Florida State League

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Florida State League
FloridaStateLeague.png
Florida State League logo
Sport Baseball
Founded 1919
No. of teams 12
Country(ies) USA
Most recent champion(s) Lakeland Flying Tigers
Official website www.fslbaseball.com

The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues.1 Each team in the league is affiliated with a Major League Baseball team, and most play in their affiliate's spring training facility.

The league was founded in 1919, and has continued almost entirely uninterrupted to the present day. Most players in the Florida State League do not reach this level until their third or fourth year of professional play. Attendance averages around 500–1,000 per game.

Contents

History

The league originated in 1919 with teams in Bartow, Bradenton, Lakeland, Orlando, Sanford, and Tampa, Florida. The league closed down in 1928 and resumed play in 1936. It has continued uninterrupted, except for a four-year (1942–1945) suspension during World War II.

The league was realigned following the 2008 season, and is currently divided into two divisions: North and South. The twelve member teams play a 140 game schedule with 70 games at home and 70 games on the road (20 against geographically closest division opponent, 18 against each of the other 4 division teams, 8 against each of the 6 non-division opponents). The six team divisions play a split season with the first half ending in June and the second half ending in September.

Four teams participate in the play-offs. Winners of both halves within each division play each other in a best-of-three game series for the Division Championships. If there is a repeat division winner, a wild card team will qualify for the play-offs. The Division Champions will move on to the League Championship Series and play a best-of-five game series.

In 2009, the Florida State League established a Hall of Fame commemorating the league's great players, managers, owners, and umpires. The awards and ceremonies for the inaugural class will take place at the FSL's winter meetings in Daytona Beach in November.

The Tampa Yankees defeated the Charlotte Stone Crabs 3-2 in the 2010 Florida State League Championship Series.

In the 2011 championship, the Daytona Cubs swept the St. Lucie Mets 3-0 and claimed their fourth title in 11 years.

Current teams

The 2008 1st & 2nd half Western Division champions take the field in game 2 of the playoffs at Hammond Stadium
Division Team MLB Affiliation City Stadium Capacity
North Brevard County Manatees Milwaukee Brewers Viera, Florida Space Coast Stadium 8,100
Clearwater Threshers Philadelphia Phillies Clearwater, Florida Bright House Field 8,500
Daytona Cubs Chicago Cubs Daytona Beach, Florida Jackie Robinson Ballpark 4,200
Dunedin Blue Jays Toronto Blue Jays Dunedin, Florida Florida Auto Exchange Stadium1 5,510
Lakeland Flying Tigers Detroit Tigers Lakeland, Florida Joker Marchant Stadium 8,500
Tampa Yankees New York Yankees Tampa, Florida George M. Steinbrenner Field 10,000
South Bradenton Marauders Pittsburgh Pirates Bradenton, Florida McKechnie Field 6,602
Charlotte Stone Crabs Tampa Bay Rays Port Charlotte, Florida Charlotte Sports Park 7,000
Fort Myers Miracle Minnesota Twins Fort Myers, Florida Hammond Stadium 7,500
Jupiter Hammerheads Miami Marlins Jupiter, Florida Roger Dean Stadium 6,871
Palm Beach Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals Jupiter, Florida Roger Dean Stadium 6,871
St. Lucie Mets New York Mets Port St. Lucie, Florida Tradition Field 7,347
1 Hosting 2013 Florida State League All-Star Game

All-time teams

Teams of the early FSL (1919–28)

Teams of the modern FSL (1936–present)

League champions

Since 1979, the winner of the League Championship Series has become the holder—until the following season's championship—of the Watson Spoelstra Florida State League Championship Trophy.2

Hall of fame

Main article: Florida State League Hall of Fame

See also

References

  1. ^ "Standings | MiLB.com Standings | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Web.minorleaguebaseball.com. Retrieved 2011-03-11. 
  2. ^ "Championship Trophy". Florida State League official website. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved 2012-01-01. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Florida State League
Florida State League
North Division
South Division
Defunct teams


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