The West Haven A's were an American Minor League Baseball team that played in the Double-A Eastern League from 1972 to 1982. They were located in West Haven, Connecticut, and played their home games at Quigley Stadium. From 1972 to 1979, the team was known as the West Haven Yankees after their Major League Baseball affiliate, the New York Yankees. They became an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics in 1980 and changed their name to the West Haven Whitecaps for that season before becoming the West Haven A's through their final two years of play.
History New York Yankees (1972–1979) From 1972 to 1979, the team was affiliated with and named for the New York Yankees. During that eight-year period, West Haven — managed by future Major League skippers Bobby Cox, Doc Edwards, Mike Ferraro, and Stump Merrill — won four Eastern League championships and compiled a regular-season win–loss record of 611–496 (.552). In 1975, first baseman Dave Bergman was selected for the Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award. Edwards (1973), Ferraro (1977), and Merrill (1979) each won the Eastern League Manager of the Year Award.
Notable Yankees alumni
Steve Balboni Jim Beattie Dave Bergman Ron Davis Mike Fischlin Damaso Garcia Ron Guidry Mike Heath LaMarr Hoyt Garth Iorg Mickey Klutts Joe Lefebvre Willie McGee Scott McGregor Doc Medich Jerry Narron Domingo Ramos Dave Righetti Buck Showalter Charlie Spikes Pat Tabler Willie Upshaw Otto Velez
Oakland Athletics (1980–1982) The Yankees entered into a deal with a new Double-A team, the Nashville Sounds of the Southern League, after the 1979 season. The West Haven franchise relocated to Lynn, Massachusetts, and became the Lynn Sailors. Concurrently, the Waterbury, Connecticut, franchise moved to West Haven in time for the 1980 season, bringing their affiliation with the Oakland Athletics, and renaming the team the West Haven Whitecaps.
The franchise changed its name again in 1981, this time to the West Haven A's. The last West Haven team, managed by Bob Didier, won the team's fifth and final Eastern League title, defeating the Lynn Sailors in the finals.Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, eds., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd ed. Durham, NC: Baseball America, 2007, p. 600 In 1983, the franchise moved to Albany, New York, becoming the Albany A's.A's, Angels Play to Curfew Before 9,211 in Heritage Park Debut by Bill Palmer at news.google.com, URL accessed July 2, 2010. Archived 07-02-10
Notable alumni Keith Atherton Keith Comstock Mike Gallego Donnie Hill Bill Krueger Steve Ontiveros Tony Phillips
Season-by-season results
Season Division Record Win % Finish Attendance Manager Postseason MLB affiliate 1972 American 84–56 .600 1st — 102,537 Won American Division titleWon EL championship vs. Trois-Rivières Aigles, 3–0New York Yankees 1973 American 72–66 .522 2nd 4 75,128 — New York Yankees 1974 American 58–79 .423 4th 17 42,878 — New York Yankees1975 — 66–71 .482 4th 18 26,549 — New York Yankees 1976 South 80–59 .576 1st — 28,331 Won South Division titleWon EL championship vs. Trois-Rivières Aigles, 3–0 New York Yankees 1977 New England 86–52 .623 1st — 41,072 Won New England Division titleWon EL championship vs. Trois-Rivières Aigles, 3–0 New York Yankees 1978 — 82–57 .590 1st — 46,048 — New York Yankees1979 — 83–56 .597 1st — 71,302 Won First and Second Half titlesWon EL championship New York Yankees 1980 Southern 47–92 .338 4th 32 30,112 — Oakland Athletics 1981 Southern 71–67 .514 3rd 55,552 — Oakland Athletics 1982 Southern 86–54 .614 1st — 51,791 Won First and Second Half Southern Division titlesWon Southern Division titleWon EL championship vs. Lynn Sailors, 3–0 Oakland Athletics
References Specific
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