Wichita Aeros
The Wichita Aeros were an American minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the Triple-A American Association from 1970 through 1984.
| Wichita Aeros 1970–1984 Wichita, Kansas | |||
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| Previous classes | Triple-A (1970–1984) | ||
| League | American Association (1970–1984) | ||
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| Team data | |||
Previous names | Wichita Aeros (1970–1984) | ||
Previous parks | Lawrence–Dumont Stadium (1970–1984) | ||
The Aeros were established as an expansion franchise when the Association grew from six to eight clubs after the 1969 season. They were affiliated with the Cleveland Indians (1970–71), Chicago Cubs (1972–80), Texas Rangers (1981), Montreal Expos (1982–83) and Cincinnati Reds (1984). The Aeros led the league in attendance in 1970 and from 1972–74, but a series of last-place teams during their years as a Cubs farm club drove down attendance throughout the rest of the 1970s. The Aeros won only one division title, and no league championships, during their 15-year history.
On September 14, 1984, the Aeros were transferred to Buffalo, New York, and became the Buffalo Bisons, who are now members of the International League. The Bisons had existed in some form since the 1870s and (at the time playing at the Double-A level) used the Aeros' franchise to return to Triple-A baseball. In 1987, the Beaumont Golden Gators of the Double-A Texas League transferred to Wichita and remained there through the 2007 season as the Wranglers. The Wranglers moved to Springdale, Arkansas, in 2008. Wichita's current team is the Wind Surge of the Pacific Coast League. The Wingnuts of the independent league baseball incarnation of the American Association played in Wichita between 2008 and 2019.[1]
References
- Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, editors. The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 1997 edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America.