The Erie Sailors was the primary name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Erie, Pennsylvania between 1906 and 1994.
Pre-1930s Several unrelated teams used the Erie Sailors name in the Interstate League (1906–1907, 1913, 1916), the Ohio–Pennsylvania League (1908–1911), and the Central League (1912, 1915, 1928–30, 1932).
1938–1963 During these years, the Erie Sailors played in the Middle Atlantic League from 1938–1939, 1941–1942, and 1946–1951; the Pennsylvania–Ontario–New York League (PONY League) from 1944–1945 and 1954–1956; and the PONY's successor New York – Penn League from 1957–1963. Several times during this period, the team was also called the Erie Senators, after its major league affiliate, the Washington Senators. The Sailors won the league championship in 1957. The Sailors won the regular season by nine games in 1951. They then lost the league championship series to the Niagara Falls Citizens, four games to two.
From 1948 onward, this team (and all subsequent Sailors teams) played at Ainsworth Field.
New York–Penn League – 1990s In 1990, after the Baltimore Orioles ended their affiliation with the team (then known as the Erie Orioles), they reclaimed the Sailors name and operated as an unaffiliated minor league team for two years before becoming the Florida Marlins' first farm team in 1992 and a Texas Rangers affiliate in 1993. Because of the deteriorating condition of Ainsworth Field, the team moved after the 1993 season to Fishkill, New York and then became the Hudson Valley Renegades.
Frontier League In 1994, the Sailors were a team in the independent Frontier League, winning the league championship in their only year of existence as a member of the Frontier League. In 1995, the Erie SeaWolves moved to town, displacing the Sailors, forcing the franchise to move to Johnstown, Pennsylvania as the Johnstown Steal/Johnnies and then to Florence, Kentucky as the Florence Y'alls.
Notable alumni
Hall of Fame Alumni
Chief Bender (manager, 1932) Inducted, 1953
Other notable alumni
Vic Aldridge (1915) Luis Alicea (1986) Pete Appleton (1951) George Bamberger (1946) Joe Boever (1982) Billy Gilbert (1912) Frank Gilhooley (1912) Bernard Gilkey (1985) Fredi Gonzalez (1992) Lance Johnson (1984) MLB All-Star Pat Kelly (1962) MLB All-Star Paul LaPalme (1942) John Lynch (1992) NFL HOF and 49ers GM Dick McAuliffe (1957) 3 x MLB All-Star Cliff Melton (1932) MLB All-Star Jim Merritt (1962) MLB All-Star Tom Pagnozzi (1983) MLB All-Star Frank Quilici (1961) Arthur Rhodes (1989) MLB All-Star Buck Rodgers (1957) 1987 NL Manager of the Year Dean Stone (1951) MLB All-Star Bobby Tolan (1988-1989) Todd Worrell (1982) 3 x MLB All-Star; 1986 NL Rookie of the Year Todd Zeile (1986) Robert Matta
Year-by-year record Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs 1905 58-39 2nd Daniel Koster, Bob McLaughlin & Jack Burke 1906 65-41 1st Tom O'Hara League Champs 1907 64-51 1st Thomas Reynolds 1908 4-12 6th Frank Baumeister League disbanded on June 5 1908 37-53 (42-79 overall) 8th Daniel Koster, Walter East & Richard Nallin Butler moved to Erie June 15 1909 48-69 6th Milt Montgomery, Red Davis & W. Broderick none 1910 55-69 8th Matthew Broderick none 1911 77-54 3rd William Gilbert none 1912 75-55 3rd William Gilbert none 1913 57-21 1st Larry Quinlan League disbanded July 21 1914 64-57 3rd Charles Smith & Frank Gygli 1915 64-58 5th Larry Quinlan none 1916 26-37 -- Bill Bradley Team disbanded August 9 1928 76-59 1st Henry Wetzel Lost League Finals 1929 78-61 2nd Jocko Munch none 1930 76-63 2nd Jocko Munch none 1932 85-56 1st Chief Bender & Bill McCorry 1938 52-75 7th Jocko Munch 1939 55-73 8th Jocko Munch 1941 75-51 2nd Kerby Farrell League Champs 1942 63-65 4th Kerby Farrell League Champs 1944 61-63 6th Bill Harris 1945 46-77 7th Bill Harris 1946 91-39 1st Steve Mizerak League Champs 1947 68-56 3rd Don Cross Lost in 1st round 1948 80-44 2nd Don Ramsay League Champs 1949 85-53 1st Pete Pavich League Champs 1950 63-52 3rd Pete Pavich Lost in 1st round 1951 85-40 1st Pete Appleton Lost League Finals 1954 45-81 8th Tom O'Connell, Nap Reyes, Thomas Milich, Joe Consoli, & Thomas Milich 1955 66-60 5th Ted Sepkowski 1956 45-74 6th Johnny Welaj 1957 70-47 2nd Chuck Kress League Champs 1958 53-72 7th Steve Gromek 1959 49-76 8th Al Lakeman / Pat Mullin / Al Lakeman 1960 83-46 1st Harry Warner Lost League Finals 1961 68-57 2nd Harry Warner Lost in 1st round 1962 68-51 2nd Frank Franchi Lost in 1st round 1963 57-73 6th Frank Franchi 1967 26-51 6th Eddie Lyons 1981 44-30 4th Sonny Ruberto 1982 35-38 6th Joe Rigoli 1983 37-38 7th Joe Rigoli 1984 43-31 4th Rich Hacker 1985 44-34 5th Fred Koenig 1986 37-40 7th Joe Rigoli 1987 36-39 9th Joe Rigoli 1988 46-31 4th Bobby Tolan 1989 25-49 14th Bobby Tolan 1990 44-33 3rd Mal Fichman Lost League Finals 1991 37-41 8th Barry Moss Lost in 1st round 1992 40-37 4th Fredi González Lost League Finals 1993 36-41 10th Doug Sisson 1994 42-25 2nd Mal Fichman League Champs
References