| Fort Wayne TinCaps | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class | High-A (2021–present) | ||||
| Previous classes | Class A (1993–2020) | ||||
| League | Midwest League (1993–present) | ||||
| Division | East Division | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team | San Diego Padres (1999–present) | ||||
| Previous teams | Minnesota Twins (1993–1998) | ||||
| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles(1) |
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| Division titles(3) |
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| Second-half titles(1) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Name | Fort Wayne TinCaps (2009–present) | ||||
Previous names | Fort Wayne Wizards (1993–2008) | ||||
| Colors | Forest green, red, tin, black, white | ||||
| Mascot | Johnny Tincap | ||||
| Ballpark | Parkview Field (2009–present) | ||||
Previous parks | Memorial Stadium (1993–2008) | ||||
Owner/ Operator | Hardball Capital | ||||
| President | Mike Nutter | ||||
| Manager | Mike Daly | ||||
| Website | milb.com/fort-wayne | ||||
TheFort Wayne TinCaps are aMinor League Baseball team based inFort Wayne, Indiana. The TinCaps compete in theMidwest League as theHigh-A affiliate of theSan Diego Padres. The team plays its home games atParkview Field. The TinCaps won theMidwest League championship in 2009.
TheMidwest League came toFort Wayne in1993. The franchise is the oldest in the Midwest League and dates back to the league's beginning as theIllinois State League, starting in1947 inMattoon, Illinois as theMattoon Indians. In1958 the team moved toKeokuk, Iowa, where it spent five seasons as theKeokuk Cardinals; it was then based inWisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin (1963–1983) andKenosha, Wisconsin (1984–1992) before moving to Fort Wayne. The team was aMinnesota Twins farm team before they affiliated with the Padres in1999. When the team moved to Fort Wayne in 1993, it adopted a new name, the Wizards.
The name TinCaps was chosen following the 2008 season, alluding to John Chapman, better known asJohnny Appleseed (1774–1845).[1] The Tin Cap refers to the story (dating back to the 19th century), that Johnny Appleseed wore a tin cooking pot as a hat, though this depiction has been disputed by historians.[2] Chapman spent his final years in Fort Wayne and is buried in the city.[3]
The team's home park wasMemorial Stadium, opened in 1993; a franchise attendance record of 318,506 was also set that year. As part of theHarrison Square revitalization project,Parkview Field became the official home of the TinCaps at the start of the 2009 season.[4] To coincide with the new ballpark, the team held a contest to determine a new name for the Wizards once that new ballpark opened, and "TinCaps" was the result.[5]
The mascot of the TinCaps is Johnny TinCap. Previously, for the Wizards, it was Dinger the Dragon and prior to that, the Wizards were represented by Wayne the Wizard.
The team won theMidwest League 2009 championship by sweeping theBurlington Bees, 3–0. The first two games were played at Parkview Field and the final, decisive game was played inBurlington, Iowa. The team and its staff were honored at Parkview Field in a special victory rally on September 18, 2009.[6] In addition to winning a franchise record-setting 94 games in their new home, fans shattered the previous attendance record for the season, with 378,529 coming through the turnstiles.[7]
The TinCaps also clinched playoff spots in every season of Parkview Field's existence with the exception of 2016.
In conjunction withMajor League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the TinCaps were organized into theHigh-A Central.[8] In 2022, the High-A Central became known as the Midwest League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.[9]
| Season | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–1994 | DNQ | ||
| 1995 | L, 2–0,Michigan | - | - |
| 1996 | DNQ | ||
| 1997 | W, 2–0,West Michigan | L, 2–0,Lansing | - |
| 1998 | W, 2–1,Peoria | L, 2–0,Rockford | - |
| 1999 | DNQ | ||
| 2000 | L, 2–0,Michigan | - | - |
| 2001–2002 | DNQ | ||
| 2003 | L, 2–0,Battle Creek | - | - |
| 2004 | L, 2–0,South Bend | - | - |
| 2005 | L, 2–1,West Michigan | - | - |
| 2006 | L, 2–1,West Michigan | - | - |
| 2007–2008 | DNQ | ||
| 2009 | W, 2–1,South Bend | W, 2–1,Great Lakes | W, 3–0,Burlington |
| 2010 | L, 2–0,Great Lakes | - | - |
| 2011 | W, 2–0,Bowling Green | L, 2–0,Lansing | - |
| 2012 | W, 2–0,Lansing | W, 2–1,Lake County | L, 3–1,Wisconsin |
| 2013 | W, 2–0,Bowling Green | L, 2–1,South Bend | - |
| 2014 | W, 2–1,West Michigan | L, 2–0,Lake County | - |
| 2015 | L, 2–0,West Michigan | - | - |
| 2016 | DNQ | ||
| 2017 | W, 2–0,Bowling Green | W, 2–1,Dayton | L, 3–0,Quad Cities |
| 2018–2019 | DNQ | ||
| 2020 | Season canceled | ||
| 2021–2022 | DNQ | ||
| 2023 | - | L, 2–1,Great Lakes | - |
On August 24, 2008,The Journal Gazette and the franchise selected the all-time Wizards team members.
| Players | Coaches/Other |
|---|---|
Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
| Manager
Coaches
|
Dylan Axelrod,Trea Turner,Torii Hunter,Jake Peavy,Joakim Soria,Nate Freiman,David Freese,Max Fried,Will Venable,Nick Hundley,Matt Antonelli,Josh Geer,Josh Barfield,A. J. Pierzynski,Michael Cuddyer,Wade LeBlanc,Corey Koskie,Dirk Hayhurst,LaTroy Hawkins,Matt Lawton,Brandon Gomes,Mat Latos,Daniel Robertson,Allan Dykstra,Brad Brach,Matt Wisler,Corey Kluber,Dan Serafini,Mike Hazen,Miles Mikolas,Josh VanMeter,Fernando Tatis Jr.,Matt Waldron,Tirso Ornelas, andJackson Merrill
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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