Tri-City ValleyCats

The Tri-City ValleyCats (often shortened to 'Cats) are a Minor League Baseball team based in Troy, New York. They play in the New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. The Tri-City name refers to the three nearby cities of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy which make up New York State's Capital District. Beginning play in 2002, the ValleyCats are the Capital Region's longest-tenured professional sports organization. They play their games at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium which opened in 2002 on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College. They won the NYPL championship in 2010, 2013, and 2018.

Tri-City ValleyCats
Founded in 2002
Troy, New York
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass A Short Season
LeagueNew York–Penn League
DivisionStedler Division
Major league affiliations
TeamHouston Astros (2002–present)
Minor league titles
League titles (3)
  • 2010
  • 2013
  • 2018
Division titles (8)
  • 2004
  • 2006
  • 2010
  • 2012
  • 2013
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2018
Team data
NicknameTri-City ValleyCats (2002–present)
ColorsScarlet, black, tan, silver, white
                        
MascotSouthPaw
BallparkJoseph L. Bruno Stadium (2002–present)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Bill Gladstone
ManagerWladimir Sutil
General ManagerMatt Callahan

Team history

Before Tri-City

Prior to their arrival in Troy, the club was based first in Little Falls, New York, as the Little Falls Mets (1977–1988), and then in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, as the Pittsfield Mets (1989–2000) and Pittsfield Astros (2001).

2002 season

The ValleyCats played their first game on the road in Lowell, Massachusetts, on June 18, 2002, against their rival the Lowell Spinners. The Spinners had a 3–1 lead going into the eighth inning, but a triple by Aneudi Cuevas down the right field line drove in three runs leading the ValleyCats to a 5–4 victory.

2006 season
A 2006 ValleyCats game

In their 2006 season, the ValleyCats registered an attendance of 129,126 in 37 contests, averaging 3,489 fans per game. On July 4, 2006, the ValleyCats set a new all-time home attendance mark as 6,123 people attended a game against the Lowell Spinners which was later broken in the following years.

2008 season

All-Star game

The Valley Cats hosted the fourth annual New York–Penn League All-Star Game at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in 2008. The game was played between teams made up of the affiliates of National League (NL) and American League (AL) teams. The ValleyCats, affiliates of the National League's Houston Astros, were part of the NL squad. Four ValleyCats were voted to play in the game: first baseman Phil Disher, left fielder Jack Shuck, pitcher Philip Rummel, and center fielder Thomas Steele. However, Steele was injured two weeks before the game and was replaced by Tri-City third baseman David Flores. The NL All-Stars won the game on a walk-off RBI by Tri-City's David Flores. Flores was also voted MVP of the game.[1]

No-hitter

On June 21, 2008, pitchers Shane Wolf, David Miller, and Ashton Mowdy combined to throw the first no-hitter in the franchise's history. Wolf is a native of nearby Lansing. The ValleyCats won, 10–0, over the Oneonta Tigers.[2]

Attendance

On July 4, 2008, The ValleyCats broke their single-game attendance record drawing 6,630 to the ballpark, 2,130 more than the listed capacity. The ValleyCats won, 9–2, against the Jamestown Jammers.[3] The team also set a season attendance record in 2008 with 140,631 fans in attendance despite missing many games due to rain.

2009 season

The ValleyCats once again broke attendance records in 2009. Their single-game attendance record was broken again on July 4 against the Brooklyn Cyclones. A crowd of 6,838 fans attended the 2–1 ValleyCats loss.[4] They also set a new single season attendance record, attracting 145,976 fans to Joseph L. Bruno Stadium that season.[5] Tri-City finished the season in fourth place in the Stedler Division, 18 games behind first-place Lowell.[6]

2010 Championship season

After three losing seasons, the ValleyCats finally turned around to be one of the front runners in the Stedler Division. Led by manager Jim Pankovits, they were the underdog in the 2010 NYPL playoffs with a 38–36 record, and having won their division by only a half game over the Connecticut Tigers. They reached the championship series for the third time in their short history, and beat the heavy favorite Brooklyn Cyclones (51–24), two games to none.

2015 season

The second no-hitter in ValleyCats history was thrown on August 6, 2015. Pitchers Kevin McCanna, Ralph Garza, and Zac Person combined for the road win against the Aberdeen IronBirds at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium, 5–0.[7]

Mascots
Left to right: Sammy, Ribbie, and SouthPaw

The ValleyCats have several mascots, the three most prominent being SouthPaw, his grandfather, Pappy, and his best friend, Ribbie. SouthPaw is a jersey-wearing cat, representing the "ValleyCat", the team's nickname. Another fan-favorite is Sammy Baseball who wears a patriotic costume and resembles Uncle Sam, reputedly derived from Samuel Wilson who operated a meat packing plant in Troy. The Tri-City Mayors, large caricature heads representing the current Mayors of Troy, Albany, and Schenectady, race (and dance) on a nightly basis at the ballpark. Ketchup, Mustard, and Relish mascots participate in a hot dog race. Other mascots include Spiedie the Chicken, Zoggy the Dinosaur, and Rowdy the River Rat, obtained when the Albany River Rats moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.[8]

Season results
Season Affiliation Manager Record
2002 Astros Iván DeJesús 27–48, 4th place Stedler
2003 Astros Iván DeJesús 44–32, 2nd place Stedler
2004 Astros Gregg Langbehn 50–25, 1st place Stedler
2005 Astros Gregg Langbehn 34–42, 3rd place Stedler
2006 Astros Gregg Langbehn 43–31, 1st place Stedler
2007 Astros Pete Rancont 27–47, 4th place Stedler
2008 Astros Pete Rancont 28–45, 4th place Stedler
2009 Astros Jim Pankovits 27–48, 4th place Stedler
2010 Astros Jim Pankovits 38–36, 1st place Stedler
2011 Astros Stubby Clapp 33–42, 3rd place Stedler
2012 Astros Stubby Clapp 51–25, 1st place Stedler
2013 Astros Ed Romero 44–32, 1st place Stedler
2014 Astros Ed Romero 48–28, 1st place Stedler
2015§ Astros Ed Romero 42–33, 1st place Stedler
2016 Astros Lamarr Rogers 38–38, 3rd place Stedler
2017 Astros Morgan Ensberg 34–39, 3rd place Stedler
2018 Astros Jason Bell 42–33, 1st place Stedler
2019 Astros Ozney Guillen 32–42, 4th place Stedler
NY–Penn League champions () NY–Penn League finalists () Stedler Division champions (§) Wild Card winner (*)

Postseason results
  • 2004: Defeated Brooklyn Cyclones, 2 games to 1; lost to Mahoning Valley Scrappers, 2 games to 0, in championship round.
  • 2006: Defeated Auburn Doubledays, 2 games to none; lost to Staten Island Yankees, 2 games to 1, in championship round.
  • 2010: Defeated Batavia Muckdogs, 2 games to 1; defeated Brooklyn Cyclones, 2 games to 0, in championship round.
  • 2012: Defeated Auburn Doubledays, 2 games to 1; lost to Hudson Valley Renegades, 2 game to 1, in championship round.
  • 2013: Defeated Aberdeen IronBirds, 2 games to 0; defeated State College Spikes, 2 games to 1, in championship round.
  • 2014: Defeated the Connecticut Tigers, 2 games to none; lost to the State College Spikes, 2 games to 1.
  • 2015: Lost semi-finals to Staten Island Yankees, 2 games to 0.
  • 2018: Defeated Mahoning Valley Scrappers, 2 games to 0; defeated Hudson Valley Renegades, 2 games to 0, in championship round.

Fast facts
  • Total Attendance
    • Joseph L. Bruno Stadium
      • 2002 – 108,409
      • 2003 – 103,984
      • 2004 – 110,497
      • 2005 – 116,674
      • 2006 – 129,126
      • 2007 – 136,809
      • 2008 – 140,631 (7th most in NY–Penn League).[9]
      • 2009 – 145,976 (6th most in NY–Penn League).[10]
      • 2010 – 155,315 (5th most in NY–Penn League).[11]
      • 2011 – 156,279 (6th most in NY–Penn League).[12]
      • 2012 – 159,966 (5th most in NY–Penn League).[13]
      • 2013 – 156,712 (4th most in NY–Penn League).[14]
      • 2014 – 161,171 (3rd most in NY–Penn League).[15]
      • 2015 – 153,692 (3rd most in NY–Penn League).[16]
      • 2016 – 149,847 (3rd most in NY–Penn League).[17]
      • 2017 – 142,922 (3rd most in NY–Penn League).[18]
      • 2018 – 140,036 (3rd most in NY–Penn League).[19]
  • Ballpark Dimensions
    • LF – 325 feet (99 m)
    • CF – 400 feet (122 m)
    • RF – 325 feet (99 m)
  • First Game
    • Tuesday, June 18, 2002 vs Lowell Spinners (at LeLacheur Park, Lowell, Massachusetts – W5–4)
  • Season Records (2002–present)
    • Hits
      • 2005 – Neil Sellers (96)
    • Doubles
      • 2003 – Brock Koman (25)
    • Triples
      • 2007 – Collin DeLome (7)
      • 2017 – Andy Pineda (7)
    • Home runs
      • 2004 – Mario Garza (15)
    • Runs Batted In
      • 2004 – Mario Garza (65)
    • Stolen Bases
      • 2015 – Johnny Sewald (31)
    • Wins
      • 2004 – Ronnie Ventura (11)
    • Saves
      • 2012 – Blake Ford (14)
    • Strikeouts

Roster
Tri-City ValleyCats roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 26 Shea Berry
  • 43 Peyton Battenfield
  • 45 Hunter Brown
  • 15 Danny Cody
  • 21 Brayan De Paula
  • 24 Miguel Figueroa
  • 33 Ryan Gusto
  •  6 Blair Henley
  • 44 Michael Horrell
  • 32 Ernesto Jaquez
  • 17 Jairo Lopez
  • 14 Angel Macuare
  • 39 Cole McDonald
  • 11 Christian Mejias
  • 47 Peyton Plumlee
  • 30 Manny Ramirez
  • 37 Edgardo Sandoval
  •  3 Kyle Serrano
  • 48 Derek West

Catchers

Infielders

  • 38 Bryan Arias
  • -- Zach Biermann
  • 23 Deury Carrasco
  • -- AJ Lee
  •  2 Joe Perez
  •  4 Yeuris Ramirez
  •  7 Luis Santana
  •  4 Ronaldo Urdaneta

Outfielders

  • 34 Matthew Barefoot
  • 22 Jordan Brewer
  • -- Kenedy Corona
  •  8 Luis Guerrero
  • 12 James Nix
  • 31 Preston Pavlica
  •  5 Juan Ramirez
  • 36 E.P. Reese

Manager

  • -- Wladimir Sutil

Coaches

  • -- Ernesto Irizarry (hitting)
  • 27 John Kovalik (pitching)
  • -- Tanner Lubbach (development)


7-day injured list
* On Houston Astros 40-man roster
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporary inactive list
Roster updated February 16, 2020
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • New York–Penn League
 → Houston Astros minor league players

Notable alumni

See also

References
  1. "Flores sends All-Star fans home happy". New York–Penn League. August 20, 2008.
  2. "Three ValleyCats Combine for First No-Hitter in Franchise History". Tri-City ValleyCats. June 21, 2008.
  3. "ValleyCats Bats Explode In Front of Record Crowd". Tri-City ValleyCats. July 5, 2008.
  4. "'Cats Shatter Single Game Attendance Record". Tri-City ValleyCats. July 4, 2009.
  5. "ValleyCats Set Season Attendance Record for Sixth Consecutive Season". Tri-City ValleyCats. September 1, 2009.
  6. "2009 New York–Pennsylvania League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
  7. "New York-Penn League No-Hit Games". New York–Penn League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  8. "ValleyCats adopt Rowdy the Rat". Tri-City ValleyCats. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  9. "2008 Affiliated Attendance by Total". Ballpark Digest. June 26, 2009.
  10. "2009 Affiliated Attendance by Total". Ballpark Digest. September 23, 2009.
  11. "2010 Affiliated Attendance by Total". Ballpark Digest. September 10, 2010.
  12. "2011 Affiliated Attendance by Total". Ballpark Digest. September 12, 2013.
  13. "2012 Affiliated Attendance by Total". Ballpark Digest. September 7, 2013.
  14. "New York–Penn League Attendance - 2013". Minor League Baseball.
  15. "New York–Penn League Attendance - 2014". Minor League Baseball.
  16. "New York–Penn League Attendance - 2015". Minor League Baseball.
  17. "New York–Penn League Attendance - 2016". Minor League Baseball.
  18. "New York–Penn League Attendance - 2017". Minor League Baseball.
  19. "New York–Penn League Attendance - 2018". Minor League Baseball.
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