since the relocation of the Ottawa Lynx to Allentown, Pennsylvania, to become the Lehigh Valley IronPigs for the 2008 season, all of the league's teams are now based in the U.S.

History[]

File:Cokepark allentown.jpg

Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania, home of the International League's Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies

The International League was created from the mergers of member teams from three precursor leagues: the Eastern League, founded in 1884; the New York State League, formed in 1885; and the Ontario League, also organized in 1885. The New York State and Ontario leagues merged in 1886 to form the International League, and in 1887 the Eastern League was absorbed to create a 10-club league.

The league collapsed soon afterwards, when the Northern teams claimed that it was too onerous to travel to the South and formed the International Association. Teams and league names came and went over the years. In 1954, a franchise was awarded to Havana, Cuba, but due to political upheaval in that country it had to be moved — to Jersey City, New Jersey — in the middle of the 1960 season. Another foray into the Caribbean failed when the newly created team in San Juan, Puerto Rico, added in 1961, had to be moved to Charleston, West Virginia, in mid-season.

In 1971, an International League all-star team beat the New York Yankees in an exhibition game in Rochester, New York, before 11,000 people. In 1984, the all-stars lost to the Cleveland Indians in 11 innings before 11,032 fans in Columbus, Ohio, to commemorate the league's 100th anniversary.

The International League and the American Association, another Triple-A league that operated in the Midwest, voted in 1988 to play inter-league games. The league also split into two divisions that year. The inter-league concept ended in 1992, but the two league divisions remained.

In further inter-league play, in 1988, the three Triple-A leagues, the other being the Pacific Coast League, met to play the first Triple-A All-Star Game. One team was made up of All-Stars from American League affiliates and the other of National League affiliates. Beginning in 1998, a team of IL All-Stars faced off against a team of PCL All-Stars. This game was the first of its kind. The game was played in the first year stadium of the Buffalo Bison's (Coca-Cola Field, operating as Pilot Field)

Also in 1998, with the addition of three new teams from the disbanded American Association and the Durham Bulls who previously played in the Carolina League, the International League reorganized into three divisions: the North Division, South Division, and West Division.

At the end of each season, the three divisional leaders and a wild card team square off in best-of-5 playoffs, with the winning team of the finals awarded the Governors' Cup, the league's championship trophy.

Since 2006 the league champion has met to play the PCL champion in the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game, a single Triple-A Championship game. Previous class championship series included the Junior World Series and the Triple-A World Series.

Current teams[]

Template:IL baseball labeled map

Division Team Founded4 MLB Affiliation City Stadium Capacity5
North Buffalo Bisons 1979 Toronto Blue Jays Buffalo, New York Coca-Cola Field1 18,025
Lehigh Valley IronPigs 2008 Philadelphia Phillies Allentown, Pennsylvania Coca-Cola Park3 10,100
Pawtucket Red Sox 1970 Boston Red Sox Pawtucket, Rhode Island McCoy Stadium 10,031
Rochester Red Wings 1899 Minnesota Twins Rochester, New York Frontier Field 10,840
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 1989 New York Yankees Moosic, Pennsylvania PNC Field 10,310
Syracuse Chiefs 1961 Washington Nationals Syracuse, New York Alliance Bank Stadium 11,071
South Charlotte Knights 1976 Chicago White Sox Fort Mill, South Carolina Knights Stadium 10,002
Durham Bulls 1902 Tampa Bay Rays Durham, North Carolina Durham Bulls Athletic Park2 10,000
Gwinnett Braves 2009 Atlanta Braves Lawrenceville, Georgia Coolray Field 10,475
Norfolk Tides 1961 Baltimore Orioles Norfolk, Virginia Harbor Park 12,067
West Columbus Clippers 1977 Cleveland Indians Columbus, Ohio Huntington Park 10,100
Indianapolis Indians 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates Indianapolis, Indiana Victory Field 14,500
Louisville Bats 1969 Cincinnati Reds Louisville, Kentucky Louisville Slugger Field 13,131
Toledo Mud Hens 1965 Detroit Tigers Toledo, Ohio Fifth Third Field 10,300
1 Hosted the 2012 Triple-A All-Star Game
2 Hosted the 2012 Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game
3 Will host the 2013 Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game
4 Indicates first year at current city. Some teams have histories in other cities.
5 Many stadiums have lawn seating and thus capacity is approximate

Current team rosters[]

Champions[]

MVP award[]

Hall of fame[]

Defunct teams[]

See also[]

  • Baseball awards # U.S. minor leagues
  • List of sports attendance figures
  • Harry Simmons

External links[]

Template:International League Template:International League seasons

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