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Auburn Doubledays

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The Auburn Doubledays are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) that is located in Auburn, New York. From 1958 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL). They have played their home games at Leo Pinckney Field at Falcon Park since 1995. They previously played at the original Falcon Park, which was built in 1927 on the same site. The team is owned and operated by Auburn Community Baseball.

Auburn Doubledays
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
LeaguePGCBL (2021–present) (Central Division)
LocationAuburn, New York
BallparkFalcon Park II (1995–present)
Founded1958
Nickname(s)Auburn Doubledays (1996–present)
League championships(NYPL): 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1973, 1998, 2007
(PGCBL): None
Division championships(NYPL): 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1985, 1994, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011
(PGCBL): None
Former name(s)
  • Auburn Astros (1982–1995)
  • Auburn Americans (1980)
  • Auburn Red Stars (1979)
  • Auburn Sunsets (1978)
  • Auburn Phillies (1972–1977)
  • Auburn Twins (1967–1971)
  • Auburn Mets (1962–1966)
  • Auburn Yankees (1958–1961)
Former league(s)NYPL (1958–2020)
Former ballparksFalcon Park I (1958–1994)
ColorsBlue, white, red
     
MascotAbner
OwnershipAuburn Community Baseball, LLC
ManagerBen Julian (2021–present)
General ManagerAdam Winslow [1]

Auburn began in the NYPL in 1958 and has since competed under various names and served as the farm team for a number of Major League Baseball teams. The Doubledays and its mascot, Abner, are named for Abner Doubleday, the Civil War general and Auburn native apocryphally credited with inventing the game of baseball. Abner wears number 96 in honor of the birth of the team in 1996. With Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, Auburn was not selected to continue in affiliated baseball; they signed a deal to become members of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) starting in 2021.

History

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Early championship era

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In 1958, the Auburn New York–Penn League franchise was founded as the Auburn Yankees, as an affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Yankees affiliation lasted until 1961. The club included future Major League Baseball All-Stars Jim Bouton, Joe Pepitone, and Mel Stottlemyre. The team then became affiliated with the New York Mets, as the Auburn Mets. With a roster that included Billy Wynne, Don Shaw, Tug McGraw, and Jerry Koosman, the club won the league championship three times: in 1962, 1964, and 1966.[2]

In 1967, the club changed its affiliation to the Minnesota Twins and became the Auburn Twins. The Twins won NYPL title in 1967 and 1970.

In 1972, the team was renamed the Auburn Phillies after associating with the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1973, under manager Harry Lloyd, the team won league championship. Future major leaguers Luis Aguayo, Randy Lerch, Dickie Noles, Lonnie Smith, and Ozzie Virgil, among numerous others, played for the team. Managers of note included Mike Compton and Ruben Amaro.

Co-op seasons

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In 1978, the team became the Auburn Sunsets and were co-operated by the Phillies and Houston Astros. Managed by Dick Rockwell, the team went achieved a 32–40 record, finishing third in the league's Yawkey Division.[3] The team featured future major league players Carmelo Castillo and Alejandro Sanchez and future major league general manager Dave Littlefield.[4]

In 1979 the club became known as the Auburn Red Stars. The team featured future MLB player Doug Frobel.[5] The Red Stars operated under a co-operative agreement. The Red Stars received players from seven different major league organizations, led by the Detroit Tigers, with seven players, and Cleveland Indians, with five.

In 1980, the Red Stars changed their name to the Auburn Americans. The team once again operated as a co-op and received 17 players from the Cleveland Indians and several from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The squad featured future MLB player Jack Fimple and finished fourth in the New York–Penn League's West Division with a 29–45 record.[6][7]

Astros era

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1988 Auburn Astros team photo

Auburn returned to play in the New York–Penn League in 1982 with the Auburn Astros as an affiliate of the Houston Astros.

In 1991, with John H. Graham as general manager,[8] the team set the all-time attendance record at Falcon Park.

Doubledays

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The team was renamed the Auburn Doubledays before the 1996 season and has operated under that name since.

In 1998, the Doubledays and the Oneonta Yankees were named co-champions of the New York–Penn League after Central New York was hit with a torrential rain storm and the fields at both parks were deemed unplayable.

Under the management of Dennis Holmberg, the Doubledays won the Pinckney Division title for six straight years in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, but failed to win the league championship for the first five of those years. After losing in the first round of the playoffs for the first three years of their streak, they advanced to the New York–Penn League championship series before being swept by the Staten Island Yankees. In 2003, the Doubledays led all of baseball in winning percentage (.757).

The Doubledays finally won the NYPL title in 2007, sweeping the Brooklyn Cyclones in the league championship series. The final game featured a stellar pitching performance by Brett Cecil and a home run by J. P. Arencibia.[9] This was the first league championship for the city of Auburn since 1973.

After the cancelled 2020 minor league season, Major League Baseball took direct control of Minor League Baseball and discontinued short-season play. The Doubledays were not among the four teams invited to remain as full-season affiliates of the Washington Nationals, with whom they had been affiliated since 2011.[10] The city and the team's ownership group are exploring options such as independent baseball or collegiate summer baseball for 2021.[11]

Season-by-season results

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Year League Record Finish Manager Playoffs Misc
1958 NYPL 67–58 4th Tom Gott Lost in 1st round Debut season and first season as members of NYPL
1959 NYPL 58–67 5th Bob Bauer Did not qualify –
1960 NYPL 65–63 3rd Bob Bauer Lost in 1st round –
1961 NYPL 52–73 8th Loren Babe Did not qualify –
1962 NYPL 62–57 3rd (tie) Dick Cole League Champions –
1963 NYPL 76–54 1st Dick Cole Lost in 1st round –
1964 NYPL 79–48 1st Clyde McCullough League Champions –
1965 NYPL 73–55 2nd Clyde McCullough Did not qualify –
1966 NYPL 80–49 1st Clyde McCullough League Champions –
1967 NYPL 52–26 1st Tom Umphlett League Champions –
1968 NYPL 49–27 1st Boyd Coffie Lost league finals –
1969 NYPL 31–42 7th Steve Thornton Did not qualify –
1970 NYPL 43–26 1st Boyd Coffie League Champions –
1971 NYPL 42–28 2nd Boyd Coffie Did not qualify –
1972 NYPL 39–30 4th Nolan Campbell Did not qualify –
1973 NYPL 46–23 1st Harry Lloyd League Champions –
1974 NYPL 34–32 2nd Larry Rojas Did not qualify –
1975 NYPL 31–37 4th June Raines Did not qualify –
1976 NYPL 24–45 5th Mike Compton Did not qualify –
1977 NYPL 17–53 10th Ruben Amaro Did not qualify –
1978 NYPL 32–40 6th Dick Rockwell Did not qualify –
1979 NYPL 22–45 10th Tom Kotchman Did not qualify –
1980 NYPL 29–45 7th Bill Julio Did not qualify –
1981 NYPL — — — — No Season Played
1982 NYPL 35–39 8th Bob Hartsfield Did not qualify –
1983 NYPL 43–31 4th Bob Hartsfield Did not qualify –
1984 NYPL 38–38 7th Bob Hartsfield Did not qualify –
1985 NYPL 47–31 2nd Bob Hartsfield Lost league finals –
1986 NYPL 44–32 3rd Keith Bodie Lost in 1st round –
1987 NYPL 39–36 7th Gary Tuck Did not qualify –
1988 NYPL 42–33 5th Frank Cacciatore Did not qualify –
1989 NYPL 35–42 7th Reggie Waller Did not qualify –
1990 NYPL 31–46 11th Ricky Peters Did not qualify –
1991 NYPL 38–39 6th Steve Dillard Did not qualify –
1992 NYPL 32–41 12th Steve Dillard Did not qualify –
1993 NYPL 30–46 14th Manny Acta Did not qualify –
1994 NYPL 45–31 2nd Manny Acta Lost league finals –
1995 NYPL 40–34 5th Manny Acta Did not qualify –
1996 NYPL 37–39 8th Manny Acta Did not qualify –
1997 NYPL 29–47 13th Mike Rojas Did not qualify –
1998 NYPL 43–32 3rd Lyle Yates League Co-Champions –
1999 NYPL 39–37 8th Lyle Yates Did not qualify –
2000 NYPL 32–42 11th John Massarelli Did not qualify –
2001 NYPL 32–42 11th Paul Elliott Did not qualify –
2002 NYPL 47–29 4th Dennis Holmberg Lost in 1st round –
2003 NYPL 56–18 1st Dennis Holmberg Lost in 1st round –
2004 NYPL 50–24 1st Dennis Holmberg Lost in 1st round –
2005 NYPL 45–30 3rd Dennis Holmberg Lost league finals –
2006 NYPL 42–32 3rd Dennis Holmberg Lost in 1st round –
2007 NYPL 47–29 3rd Dennis Holmberg League Champions –
2008 NYPL 38–37 7th (tie) Dennis Holmberg Did not qualify –
2009 NYPL 26–49 14th Dennis Holmberg Did not qualify –
2010 NYPL 35–40 9th Dennis Holmberg Did not qualify –
2011 NYPL 45–30 3rd Gary Cathcart Lost league finals –
2012 NYPL 46–30 3rd Gary Cathcart Lost in 1st round –
2013 NYPL 26–49 14th Gary Cathcart Did not qualify –
2014 NYPL 34–41 9th Gary Cathcart Did not qualify –
2015 NYPL 36–38 9th Gary Cathcart Did not qualify –
2016 NYPL 28–47 12th Jerad Head Did not qualify –
2017 NYPL 36–45 12th (tie) Jerad Head Did not qualify –
2018 NYPL 41–35 2nd Jerad Head Lost in 1st round –
2019 NYPL 30–46 6th Rocket Wheeler Did not qualify –
2020 NYPL — — — — Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021 PGCBL 27–20 2nd Ben Julian Lost in semi-finals First season as members of PGCBL

Playoffs

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  • 1968 season: Defeated Williamsport, 1–0, in semifinals; lost to Oneonta, 1–0, in championship.
  • 1978 season: Lost to Geneva, 2–0, in championship.
  • 1985 season: Defeated Jamestown, 1–0, in semifinals; lost to Oneonta, 2–0, in championship.
  • 1986 season: Lost to St. Catharines, 1–0, in semifinals.
  • 1994 season: Defeated Watertown, 2–0, in semifinals; lost to New Jersey, 2–0, in championship.
  • 1998 season: Defeated Batavia, 2–0, in semifinals; declared co–champions with Oneonta (series rained out).
  • 2002 season: Lost to Oneonta, 2–0, in semifinals.
  • 2003 season: Lost to Williamsport, 2–0, in semifinals.
  • 2004 season: Lost to Mahoning Valley, 2–0, in semifinals.
  • 2005 season: Defeated Oneonta, 2–0, in semifinals; lost to Staten Island, 2–0, in championship.
  • 2006 season: Lost to Tri-City, 2–1, in semifinals.
  • 2007 season: Defeated Oneonta, 2–1, in semifinals; defeated Brooklyn, 2–0, to win championship.
  • 2011 season: Defeated Vermont, 2–1, in semifinals; lost to Staten Island, 2–0, in championship.
  • 2012 season: Lost to Tri-City, 2–1, in semifinals.
  • 2018 season: Lost to Hudson Valley Renegades 2–0, in semifinals.
  • 2021 season: Defeated Utica 7–0, in quarterfinals; lost to Amsterdam 7–1, in semifinals.

Roster

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Auburn Doubledays roster
Active roster Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 20 Carson Ashby
  • 35 Chris Auclair
  • 28 Carson Gerhardy
  • 17 Robert Gruber
  •  9 Adam Hoechstetter
  • 16 Sam Hough
  • 27 Dan Johnson
  • 37 Bobby Lavely
  • 25 Brandon Matthews
  • 15 Ryan O’Connell
  •  1 Eddie Rives
  • 22 Cameron Sheets
  • 34 Mitsuki Shimonishi
  • 18 Mitch Stone
  • 36 Alec Teska


Utility players

  • 12 Tyler Attal
  • 24 Erik Charnetski
  

Catchers

  • 19 Austin Davison
  •  3 Carson Dunkel
  • 14 John Nowak

Infielders

  • 23 Noah Campanelli
  •  2 Pierce Hendershot
  •  4 Genki LeClair
  • 39 Matt Livingston
  •  6 Marcus Maristela
  •  8 Logan Matson
  • 33 Brian Norsen
  • 30 Griffin O'Ferrall
  • 11 Conor Smith

Outfielders

  • 13 Kelvin Cortez
  •  7 Dymitri Kanellakis
  • 32 Evan McDonald  
  • 26 Garrett Prosper
  

Manager

  • -- Ben Julian

Coaches

  • -- Noah Ackerman (statistician)
  • -- Evan McAndrew (pitching)
  • -- John Rizzo (assistant)
  • -- Braden York (broadcast)

  Disabled list
‡ Inactive list
§ Suspended list

 updated July 30, 2021

Alumni

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Notable Auburn Astros players

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Other notable Auburn players

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Future Major League Baseball staff

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Front office and staff

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  • Steve DeSalvo was the team's general manager from 1982 to 1983.[12] He went on to a long career as a Minor League Baseball executive.[12]
  • Auburn native Leslie Leary was general manager from 1984 to 1987.[13] She was one of the first female general managers in Minor League Baseball.[13]
  • Auburn native Joe Kehoskie, a baseball agent, worked for the team from 1984 to 1991.[8][14]
  • Bob Neal, previously the general manager of the Watertown Pirates and Peninsula Pilots, was general manager from early 1988 to late 1989.[15][16]
  • John H. Graham, previously the general manager of the Peninsula Pilots, was assistant general manager from early 1988 to early 1989;[15] business manager from early 1989 to late 1989;[16] and general manager from late 1989 to late 1991.[8][17]
  • Marc Techman, an Auburn native, was assistant general manager in 1991.[8]
  • Shawn Smith, currently a vice president with the NBA, was general manager from 1994 to 1995.[18][19]
  • TV/radio announcer Cory Provus worked for the team in 2000.
  • Charlie Wride was the team's public address announcer for most of the team's 14-season existence, as well as the team historian. Wride continued to work for the team's successor, the Auburn Doubledays, in a community relations capacity until his death in 2018 at the age of 81.[20][21]

Wall of Fame

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Main article: Auburn Community Baseball § Wall of Fame

References

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  1. ^ "Front Office Staff". Auburn Doubledays. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  2. ^ "The Auburn Mets – Players who played for both teams". Ultimate Mets Database. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "1978 New York–Pennsylvania League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "1978 Auburn Sunsets Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  5. ^ "1979 Auburn Red Stars Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  6. ^ "1980 New York–Pennsylvania League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  7. ^ "1980 Auburn Americans Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d 1991 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1991.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ "Doubledays Sweep Brooklyn For NYP Title". Auburn Doubledays. September 6, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  10. ^ Kerr, Byron (December 9, 2020). "Nats announce 2021 minor league affiliate invitations". MASN Sports. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  11. ^ Ritzel, Justin (December 10, 2020). "MLB extends invites to minor league affiliates; Auburn Doubledays not included". Auburn Pub. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Steve DeSalvo Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  13. ^ a b Anderson, Shelly (February 20, 1988). "Doors to the major leagues still hard to open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  14. ^ Weiman Jr., Dale (February 15, 2006). "So, you want to be the next Jerry Maguire?". Westlaw. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  15. ^ a b 1988 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1988.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  16. ^ a b 1989 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1989.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  17. ^ 1990 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1990.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  18. ^ 1994 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1994.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  19. ^ 1995 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York. 1995.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  20. ^ Tobin, Dave (June 20, 2004). "Doubledays' Mr. Everything – Auburn's Baseball Club Counts on Charlie Wride". Syracuse Post-Standard. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  21. ^ "Auburn Baseball Wall of Fame". MiLB.com. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
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