The Columbus Clippers are a
Minor League Baseball team of the
International League (IL) and the
Triple-A affiliate of the
Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...
. They are located in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...
, and are named for speedy
merchant
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
sailing vessels known as
clippers. The team has played their home games at
Huntington Park since 2009. They previously played at
Cooper Stadium from 1977 to 2008.
The Clippers were established in 1977 as members of the Triple-A International League. In conjunction with
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Clippers were shifted to the
Triple-A East
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
, but this was renamed the IL in 2022. They won seven
IL championships during a 28-year affiliation with the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
(1979–2006). Columbus has won two more IL titles and two
Triple-A championships since affiliating with Cleveland in 2009.
History
Before the Clippers
Professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professiona ...
was first played in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...
, in 1877 by the
Columbus Buckeyes of the
International Association.
It has been represented at the highest levels of
Minor League Baseball nearly continuously since 1902, at first in the
American Association American Association may refer to:
Baseball
* American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891
* American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997
* American Association of Profe ...
by the
Columbus Senators (1902–1930) and
Columbus Red Birds
The Columbus Red Birds were a top-level minor league baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio, in the American Association from 1931 through 1954. The Columbus club, a member of the Association continuously since 1902, was previously known as ...
(1931–1954) and then in the
International League (IL) by the
Columbus Jets (1955–1970).
[ In 1971, the Jets moved to ]Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 2020 census and an estimated population of 48,018 in 2021. The Charlesto ...
, as the Charleston Charlies, touching off a six-year drought of minor-league baseball in Columbus. [
]
International League
Pittsburgh Pirates (1977–1978)
The Columbus Clippers began play in 1977 as the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
in the International League. They played their home games at Franklin County Stadium, which opened in 1932 and was renamed Cooper Stadium in 1985. The Clippers were named for speedy merchant
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
sailing vessels known as clippers. Consecutive seventh-place finishes in their first two seasons kept the team out of the playoffs. Off the field, the franchise was recognized with the 1977 Larry MacPhail Award for outstanding minor league promotions.
New York Yankees (1979–2006)
Columbus changed its affiliation to the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
in 1979 in what would become a 28-year relationship and the most successful period in Clippers history. From 1979 to 1982, the Clippers finished atop the league standings and won three consecutive Governors' Cups, the International League championship. The 1979 team, managed by Gene Michael, won the league title by defeating the Syracuse Chiefs in the finals. Outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
Bobby Brown was selected as the 1979 IL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Rick Anderson as the Most Valuable Pitcher. Additionally, the franchise won its second Larry MacPhail Award.[ ]Joe Altobelli
Joseph Salvatore Altobelli (May 26, 1932 – March 3, 2021) was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder who played for the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball. He was also a manager for the San Fr ...
's 1980 Clippers won the next Governors' Cup over the Toledo Mud Hens. First baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Marshall Brant won the league MVP Award, Bob Kammeyer won the top pitcher award, and Altobelli was chosen as the Manager of the Year Manager of the Year may refer to:
* Major League Baseball Manager of the Year Award
* League Managers Association Manager of the Year
* Premier League Manager of the Season
The Premier League Manager of the Season is an annual association footba ...
.[ In 1981, Frank Verdi led Columbus to its third title over the Richmond Braves in a championship series which was shortened due to inclement weather.]
Columbus qualified for the playoffs in each of the next three seasons but was eliminated in the semifinals each time. Several Clippers were recognized with league awards during this period. Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...
Tucker Ashford won the 1982 IL MVP Award.[ In 1984, ]catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the cat ...
Scott Bradley was the MVP and Rookie of the Year,[ and the Clippers won a third Larry MacPhail Award. ][ Outfielder ]Dan Pasqua
Daniel Anthony Pasqua (born October 17, 1961) is an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox from 1985 through 1994. He works as a community repr ...
was a dual MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1985.[ The 1985 club reached the finals, but they lost the Governors' Cup to the ]Tidewater Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Ches ...
. Though missing the postseason in 1986, first baseman Orestes Destrade won the Rookie of the Year Award.[ The 1987 Clippers, managed by ]Bucky Dent
Russell Earl "Bucky" Dent (born Russell Earl O'Dey; November 25, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager. He earned two World Series rings as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978 and ...
, swept the Rochester Red Wings in the semifinals and Tidewater in the finals to win their fourth IL championship. Brad Arnsberg
Bradley James Arnsberg (born August 20, 1963) is a Major League Baseball coach and a former pitcher. He has held the role of pitching coach for the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros, and is currently with the A ...
won the 1987 Most Valuable Pitcher Award.[ Columbus next returned to the playoffs in 1990 via a Western Division title, but they lost the single round of playoffs and the championship to Rochester.] Outfielder Hensley Meulens
Hensley Filemon Acasio Meulens (; born June 23, 1967), nicknamed "Bam Bam", is a Curaçaoan professional baseball coach and retired player. He is the hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB).
A native of Curaçao, ...
was the MVP of the 1990 season, and Dave Eiland was the top pitcher.[
Manager ]Rick Down
Richard John Down (December 14, 1950 – January 5, 2019) was an American professional baseball hitting coach. He was the hitting coach for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets ...
led the Clippers to back-to-back Governors' Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. The 1991 team defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox in the finals. They then advanced to the Triple-A Classic, a postseason championship series against the Denver Zephyrs
The Denver Zephyrs (formerly the Denver Bears) were a Minor League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They were a Triple-A team that played in the American Association from 1955 to 1962, the Pacific Coast League from 1963 ...
, champions of the American Association, where they were defeated, 4–1. The 1992 squad won their championship over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...
. First baseman J. T. Snow
Jack Thomas Snow Jr. (born February 26, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports color commentator. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball from to , most notably as a member of the San Fra ...
was selected as the MVP and Rookie of the Year, while Sam Militello was chosen as the Most Valuable Pitcher.[ In a 2001 ranking by baseball historians, the 1992 Clippers were recognized as the seventy-second greatest minor league team of all time.
The franchise was awarded the 1995 ]John H. Johnson President's Award
The Minor League Baseball Organization of the Year Award, formerly known as the John H. Johnson President's Award or simply the President's Award, is presented annually by Minor League Baseball (MiLB) to recognize "a 'complete' baseball franchise ...
, recognizing them as the "complete baseball franchise—based on franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community, and promotion of the baseball industry."[ Columbus won its final IL championship as a Yankees affiliate in 1996 under Stump Merrill after winning the Western Division title, sweeping the Norfolk Tides in the semifinals, and sweeping Rochester in the championship round.] They reached the finals in 1997 but lost in the final round to Rochester and were eliminated in the semifinals in 1999 and 2004. A pair of Clippers won awards in 1999: Ed Yarnall
Harvey Edward Yarnall (born December 4, 1975) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees, and two seasons in Japan with the Orix BlueWave.
Career
Yarnall played co ...
as the Most Valuable Pitcher and first baseman Kurt Bierek as Rookie of the Year.[ In 2003, first baseman ]Fernando Seguignol
Fernando Alfredo Seguignol Garcia (born January 19, 1975) is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder. Seguignol also played eight years in Nippon Professional Baseball. A switch hitter, Seguignol is regarded as the best swi ...
was selected as the league MVP.[
]
Washington Nationals (2007–2008)
The Clippers became the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals in 2007. The partnership lasted two seasons, with Columbus finishing with losing records each season and failing to qualify for the Governors' Cup playoffs.[ On September 1, 2008, the Clippers played their final game at Cooper Stadium before moving into a new facility the next season. Over 16,000 people attended the game, a 3–0 loss to Toledo.
]
Cleveland Indians / Guardians (2009–present)
In 2009, Columbus began their affiliation with the Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...
. The Clippers also began playing at Huntington Park, a US$56-million dollar, 10,000-seat stadium located at the corner of Neil Ave and Nationwide Blvd in the Columbus's Arena District.[ The inaugural home opener was played on April 18, 2009, when 11,950 people in attendance saw the Clippers lose to Toledo, 3–1.
Managed by ]Mike Sarbaugh
James Michael Sarbaugh (born April 25, 1967) is a baseball coach for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a former minor league baseball player and minor league manager for the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A farm team o ...
, Columbus won consecutive IL championships in 2010 and 2011. After clinching a 2010 wild card berth, they defeated the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the semifinals then won the Governors' Cup against the Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...
. The league title sent them to the Triple-A National Championship Game, a single game against the Tacoma Rainiers, champions of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), which was won by Columbus, 12–6. As the 2011 Western Division winners, Columbus advanced to the finals with a win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and won the Governors' Cup over Durham. In the Triple-A National Championship Game, they defeated the PCL's Omaha Storm Chasers
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, and play their home games at W ...
, 8–3. Sarbaugh was recognized as the 2011 IL Manager of the Year.[
The 2014 Clippers won the Western Division title but were ousted from the Governors' Cup playoffs by Durham in the semifinals.] In 2015, Columbus was declared co-champion of the Western Division after finishing the season tied for first place with the Indianapolis Indians. They were seeded as the division champion for the playoffs by tie-breaking procedures. Defeating Norfolk in the semifinals, the Clippers met the Indians in the Governors' Cup finals and won the IL championship under manager Chris Tremie. They then lost the Triple-A Championship to the PCL's Fresno Grizzlies, 7–0. Columbus returned to the postseason in 2016 via a Western Division title, but they fell to the Gwinnett Braves
The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevi ...
in the semifinals. Outfielder Yandy Díaz
Yandy Díaz Fernández (born August 8, 1991) is a Cuban-born professional baseball third baseman and first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Cleveland Indians.
Cuban career
Diaz played ...
was the 2016 IL Rookie of the Year.[ In 2019, under manager Tony Mansolino, the team captured its last International League championship. With another Western Division title and a semifinal win over the Gwinnett Stripers, they won the Governors' Cup against Durham.] At the Triple-A National Championship Game they lost to the Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 ye ...
, 4–0. The start of the 2020 season was initially postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
before being cancelled altogether.
Following the 2020 season, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
assumed control of Minor League Baseball in a move to increase player salaries, modernize facility standards, and reduce travel. The Clippers were organized into the Triple-A East and maintained their affiliation with the Cleveland Indians.[ Columbus ended the season in fifth place in the Midwestern Division with a 56–62 record.] No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner. However, 10 games that had been postponed from the start of the season were reinserted into the schedule as a postseason tournament called the Triple-A Final Stretch in which all 30 Triple-A clubs competed for the highest winning percentage.[ Columbus finished the tournament tied for 23rd place with a 3–6 record.]
In 2022, the Triple-A East became known as the International League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization, after Major League Baseball acquired the rights to the name.
Season-by-season records
Roster
Awards
The franchise has been awarded these honors by Minor League Baseball.
Seventeen players, two managers, and two executives have won league awards in recognition for their performance with Columbus.
Radio and television
All Clippers home and road games are broadcast on WMNI
WMNI (920 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Columbus, Ohio, known as "Fox Sports 920" with a sports format. Locally owned by North American Broadcasting Company, Inc., WMNI serves the Columbus metropolitan area. WMNI's studios ar ...
AM 920 and Easy 95.1 FM. Live audio broadcasts are also available online through the station's website as well as on the team's website and the MiLB First Pitch app. Games can be viewed through the MiLB.TV subscription feature of the official website of Minor League Baseball.
As of 2021, Ryan Mitchell and Scott Leo serve as play-by-play announcers.[ Several former Clippers broadcasters have gone to work in Major League Baseball, including: John Gordon (1977–1981), Rick Rizzs (1981–1982), Pat Hughes (1982), Terry Smith (1983–2001), and Tom Hamilton (1987–1989).
]
Notes
References
External links
*
Statistics from ''Baseball-Reference''
{{Ohio Sports
1977 establishments in Ohio
Baseball teams established in 1977
Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates
International League teams
New York Yankees minor league affiliates
Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates
Sports teams in Columbus, Ohio
Washington Nationals minor league affiliates
Triple-A East teams