Columbus Clippers

Columbus Clippers Founded in 1977 Columbus, Ohio
Team Logo Cap Insignia
Class-level
Triple-A (1977–present)
Minor league affiliations
International League West Division
Major league affiliations
Cleveland Indians (2009–present) Washington Nationals (2007–2008) New York Yankees (1979–2006) Pittsburgh Pirates (1977–1978)
Name
Columbus Clippers (1977–present)
Ballpark
Huntington Park (2009–present) Cooper Stadium (1977–2008)
Minor league titles
Class titles	2010, 2011
League titles	1979, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2010, 2011
Division titles	1979, 1981, 1987, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2011
Owner(s)/Operated by: Franklin County, Ohio government
Manager: Mike Sarbaugh
General Manager: Ken Schnacke

Old logo, retired after 2008 season

The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio.

From 1977 to 2008, the Clippers played in Cooper Stadium, which was known as Franklin County Stadium until 1984. The final game at "The Coop" was played on September 1, 2008 in front of a sellout crowd of 16,777. It was the third largest audience in stadium history. In 2009, the Clippers began playing in Huntington Park, located at the corner of Neil Ave. and Nationwide Blvd. in the Arena District of Columbus.

The Clippers began play in 1977 as an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, changing its affiliation to the New York Yankees in 1979, beginning a 28-year relationship that ended in 2006. An affiliation with the Washington Nationals lasted from 2007 to 2008. A four-year affiliation with the Cleveland Indians was announced on September 18, 2008.^[1] In September 2010 that working agreement with the Indians was extended through 2014.^[2]

Columbus defeated the Tacoma Rainiers 12–6 on September 21, 2010, to win the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game.

On September 16, 2011, the team won back-to-back Governors' Cup championships for the first time since 1992 by defeating the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 3 games to 1 in the best-of-five series.^[3]

On September 20, 2011 the Clippers defeated the Omaha Storm Chasers 8-3 in the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game to win their second consecutive AAA baseball title.^[4]

Championships

The Clippers have won the Governors' Cup, the International League championship, nine times, and played in the championship series 12 times.

• 1979 – Defeated Syracuse
• 1980 – Defeated Toledo
• 1981 – Defeated Richmond
• 1985 – Lost to Tidewater
• 1987 – Defeated Tidewater
• 1990 – Lost to Rochester
• 1991 – Defeated Pawtucket
• 1992 – Defeated Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
• 1996 – Defeated Rochester
• 1997 – Lost to Rochester
• 2010 – Defeated Durham
• 2011 – Defeated Lehigh Valley

Current roster

Columbus Clippers rosterview · talk · edit
Players				Coaches/Other
Pitchers -- Héctor Ambriz -- Scott Barnes 11 Eric Berger 38 Cory Burns 29 Paolo Espino 41 Matt Langwell 39 Chen Lee 26 Joe Martinez 35 Matt Packer 46 Jason Rice		Catchers 12 Luke Carlin 25 Paul Phillips Infielders 15 Cristo Arnal 47 Juan Diaz 36 Jared Goedert 45 Nick Johnson 43 Beau Mills  7 Argenis Reyes Outfielders  8 Ben Copeland -- Trevor Crowe 24 Tim Fedroff -- Jerad Head 17 Chad Huffman		Manager 22 Mike Sarbaugh Coaches 30 Lee May (hitting) 23 Ruben Niebla (pitching) 7-day disabled list * On Cleveland Indians 40-man roster ∞ Reserve list § Suspended list ‡ Restricted list # Rehab assignment Roster updated November 2, 2011 Transactions → More rosters

Notable alumni

Brad Ausmus

The Columbus Clippers in action at their former home, Cooper Stadium.

• Brad Ausmus
• Steve Balboni
• Dale Berra
• Mike Blowers
• Jay Buhner
• Michael Brantley
• Melky Cabrera
• Robinson Canó
• Carlos Carrasco
• Bubba Crosby
• Bucky Dent
• Jim Deshaies
• Brad Gulden
• Drew Henson
• Trey Hillman
• Rex Hudler
• Hideki Irabu
• Derek Jeter
• Roberto Kelly
• Jason Kipnis
• Cliff Lee
• Ken Macha
• Lou Marson
• Don Mattingly
• Hensley Meulens
• Otis Nixon
• Scott Patterson
• Carlos Peña
• Andy Pettitte
• Chris Perez
• Vinnie Pestano
• Andy Phillips
• Jorge Posada
• Scott Radinsky, pitching coach
• Dave Righetti
• Mariano Rivera
• C.C. Sabathia
• Deion Sanders
• Buck Showalter
• Grady Sizemore
• Alfonso Soriano
• Darryl Strawberry
• Steve Taylor
• Chien-Ming Wang
• Bernie Williams
• Alex White
• Randy Velarde

Columbus Jets (1955–70)

Except for six seasons — 1971–76 — Columbus has been represented in the highest levels of minor league baseball since 1902, at first in the American Association (1902–54) by the Columbus Senators and Columbus Red Birds, and since then in the International League. The first IL team in Ohio's capital, the Columbus Jets, was the transplanted Ottawa Athletics which moved to Columbus in 1955. While playing for its first two seasons as the top farm club of the Kansas City Athletics, the Jets spent the next 14 years as a top affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates (whose owner, John Galbreath, hailed from Columbus). The franchise moved to Charleston, West Virginia, as the Charleston Charlies in 1971, but the Pirates, still owned by the Galbreath family, would return the franchise to Columbus in 1977, becoming the Clippers.

See also

• Columbus Red Birds
• 2009 Columbus Clippers season

References

1. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (September 18, 2008). "Indians' Triple-A affiliate now Columbus". MLB.com. http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080918&content_id=3502079&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle. Retrieved September 18, 2008. 
2. ^ "Indians, Clippers extend agreement through 2014". USA Today. September 23, 2010. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/2010-09-23-2665561137_x.htm. 
3. ^ "Clippers 4, IronPigs 1: Back-to-back championships". 2011-09-16. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2011/09/16/0916-clippers-repeat.html. Retrieved 2011-09-16. 
4. ^ {[cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2011/09/20/0920-clippers-are-triple-a-champs.html%7Ctitle=Clippers are Triple-A champs with 8-3 win over Omaha|date=2011-09-21|accessdate=2011-09-21|owner=Columbus Dispatch|author=Massie, Jim}}

External links

• Columbus Clippers web site