| Erie SeaWolves | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class | Double-A (1999–present) | ||||
| Previous classes | Class A Short Season (1995–1998) | ||||
| League | Eastern League (1999–present) | ||||
| Division | Southwest Division | ||||
Previous leagues | New York–Penn League (1995–1998) | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team | Detroit Tigers (2001–present) | ||||
| Previous teams | Anaheim Angels (1999–2000)Pittsburgh Pirates (1995–1998) | ||||
| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles(2) |
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| Division titles(8) |
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| First-half titles(2) |
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| Second-half titles(1) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Name | Erie SeaWolves (1995–present) | ||||
| Colors | Black, red, gold, gray, white | ||||
| Ballpark | UPMC Park (1995–present) | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Fernando Aguirre | ||||
| General manager | Greg Coleman | ||||
| Manager | Andrew Graham | ||||
| Media | Erie Times-News Erie News Now Fox Sports Radio AM 1330 | ||||
| Website | milb.com/erie | ||||
TheErie SeaWolves are anAmericanprofessional baseball team based inErie, Pennsylvania. They compete inMinor League Baseball (MiLB) as a member of theEastern League's Southwest Division, serving as theDouble-A affiliate of theDetroit Tigers. The team was founded in 1989 and began playing in Erie for the 1995 season. The SeaWolves currently play their home games atUPMC Park indowntown Erie, next door toErie Insurance Arena and theWarner Theatre.
The "SeaWolves" name refers to the city's location alongLake Erie as well as their original affiliation with thePittsburgh Pirates. "Sea wolf" is a historical epithet for sailors who engaged inpiracy.[1]
The team was established in 1989 inWelland, Ontario as aNew York–Penn League member, known initially as theWelland Pirates, playing their home games atWelland Stadium. After six challenging seasons, the team relocated to Erie following the exit of the previous baseball team, theErie Sailors. This move eventually led theFrontier League-affiliated club to settle inJohnstown, Pennsylvania, where they became theJohnstown Steal (currently known as theFlorence Y'alls inFlorence, Kentucky). Before this, the Sailors had played in the New York–Penn League but relocated toWappingers Falls, New York, becoming theHudson Valley Renegades, due to the team's owner, Marvin Goldklang not upgradingAinsworth Field to meetMajor League Baseball standards.
After the civic government obtained an $8 million grant from theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania to construct UPMC Park (previously known as Jerry Uht Park), the Welland Pirates relocated to Erie. Although Erie did not have an affiliated baseball team in 1994, the city hosted an independent franchise in the Frontier League that revived the "Sailors" name. The SeaWolves eventually became the successor to several Erie-based baseball teams, including all iterations of the Sailors, with the New York–Penn League franchise now known as theState College Spikes.
On June 20, 1995, the SeaWolves triumphed over theJamestown Jammers in their inaugural game in Erie.José Guillén, a Major League Baseball alumnus from theDominican Republic, hit the game-winning home run for the team.[2]
The SeaWolves were affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1995 to 1998. In 1999, the Double-AEastern League expanded by adding two new franchises, with Erie being granted one of them. As a result, the team transitioned from the Short-Season A level to the Double-A level, and the current SeaWolves organization is considered a continuation of the previous franchise despite this change in classification. Minor League Baseball permitted Erie to retain its New York–Penn League records and history while joining the Eastern League. Subsequently, theMahoning Valley Scrappers entered the New York–Penn League as an expansion franchise rather than a continuation of the SeaWolves. After moving to the Double-A level, the team affiliated with theAnaheim Angels. In 2001, the SeaWolves switched their affiliation to theDetroit Tigers, with whom they still have a partnership.[3]
In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the SeaWolves were organized into theDouble-A Northeast.[4] In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit before the 2021 reorganization.[5]
On September 26, 2023, the SeaWolves completed a full sweep of the playoffs, capped off by a 10–0 win over theBinghamton Rumble Ponies in Game 2 of the Eastern League Championship Series, leading to their first championship title in franchise history.[6]
On September 24, 2024, the SeaWolves completed their playoff run by defeating theSomerset Patriots 3-2 inBridgewater, New Jersey. They won the Eastern League championship for a second straight year.[7] In addition, they became the 11th team in Eastern League history and the first since theTrenton Thunder in 2007 and 2008 to repeat as champions.[8]
Palisades Baseball was the original owner of the SeaWolves when the team began play in 1995. In 2003, Palisades sold the team to Mandalay Sports Entertainment, which had previously owned and operated several Minor League Baseball clubs. On March 27, 2015, Fernando Aguirre was announced as the new owner of the SeaWolves. A seasoned executive fromProcter & Gamble (P&G) andChiquita Brands International, Aguirre purchased the team from Mandalay for an undisclosed amount and expressed his commitment to keeping the team in Erie.[9][10] Aguirre also holds a minority share in theCincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball and possesses a one-third stake in theMyrtle Beach Pelicans, the Single-A affiliate of theChicago Cubs in theCarolina League.[11]
The SeaWolves' primary colors are black, red, and white, complemented by minor accents of gold and gray. Their primary logo features a stylized "pirate wolf" positioned over two intersecting baseball bats with sword hilts. The wordmark arches in alignment with the wolf's tricorne, using a color scheme of white, black, and gold. Additionally, the SeaWolves have a secondary logo that depicts a weathered Jolly Roger on a "bat sword," highlighted by a red letter E. This emblem pays homage to Erie's nickname, "Flagship City," which references theFlagshipNiagara, commanded byCommodore Oliver Hazard Perry during his 1813 victory over the British Royal Navy in theBattle of Lake Erie.[1]
The home uniforms consist of a black cap adorned with the "bandanna wolf" logo and white jerseys with black piping. The "SeaWolves" wordmark arches across the front in black letters outlined in red, while the crossed "bat swords" logo appears on the left sleeve. The away uniforms feature a gray jersey with black piping, showcasing the "Erie" wordmark in red with a black outline and the crossed "bat swords" logo on the left sleeve. Additionally, the alternate jersey is red with black piping and includes the "Erie" wordmark in white outlined in black, with the "tricorne wolf" logo featured on the left sleeve.[1]
The Erie SeaWolves' officialmascot is ananthropomorphic, gray Canidae named C. Wolf. He wears the team's official red alternate jersey with a pirate hat, a red and white bandana, and an eye patch. His friends includePaws (the Detroit Tigers' official mascot) as well as three anthropomorphic sausages sponsored by the Erie-based Smith's Provision Company: KennyKielbasa, HerbieHot Dog, and Santino theItalian Sausage.[12]
On March 10, 2017, the Erie SeaWolves made national headlines for their "Alternative Facts Night" promotion on Friday, August 25, 2017. Their opponent was theAkron RubberDucks, whose alternative name was the "Akron Yellow Bath Toys" for the game. The promotion was a reference to a news story in whichKellyanne Conway,counselor to U.S. president,Donald Trump, coined the phrase "alternative facts" to bolster a disputed claim that more people attendedTrump's presidential inauguration on January 20, 2017 than thefirst inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. The SeaWolves hosted Alternative Facts Night to "celebrate facts that the team knows to be true—even if some media outlets may dispute them." As part of the promotion, the first 1,000 fans received a 2016 SeaWolves Eastern League Championship ring, although the RubberDucks earned the title. The club notionally expected to have 1.2 million fans attend the game between Erie and Akron, even though UPMC Park only has a seating capacity of 6,000. The proceeds for Alternative Facts Night went to theErie City School District.[13][14][15]
In anticipation of "Alternative Facts Night," Fernando Aguirre published a message onTwitter that read, "This is huge! #AlternativeFactsNight. We will build a [right field] wall, and Akron will pay for it. I promise."[16] This was a parody of Donald Trump's political campaign, in which he stated, "I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I'll build them very inexpensively—I will build a great, great wall on oursouthern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."[17]
The SeaWolves engage in many philanthropic efforts throughout Erie and its surrounding communities. Key team initiatives includeUPMC Health Plan Paint the Park Pink Weekend to benefit local cancer charities,Northwest Bank Gloves for Kids equipment drive, andSensory-Friendly Day at the Ballpark in partnership with the Autism Society of Northwest Pennsylvania. The team also sponsors youth sports and education programs through the SeaWolves Community Fund. On September 16, 2015, the SeaWolves earned theErie Times-News Commitment to Erie Award for community service by a business with 50 or fewer employees.[18]
In February 2017, the SeaWolves extended their broadcasting contract withFox Sports Radio AM 1330: The Fan, a local affiliate ofConnoisseur Media, to air every game during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Greg Gania has served as the Voice of the SeaWolves since 2006 and is the longest-tenured play-by-play broadcaster in team history.[19]
| Welland Pirates – 1989–1994 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Affiliation | Manager | Record | |
| 1989 | Pirates | U. L. Washington | 32–44, 5th place Stedler | |
| 1990 | Jack Lind | 36–42, 3rd place Stedler | ||
| 1991 | Lee Driggers | 30–47, 6th place Stedler | ||
| 1992 | Trent Jewett | 31–46, 6th place Stedler | ||
| 1993 | Larry Smith | 35–42, 5th place Stedler | ||
| 1994 | Jeff Banister | 30–44, 4th place Stedler | ||
| Erie SeaWolves – 1995–1998 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Affiliation | Manager | Record | |
| 1995 | Pirates | Scott Little | 34–41, 3rd place Stedler | |
| 1996 | Jeff Richardson | 30–46, 4th place Stedler | ||
| 1997 | Marty Brown | 50–26, 1st place Stedler | ||
| 1998 | Tracy Woodson | 26–50, 4th place Stedler | ||
| Erie SeaWolves – 1999–present | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Affiliation | Manager | Record | |
| 1999 | Angels | Garry Templeton | 81–61, 1st place South | |
| 2000 | Don Wakamatsu | 47–94, 6th place South | ||
| 2001 | Tigers | Luis Pujols | 84–58, 1st place South | |
| 2002 | Kevin Bradshaw | 52–89, 6th place South | ||
| 2003 | Kevin Bradshaw | 72–70, 3rd place South | ||
| 2004 | Rick Sweet | 80–62, 2nd place South | ||
| 2005 | Duffy Dyer | 63–79, 6th place South | ||
| 2006 | Duffy Dyer | 60–81, 6th place South | ||
| 2007 | Matt Walbeck | 81–59, 1st place South | ||
| 2008 | Tom Brookens | 68–74, 4th place South | ||
| 2009 | Tom Brookens | 71–70, 4th place South | ||
| 2010 | Phil Nevin | 66–76, 6th place West | ||
| 2011 | Chris Cron | 67–75, 5th place West | ||
| 2012 | Chris Cron | 57–84, 6th place West | ||
| 2013 | Chris Cron | 76–66, 2nd place West | ||
| 2014 | Lance Parrish | 71–71, 4th place West | ||
| 2015 | Lance Parrish | 64–78, 6th place West | ||
| 2016 | Lance Parrish | 62–79, 4th place West | ||
| 2017 | Lance Parrish | 65–75, 4th place West | ||
| 2018 | Andrew Graham | 63–77, 5th place West | ||
| 2019 | Mike Rabelo | 77–61, 1st place West | ||
| 2020 | Season cancelled due toCOVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2021 | Arnie Beyeler | 64–55, 3rd place Southwest | ||
| 2022 | Gabe Alvarez | 80–58, 1st place Southwest | ||
| 2023 | Gabe Alvarez | 75–62, 1st place Southwest | ||
| 2024 | Gabe Alvarez | 77–58, 2nd place Southwest | ||
| Season | Semifinals | League Finals |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | L, 2–0,Pittsfield Mets | - |
| 1999 | L, 3–1,Harrisburg Senators | - |
| 2001 | L, 3–1,Reading Phillies | - |
| 2004 | L, 3–0,Altoona Curve | - |
| 2007 | L, 3–1,Akron Aeros | - |
| 2013 | L, 3–1,Harrisburg Senators | - |
| 2022 | W, 2–0Richmond Flying Squirrels | L, 2–1,Somerset Patriots |
| 2023 | W, 2–0Richmond Flying Squirrels | W, 2–0,Binghamton Rumble Ponies |
| 2024 | W, 2–1Akron RubberDucks | W, 2–0Somerset Patriots |
| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
Pitchers
| Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
| Manager Coaches
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.png) | .png) |
| Sam Jethroe | Jackie Robinson |
| CF Retired by the Erie SeaWolves on June 6, 2005 | 2B Retired throughout professional baseball on April 15, 1997 |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Eastern League champions 2023,2024 | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
