The Cocoa Tigers were a minor league baseball team based in

Cocoa, Florida Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida, Brevard County, Florida. The population was 19,041 at the 2020 United States Census. It is part of the Palm Bay, Florida, Palm Bay–Melbourne, Florida, Melbourne–Titusville, Florida, Titusvil ...

in the 1964 season. The Cocoa Tigers played exclusively as members of the four–team

Rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

level

Cocoa Rookie League The Cocoa Rookie League, based in Cocoa and Melbourne, Florida, was an American minor professional baseball league that operated for one season, . One of the first spring training-complex-based circuits, it was graded at the Rookie-league lev ...

, with all league games played at the

Cocoa Expo Sports Center Coastal Florida Sports Park (formerly known as Cocoa Expo Sports Center) is a multi-sport complex located in Cocoa, Florida, where athletes of all levels can practice and play in facilities fit for the pros and improve their ability to compete ...

. The Cocoa Tigers were a minor league affiliate of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

in 1964 and placed 4th in the standings.

History

The

began play in the 1964 season, with all games based in Cocoa, Florida. The Cocoa "Tigers" became members of the four–team

level

. The Cocoa Colts, Cocoa Mets and

Melbourne Twins The Melbourne Twins were a minor league baseball team based in Melbourne, Florida, that played in the 1964 and seasons. The Melbourne Twins played as members of the Rookie level Cocoa Rookie League in 1964 and Florida East Coast League in 1972 ...

joined the Cocoa Tigers in the four–team league, beginning league play on July 1, 1964. On July 4, 1964, The Tigers were on the losing end as Melbourne Twins' pitchers Jerry Lyscio and Gene Melton threw a combined 7–inning

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

in a 2–0 victory over the Cocoa Tigers. In their only season of play, the Cocoa Tigers finished last in the Cocoa Rookie League final standings. With a record of 17–33, playing under manager

Doc Daugherty Harold Ray "Doc" Daugherty (October 12, 1927 – August 15, 2015) was an American professional baseball player and manager, and high school football head coach. A shortstop in minor league baseball, he made one appearance as a pinch hitter in th ...

, the Tigers placed 4th and finished 16.0 games the 1st place Melbourne Twins (34–18) in the final regular season standings, as the league had no playoffs. The Tigers also finished behind the 2nd place Cocoa Mets (28–22) and 3rd place Cocoa Colts (23–29). Cocoa Tiger player Lawrence Seneta won the Cocoa Rookie League batting title with a .383 batting average. Seneta also led the league with 52 total hits. The complex–based Tigers and other 1964 Cocoa Rookie League teams did not charge paid admission to games and individual attendance records were not kept. The league drew 1,683 total fans for the season. The Cocoa Rookie League folded after one season of play. In the following season, Cocoa, Florida hosted the

Cocoa Astros The Cocoa Astros were a professional minor league baseball team in the Florida State League (FSL), as a Class A affiliate with the Houston Astros from 1965–72 and 1977. The team played at the Astros' spring training facility. The Cocoa FSL tea ...

, who began play as members of the 1965 Class A level

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

The ballparks

The Cocoa Rookie League teams played games at the

. The facility was built in 1964 and initially hosted the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

spring training. Still in use today, the complex is located at 500 Friday Road, Cocoa, Florida.

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

(1964, MGR) *

Mike Kilkenny Michael David Kilkenny (April 11, 1945 – June 28, 2018) was a Canadian professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Born in Bradford, Ontario, the , left-hander was signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur f ...

(1964) *

Jim Leyland James Richard Leyland (born December 15, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He serves as a special assistant to the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Leyland led the Florida Marlins to the 19 ...

(1964) 3x MLB Manager of the Year *

Ray Newman Raymond Francis Newman (born June 20, 1945) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in 1971 and the Milwaukee Brewers in 1972-1973. He saw limited action in his brief career, usually as a reliever. He became ...

(1964)

References

{{reflist, colwidth=30em

External references