List of International League champions

The Syracuse Stars won the 1888 league championship.

The International League of Minor League Baseball is one of two Triple-A baseball leagues in the United States. A league champion is determined at the end of each season. Champions have been determined by postseason playoffs, winning the regular season pennant, or being declared champion by the league office. Currently, three division winners and a wild card team (the team with the best second-place record in the league) are determined at the end of the season. The North Division champion plays the wild card team, while the champions of the South and West Divisions play one another in best-of-five series. The winners then play each other in a best-of-five series to determine a league champion. Since 1933, the champions have been awarded the Governors' Cup.

History

League champions have been determined by different means since the Intentional League's formation in 1884. Champions from 1884 to 1932 were simply the regular season pennant winners. In 1933, Frank Shaughnessy, General Manager of the league's Montreal Royals, introduced a new playoff system to determine a Governors' Cup champion.

Typically, from 1933 to 1987, the four teams with the best records at the end of the season competed in semi-finals and then a final best-of-seven series for the championship. For the few years in which the league was split into two divisions, the top two teams in each division competed against one another, with the winners competing to determine a champion. The championship series was shorted to a best-of-five series in some years. The league also competed in two divisions from 1988 to 1997. Since 1998, the league has been split into three divisions. Under this format, the three division winners and a wild card team (the team with the best second-place record in the league) are determined at the end of the season. The North Division champion plays the wild card team, while the champions of the South and West Divisions play one another in best-of-five series. The winners then play each other in a best-of-five series to determine the champion.[1]

League champions

Score and finalist information is only presented when postseason play occurred. The lack of this information indicates a declared league champion.
The 1902 champion Toronto Maple Leafs
The 1903 champion Jersey City Skeeters
The 1914 champion Providence Grays
The 1920 champion Baltimore Orioles
The 1948 champion Montreal Royals
The 2016 champion Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Year Champion Score Finalist
1884Trenton Trentonians——
1885Syracuse Stars——
1886Newark Little Giants——
1887Utica Pent-Ups——
1888Syracuse Stars——
1889Detroit Wolverines——
1890Detroit Wolverines——
1891Buffalo Bisons——
1892Binghamton Bingoes——
1893Erie Blackbirds——
1894Providence Clamdiggers——
1895Springfield Maroons——
1896Providence Grays——
1897[a]Toronto Maple Leafs——
1898Montreal Royals——
1899Rochester Bronchos——
1900Providence Grays——
1901Rochester Bronchos——
1902Toronto Maple Leafs——
1903Jersey City Skeeters——
1904Buffalo Bisons——
1905Providence Clamdiggers——
1906Buffalo Bisons——
1907Toronto Maple Leafs——
1908Baltimore Orioles——
1909Rochester Bronchos——
1910Rochester Bronchos——
1911Rochester Bronchos——
1912Toronto Maple Leafs——
1913Newark Indians——
1914Providence Grays——
1915Buffalo Bisons——
1916Buffalo Bisons——
1917Toronto Maple Leafs——
1918Toronto Maple Leafs——
1919Baltimore Orioles——
1920Baltimore Orioles——
1921Baltimore Orioles——
1922Baltimore Orioles——
1923Baltimore Orioles——
1924Baltimore Orioles——
1925Baltimore Orioles——
1926Toronto Maple Leafs——
1927Buffalo Bisons——
1928Rochester Red Wings——
1929Rochester Red Wings——
1930Rochester Red Wings——
1931Rochester Red Wings——
1932Newark Bears——
1933Buffalo Bisons4–2Rochester Red Wings
1934Toronto Maple Leafs4–1Rochester Red Wings
1935Syracuse Chiefs4–3Montreal Royals
1936Buffalo Bisons4–2Baltimore Orioles
1937Newark Bears4–0Baltimore Orioles
1938Newark Bears4–1Buffalo Bisons
1939Rochester Red Wings4–3Newark Bears
1940Newark Bears4–3Baltimore Orioles
1941Montreal Royals4–3Newark Bears
1942Syracuse Chiefs4–0Jersey City Giants
1943Syracuse Chiefs4–2Toronto Maple Leafs
1944Baltimore Orioles4–3Newark Bears
1945Newark Bears4–3Montreal Royals
1946Montreal Royals4–1Syracuse Chiefs
1947Syracuse Chiefs4–3Buffalo Bisons
1948Montreal Royals4–1Syracuse Chiefs
1949Montreal Royals4–1Buffalo Bisons
1950Baltimore Orioles4–2Rochester Red Wings
1951Montreal Royals4–1Syracuse Chiefs
1952Rochester Red Wings4–2Montreal Royals
1953Montreal Royals4–0Rochester Red Wings
1954Syracuse Chiefs4–3Montreal Royals
1955Rochester Red Wings4–0Toronto Maple Leafs
1956Rochester Red Wings4–3Toronto Maple Leafs
1957Buffalo Bisons4–1Miami Marlins
1958Montreal Royals4–1Toronto Maple Leafs
1959Havana Sugar Kings4–2Richmond Virginians
1960Toronto Maple Leafs4–1Rochester Red Wings
1961Buffalo Bisons4–1Rochester Red Wings
1962Atlanta Crackers4–3Jacksonville Suns
1963Indianapolis Indians4–2Atlanta Crackers
1964Rochester Red Wings4–2Syracuse Chiefs
1965Toronto Maple Leafs4–1Columbus Jets
1966Toronto Maple Leafs4–1Richmond Braves
1967Toledo Mud Hens4–1Columbus Jets
1968Jacksonville Suns4–0Columbus Jets
1969Syracuse Chiefs4–1Columbus Jets
1970Syracuse Chiefs3–1Columbus Jets
1971Rochester Red Wings3–2Tidewater Tides
1972Tidewater Tides3–2Louisville Colonels
1973Pawtucket Red Sox3–2Charleston Charlies
1974Rochester Red Wings4–3Syracuse Chiefs
1975Tidewater Tides3–1Syracuse Chiefs
1976Syracuse Chiefs3–1Richmond Braves
1977Charleston Charlies4–0Pawtucket Red Sox
1978Richmond Braves4–3Pawtucket Red Sox
1979Columbus Clippers4–3Syracuse Chiefs
1980Columbus Clippers4–1Toledo Mud Hens
1981Columbus Clippers2–1Richmond Braves
1982Tidewater Tides3–0Rochester Red Wings
1983Tidewater Tides3–1Richmond Braves
1984Pawtucket Red Sox3–2Maine Guides
1985Tidewater Tides3–1Columbus Clippers
1986Richmond Braves3–0Rochester Red Wings
1987Columbus Clippers3–2Tidewater Tides
1988Rochester Red Wings3–1Tidewater Tides
1989Richmond Braves3–1Syracuse Chiefs
1990Rochester Red Wings3–2Columbus Clippers
1991Columbus Clippers3–0Pawtucket Red Sox
1992Columbus Clippers3–2Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
1993Charlotte Knights3–2Rochester Red Wings
1994Richmond Braves3–0Syracuse Chiefs
1995Ottawa Lynx3–1Norfolk Tides
1996Columbus Clippers3–0Rochester Red Wings
1997Rochester Red Wings3–2Columbus Clippers
1998Buffalo Bisons3–2Durham Bulls
1999Charlotte Knights3–1Durham Bulls
2000Indianapolis Indians3–2Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
2001[b]Louisville RiverBats1–0Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
2002Durham Bulls3–1Buffalo Bisons
2003Durham Bulls3–0Pawtucket Red Sox
2004Buffalo Bisons3–1Richmond Braves
2005Toledo Mud Hens3–0Indianapolis Indians
2006Toledo Mud Hens3–2Rochester Red Wings
2007Richmond Braves3–2Durham Bulls
2008Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees3–1Durham Bulls
2009Durham Bulls3–0Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
2010Columbus Clippers3–1Durham Bulls
2011Columbus Clippers3–1Lehigh Valley IronPigs
2012Pawtucket Red Sox3–0Charlotte Knights
2013Durham Bulls3–1Pawtucket Red Sox
2014Pawtucket Red Sox3–2Durham Bulls
2015Columbus Clippers3–2Indianapolis Indians
2016Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders3–1Gwinnett Braves
2017Durham Bulls3–1Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
2018Durham Bulls3–2Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Championship wins by team

Active International League teams appear in bold.

Wins Team Championship years
19Rochester Bronchos/Red Wings1899, 1901, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1939, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1997
12Buffalo Bisons1891, 1904, 1906, 1915, 1916, 1927, 1933, 1936, 1957, 1961, 1998, 2004
11Toronto Maple Leafs1897, 1902, 1907, 1912, 1917, 1918, 1926, 1934, 1960, 1965, 1966
10Baltimore Orioles1908, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1944, 1950
10Columbus Clippers1979, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2010, 2011, 2015
8Montreal Royals1898, 1941, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1958
8Syracuse Chiefs1935, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1954, 1969, 1970, 1976
6Durham Bulls2002, 2003, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2018
5Newark Bears1932, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1945
5Providence Grays/Clamdiggers1894, 1905, 1896, 1900, 1914
5Richmond Braves (Gwinnett Stripers)1978, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2007
5Tidewater Tides (Norfolk Tides)1972, 1975, 1982, 1983, 1985
4Pawtucket Red Sox1973, 1984, 2012, 2014
3Toledo Mud Hens1967, 2005, 2006
2Charlotte Knights1993, 1999
2Detroit Wolverines1889, 1890
2Indianapolis Indians1963, 2000
2Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees/RailRiders2008, 2016
2Syracuse Stars1885, 1888
1Atlanta Crackers1962
1Binghamton Bingoes1892
1Charleston Charlies1977
1Erie Blackbirds1893
1Havana Sugar Kings1959
1Jacksonville Suns1968
1Jersey City Skeeters1903
1Louisville RiverBats (Louisville Bats)2001
1Newark Indians1913
1Newark Little Giants1886
1Ottawa Lynx1995
1Springfield Maroons1895
1Trenton Trentonians1884
1Utica Pent-Ups1887

Notes

  • a The Syracuse Stars finished the season in first place, but the title was awarded to Toronto.
  • b The playoffs were cancelled in the wake the September 11 terrorist attacks. Louisville, which had won the first game of the series before its cancellation, was declared the winner.

See also

References

  • O'Neal, Bill (1992), The International League: A Baseball History 1884–1991, Eakin Press, ISBN 9780890158562
  • "International League Governors' Cup Championship". Triple-A Baseball. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  • Wright, Marshall (2005), The International League: Year-by-Year Statistics 1884–1953, McFarland, ISBN 9780786404582
  1. ↑ "International League Personnel and Staff". International League. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
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