International League

Infobox sports league

pixels = 150px
caption = International League logo
sport = Baseball
founded = 1885
motto =
teams = 14
country = USA
champion = Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
folded =
website = [http://www.ilbaseball.com www.ilbaseball.com]

The International League (IL) is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so-named because it had teams in both the United States and Canada (and for several years in the 1950s, in Cuba as well.) Its name is currently a misnomer: since the Ottawa Lynx relocated to Allentown, Pennsylvania at the end of the 2007 season, the league now has teams only in the United States.

History

The International League was created from the mergers of member teams from three precursor leagues: the Eastern League, founded in by|1884; the New York State League, formed in by|1885; and the Ontario League, also organized in 1885. The New York State and Ontario leagues merged in by|1886 to form the International League, and in by|1887 the Eastern League was absorbed to create a 10-club league.

The league collapsed soon afterwards, when the Northern teams claimed that it was too onerous to travel to the South and formed the International Association. Teams and league names came and went over the years. In by|1954, a franchise was awarded to Havana, Cuba, but due to political upheaval in that country it had to be moved — to Jersey City, New Jersey — in the middle of the by|1960 season. Another foray into the Caribbean failed when the newly-created team in San Juan, Puerto Rico, added in by|1961, had to be moved to Charleston, West Virginia in mid-season.

In by|1971, an International League all-star team beat the New York Yankees in an exhibition game in Rochester, New York, before 11,000 people. In by|1984, the all-stars lost to the Cleveland Indians in 11 innings before 11,032 fans in Columbus, Ohio, to commemorate the league's 100th anniversary.

The International League and the American Association, another Triple-A league that operated in the Midwest, voted in by|1988 to play interleague games. The league also split into two divisions that year. The interleague concept ended in by|1992, but the two league divisions remained.

In further interleague play, in 1988, the three Triple-A leagues, the other being the Pacific Coast League, met to play the first Triple-A All-Star Game. One team was made up of All-Stars from American League affiliates and the other of National League affiliates. Beginning in by|1998, a team of IL All-Stars faced off against a team of PCL All-Stars.

Also in 1998, with the addition of three new teams from the disbanded American Association and the new Durham Bulls expansion team, the league reorganized into three divisions: the North Division, South Division, and West Division.

At the end of each season, the three divisional leaders and a wild card team square off in best-of-5 playoffs, with the winning team of the finals awarded the Governors' Cup, the league's championship trophy.

Since by|2006 the league champion has met to play the PCL champion in the Bricktown Showdown, a single Triple-A Championship game. Previous class championship series included the Junior World Series and the Triple-A World Series.

Current teams

West Division

Playoffs

2008

4TeamBracket
RD1=1st Round
RD2=Governors' Cup

RD1-team1=Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
RD1-score1=3
RD1-team2=Pawtucket Red Sox
RD1-score2=1

RD1-team3=Durham Bulls
RD1-score3=3
RD1-team4=Louisville Bats
RD1-score4=1

RD2-team1=Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
RD2-score1=3
RD2-team2=Durham Bulls
RD2-score2=1

Affiliate changes

Franchises often shift their Major League affiliations:

Washington Nationals (Former Montreal Expos)
*1993-2002: Ottawa Lynx (Montreal Expos affliate)
*2003-2004: Edmonton Trappers (Pacific Coast League) (Montreal Expos)
*2005-2006: New Orleans Zephyrs (Pacific Coast League) (Washington Nationals)
*2007-2008: Columbus Clippers (Washington Nationals)
*2009: Syracuse Chiefs (Washington Nationals)

New York Yankees
*1979-2006: Columbus Clippers
*2007-: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

Philadelphia Phillies
*1989-2006: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
*2007: Ottawa Lynx
*2008-: Lehigh Valley IronPigs (relocation from Ottawa)

Baltimore Orioles
*1961-2002: Rochester Red Wings
*2003-2006: Ottawa Lynx
*2007-: Norfolk Tides

New York Mets
*1969-2006: Norfolk Tides ("Tidewater Tides" prior to 1993)
*2007-2008: New Orleans Zephyrs (Pacific Coast League)
*2009: Buffalo Bisons

ee also

*List of defunct International League teams (1912-)
*List of International League champions
*Sports league attendances
*Triple-A (baseball)

External links

* [http://www.ilbaseball.com International League official website]
* [http://www.tripleabaseball.com Triple-A Baseball official website]