American sports league in minor league baseball
TheNew York–Penn League (NYPL ) was aMinor League Baseball league that operated in thenortheastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as aClass A Short Season league, its season started in June, aftermajor-league teams signed their amateur draft picks to professional contracts, and ended in early September.
In 2019, its last season of operation, the NYPL had 14 teams from eight different states. In addition toNew York andPennsylvania , from which the league drew its name, the NYPL also had clubs inMaryland ,Massachusetts ,Ohio ,Vermont ,West Virginia , andConnecticut .
TheBrooklyn Cyclones were the lastNYPL champions , defeating theLowell Spinners , two games to one, in 2019. TheOneonta Yankees/Tigers won 12 championships, the most among all teams in the league, followed by theAuburn Mets/Twins/Phillies/Doubledays (8) andJamestown Falcons/Expos (7).
The New York–Penn League was founded in 1939 as thePennsylvania–Ontario–New York League , generally shortened toPONY League ,[ a] Batavia, New York . The original teams included theBatavia Clippers ,Bradford Bees ,Hamilton Red Wings ,Jamestown Jaguars ,Niagara Falls Rainbows , andOlean Oilers ; all were based in or nearWestern New York . The Oilers, aBrooklyn Dodgers affiliate, won both the regular season and playoff championships. Batavia was the last remaining charter city in the league when it ceased operations after the 2020 season.
The Hamilton Red Wings folded early in the 1956 season, and with no more teams inOntario , the circuit became the New York–Penn League in 1957. The league crossed back into Canada with the formation of theSt. Catharines Blue Jays in 1986. They were joined by theHamilton Redbirds in 1987 and theWelland Pirates in 1989, but all three clubs had moved back to the United States by 2000.
The New York–Penn circuit was originally aClass D league (the minors' lowest classification through 1962). It was afull-season Class A league from 1963 through 1966, and became ashort-season Class A league in 1967.
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic before being cancelled on June 30.[ 1] [ 2]
Good Enough to Dream is a memoir by renowned baseball writerRoger Kahn , published in 1985. The book chronicles Kahn's experience as the owner of theUtica Blue Sox during the 1983 season.Good Enough to Dream was the recipient of theCasey Award in 1985.
Clubbie [ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
On December 9, 2020,Major League Baseball (MLB) announced its list of 120 teams invited to be a part of the minors after restructuring for the 2021 season. As first reported in 2019,[ 6] Aberdeen IronBirds ,Brooklyn Cyclones , andHudson Valley Renegades joined the newHigh-A East , becoming the new High-A affiliates of theBaltimore Orioles ,New York Mets , andNew York Yankees respectively. TheMahoning Valley Scrappers ,State College Spikes ,West Virginia Black Bears , andWilliamsport Crosscutters moved to the newMLB Draft League for players wishing to showcase themselves to MLB teams in advance ofthe annual draft . TheTri-City ValleyCats moved to the independentFrontier League ,[ 7] Batavia Muckdogs andAuburn Doubledays joined thePerfect Game Collegiate Baseball League .[ 8] [ 9] Vermont Lake Monsters announced that they would join theFutures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) under new ownership,[ 10] Norwich Sea Unicorns joined the FCBL in late April.[ 11] Staten Island Yankees folded,[ 12] Lowell Spinners were left without future plans[ 13]
The league's divisions, at the time it ceased operations, were named in honor ofVincent McNamara ,Leo Pinckney , andRobert C. Stedler , each of whom had served as league president.
New York–Penn League teams as of the league's final season (2019)
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Division
McNamara Division
Pinckney Division
Stedler Division
Division Team MLB Affiliation City Stadium Capacity 2021 League McNamara Aberdeen IronBirds Baltimore Orioles Aberdeen, Maryland Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium 6,300 High-A East Brooklyn Cyclones New York Mets Brooklyn ,New York MCU Park 7,000 High-A East Hudson Valley Renegades Tampa Bay Rays Fishkill, New York Poughkeepsie/Newburgh area)Dutchess Stadium 4,494 High-A East Staten Island Yankees New York Yankees Staten Island ,New York Richmond County Bank Ballpark 7,171 Folded[ 14] (A replacement team, theStaten Island FerryHawks , joined theAtlantic League in 2022.[ 15] Pinckney Auburn Doubledays Washington Nationals Auburn, New York Falcon Park 2,800 Perfect Game League (Collegiate baseball ) Batavia Muckdogs Miami Marlins Batavia, New York Dwyer Stadium 2,600 Perfect Game League (Collegiate baseball ) Mahoning Valley Scrappers Cleveland Indians Niles, Ohio Youngstown area)Eastwood Field 6,000 MLB Draft League (Collegiate baseball ) State College Spikes St. Louis Cardinals University Park, Pennsylvania Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 5,570 MLB Draft League (Collegiate baseball ) West Virginia Black Bears Pittsburgh Pirates Granville, West Virginia Morgantown area)Monongalia County Ballpark 2,500 MLB Draft League (Collegiate baseball ) Williamsport Crosscutters Philadelphia Phillies Williamsport, Pennsylvania BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field 2,366 MLB Draft League (Collegiate baseball ) Stedler Lowell Spinners Boston Red Sox Lowell, Massachusetts Edward A. LeLacheur Park 4,767 Folded[ 16] (A revived Spinners team was announced in November 2025, set to join theFutures Collegiate Baseball League in 2026.[ 17] Norwich Sea Unicorns Detroit Tigers Norwich, Connecticut Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium 6,270 Futures Collegiate Baseball League (Collegiate baseball ) Tri-City ValleyCats Houston Astros Troy, New York Capital District )Joseph L. Bruno Stadium 4,500 Frontier League Vermont Lake Monsters Oakland Athletics Burlington, Vermont Centennial Field 4,400 Futures Collegiate Baseball League (Collegiate baseball )
League champions were determined by different means during the New York–Penn League's 82-year run from 1939 to 2020. For a few seasons in the 1960s and 1970s, no playoffs were held and the league champions were simply the regular season pennant winners. Most seasons, however, ended with playoffs to determine a league champion.[ 18]
TheOneonta Tigers won 12 championships, the most among all teams in the league, followed by theAuburn Mets/Twins/Phillies/Doubledays (8) andJamestown Falcons/Expos (7).[ 18]
Connecticut
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Jersey
New York
Auburn : 1958–1980, 1982–2020 (62 seasons)Batavia : 1939–1953, 1957–1959, 1961–2020 (78 seasons)Binghamton : 1964–1966 (3 seasons)Brooklyn : 2001–2020 (20 seasons)Corning : 1951–1960, 1968–1969 (12 seasons)Elmira : 1957–1961, 1973–1995 (28 seasons)Fishkill : 1994–2020 (26 seasons)Geneva : 1958–1973, 1977–1993 (33 seasons)Glens Falls : 1993 (1 season)Jamestown : 1939–1957, 1962–1973, 1977–2014 (67 seasons)Hornell : 1942–1957 (16 seasons)Little Falls : 1977–1988 (12 seasons)Lockport : 1942–1950 (9 seasons)Newark : 1968–1979, 1983–1987 (17 seasons)Niagara Falls : 1939–1940, 1970–1979, 1982–1985, 1989–1993 (21 seasons)Olean : 1939–1959, 1961–1966 (27 seasons)Oneonta : 1966–2009 (44 seasons)Queens : 2000 (1 season)Staten Island : 1999–2020 (22 seasons)Troy : 2002–2020 (18 seasons)Utica : 1977–2001 (25 seasons)Watertown : 1983–1998 (16 seasons)Wellsville : 1942–1961, 1963–1965 (23 seasons)Ohio
Pennsylvania
Bradford : 1939–1942, 1944–1957 (18 seasons)Erie : 1954–1963, 1967, 1981–1993, 1995–1998 (28 seasons)State College : 2006–2020 (15 seasons)Williamsport : 1968–1972, 1994–2020 (32 seasons)York : 1923–1933, 1936 (moved to Trenton July 2) (12 seasons)Vermont
West Virginia
Ontario
TheNew York–Penn League Hall of Fame was established in 2012 to honor league players, managers, and executives for their accomplishments or contributions to the league in playing or administrative roles. The Hall of Fame inducted its first class of seven men in 2012. New members were elected before the start of each season.[ 19]
^ "A Message From Pat O'Conner" .Minor League Baseball . March 13, 2020. RetrievedMay 5, 2020 .^ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved" .Minor League Baseball . June 30, 2020. RetrievedJuly 1, 2020 .^ Whicker, Mark (July 8, 2021)."Whicker: Greg Larson's 'Clubbie' shows baseball's bleak heart, powerful grip" .Orange County Register . RetrievedJune 18, 2024 . ^ Leighton, Aram (May 30, 2021)."He Watched Minor Leaguers Struggle. His New Book Could Change the Game" .Boardroom . RetrievedJune 18, 2024 . ^ Diunte, Nick."Greg Larson's 'Clubbie' Exposes The Rough Finances Of Minor League Life" .Forbes . RetrievedJune 18, 2024 . ^ Madden, Bill (November 16, 2019)."Rob Manfred's plan to destroy minor league baseball" .New York Daily News . RetrievedNovember 17, 2019 .^ Singelais, Mark (January 7, 2021)."Tri-City ValleyCats join Frontier League for 2021 season" .Times Union . RetrievedJanuary 13, 2021 . ^ Viquez, Marc (January 12, 2021)."Baseball is Back in Batavia" .Stadium Journey . RetrievedJanuary 13, 2021 . ^ Ritzel, Justin (February 2, 2021)."Auburn finalizing agreement to join Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League" The Citizen .Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 8, 2025 . ^ Reichard, Kevin (February 25, 2021)."Vermont Lake Monsters sold, will join Futures League" .Ballpark Digest . RetrievedFebruary 25, 2021 . ^ "Sea Unicorns join Futures League" .The Bulletin Norwich, Connecticut . April 27, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 8, 2025 .^ Reichard, Kevin (December 3, 2020)."Staten Island Yankees fold, will sue MLB" .Ballpark Digest . RetrievedDecember 17, 2020 . ^ Lacques, Gabe (December 10, 2020)."Major League Baseball issues invites for minor-league affiliates; here are teams that didn't make cut" .USA Today . RetrievedDecember 11, 2020 . ^ "Staten Island Yankees fold, sue MLB, NY Yankees" .New York Post ^ D'Amodio, Joe (July 24, 2021)."NYC officially announces agreement to bring Atlantic League team to Staten Island" .Staten Island Advance . RetrievedJuly 24, 2021 . ^ Silverman, Michael (February 25, 2021)."Pro baseball at home of Lowell Spinners unlikely this season, mayor says" .The Boston Globe ^ Schooley, Matt (November 18, 2025)."Lowell Spinners baseball team announces return for 2026" .CBS Boston . RetrievedNovember 18, 2025 . ^a b "New York–Penn League Champions" .New York–Penn League . Minor League Baseball.Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. RetrievedAugust 9, 2017 .^ "New York–Penn League Hall of Fame" .New York–Penn League . Minor League Baseball. RetrievedAugust 8, 2017 .
International National Other
