| Ottawa Lynx | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes | Triple-A (1993–2007) |
| League | International League (1993–2007) |
| Division | North Division |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
|
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles(1) | 1995 |
| Wild card berths(1) | 2003 |
| Team data | |
Previous names | Ottawa Lynx (1993–2007) |
Previous parks |
|
TheOttawa Lynx were aMinor League Baseball team that competed in theTriple-AInternational League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field wasLynx Stadium inOttawa,Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of theMontreal Expos (1993–2002),Baltimore Orioles (2003–2006), andPhiladelphia Phillies (2007). At the time, it was the only IL franchise inCanada.
In late August 2006, the league approved the conditions to negotiate the sale of the team. The new owners moved the team toAllentown, Pennsylvania, beginning with the 2008 season, where it became known as theLehigh Valley IronPigs.[1]
In 1991, Ottawa businessman and thenOttawa 67's ownerHoward Darwin was successful in applying to the IL for an expansion franchise to begin play in 1993, at a cost of $5 million. The Lynx became the second IL franchise to play in Ottawa, after the formerOttawa Giants andOttawa Athletics of the 1950s. The application was contingent on the City of Ottawa building a baseball stadium for the team.Lynx Stadium was completed in time for the 1993 season.
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The Lynx began play in1993, serving as the top farm team for theMontreal Expos. The team won theInternational League championship in 1995, the only time it would do so. During this period, the Lynx featured such futureMajor League Baseball players asRondell White,Cliff Floyd,Matt Stairs,Kirk Rueter, andF.P. Santangelo. The Lynx eventually retired two numbers: Santangelo's 24, andJamey Carroll's 3.
In 2000, Darwin sold his shares in the team to Ray Pecor for $7 million. According to news reports, Pecor lost $1 million annually on the team due to low attendance.[2]
In 2003, the Lynx were not given any assurances from either the Montreal Expos or Major League Baseball on the long-term future of the Expos. They became the Triple-A affiliate of theBaltimore Orioles on September 24, 2002.[3] As a result, Montreal shifted its affiliation to theEdmonton Trappers of thePacific Coast League. The Lynx's working agreement with the Orioles ended when the latter signed a Player Development Contract with theNorfolk Tides on September 25, 2006.[4]
In 2006, the ball club was sold to Joe Finley and Craig Stein, while Pecor maintained a minority stake. Finley and Stein declared their intention to move the team toAllentown, Pennsylvania, for the 2008 season, where a new stadium was set to begin construction that September (now built asCoca-Cola Park).[5][6] The owners, facing a lawsuit from the City of Ottawa if they moved the Lynx, filed a lawsuit of their own against the City of Ottawa on October 17, 2006, seeking $10.75 million in damages claiming that the city failed to provide enough parking spaces, which, the team alleged, was a violation of its lease. The location far from the city centre might have contributed to the attendance problem.[7]
The team played its last game in Ottawa on September 3, 2007, in front of a crowd of 7,461 people, losing to theSyracuse Chiefs, 8–5.[8] The Ottawa Lynx ultimately won exactly 1,000 games before leaving Ottawa.
The Lynx won theGovernors' Cup, the championship of the International League, once by defeating theNorfolk Tides in 1995.
| Ottawa Lynx (1993–2007) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Total | Finished | Playoffs | ||
| 1993 | 73–69 | .514 | Lost Division series toRochester Red Wings 3–2 | ||
| 1994 | 70–72 | .493 | Did not qualify | ||
| 1995 | 72–70 | .507 | Won Opening Round overRochester Red Wings 3–2 WonGovernors' Cup Championship vs.Norfolk Tides 3–1 | ||
| 1996 | 60–82 | .423 | Did not qualify | ||
| 1997 | 54–86 | .386 | Did not qualify | ||
| 1998 | 69–74 | .483 | Did not qualify | ||
| 1999 | 59–85 | .410 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2000 | 53–88 | .376 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2001 | 68–76 | .472 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2002 | 80–61 | .567 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2003 | 79–65 | .549 | Lost Opening Round toPawtucket Red Sox 3–2 | ||
| 2004 | 66–78 | .458 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2005 | 69–75 | .479 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2006 | 74–69 | .517 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2007 | 55–88 | .385 | Did not qualify | ||
| Regular Season Totals | 1,001–1,138 | .468 | — | ||
| Postseason Totals | 10–9 | .526 | — | ||
| Regular and Postseason Totals | 1,009–1,144 | .469 | 1 League Championship | ||
