The Maine Guides were an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

minor league baseball franchise that played in

Old Orchard Beach, Maine Old Orchard Beach is a resort town and census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,960 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the larges ...

, between 1984 and 1988. The Triple-A

International League 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 ...

(IL) club was named for a classification of registered hunting and wilderness guides in the state called

Maine Guide Maine Guides are individuals certified to accompany travelers on a number of outdoor activities in the wilderness of the State of Maine, in the United States. History On March 19, 1897, The Maine legislature passed a bill requiring hunting gui ...

s for its first four seasons, but changed to the Maine Phillies for its final campaign.

History

In December 1982, Jordan Kobritz purchased the

Charleston Charlies The Charleston Charlies were a Triple-A minor league baseball team located in Charleston, West Virginia. Two separate Charlies franchises played in the International League from 1971 to 1983. The team was the relocated Columbus Jets. In 1977 the ...

from Carl Steinfelt. The Charlies played in

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston is the capital and List of cities in West Virginia, most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk River (West Virginia), Elk and Kanawha River, Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 20 ...

, in 1983 and Kobritz moved them to Maine ahead of the 1984 season. Sportscaster

Gary Thorne Gary F. Thorne (born June 9, 1948) is an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for Baltimore Orioles games on MASN from 2007 to 2020. He has also worked for ESPN and ABC, including National Hockey League, Major League ...

was a co-owner of the team. Although Old Orchard Beach is not one of Maine's year-round population centers, it is a popular summer vacation destination. Kobritz oversaw the construction of a stadium, called

The Ball Park The Ballpark is a baseball stadium located in the town of Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The stadium has a seating capacity of 6,000 and is a former Triple-A baseball facility that was almost destroyed by years of neglect until a community organi ...

, on the outskirts of town. Fans who visited the stadium complained of rampant mosquitos, and the team struggled at the turnstiles almost from the outset. The Guides, top

farm team In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

of 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) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

at the time, drew 183,300 fans in their maiden season—fourth overall in the International League. They finished second in the standings and the runners-up in the IL playoffs. The Guides again placed second in 1985, but fell to 136,000 in total attendance—last in the eight-team league. The 1986 Guides placed last in the league, and last at the gate (105,600). In 1987, the Indians departed and the club became an affiliate of the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

. In October 1987, John McGee won the franchise through a ruling of a three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. McGee made known his intention to move the club to a new ballpark in

Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Lackawanna County (; unm, Lèkaohane) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania and had a population of 215,896 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is Scranton. The county ...

. However the ballpark would not be ready until 1989. McGee chose to remain in Old Orchard Beach for the 1988 season and renamed the team the Phillies. The Guides' attendance had held steady in 1987, but hemorrhaged fans—almost a quarter of its dismal 1987 total—drawing only 80,000 people in 1988 while finishing last in their division. The franchise relocated to Pennsylvania for the 1989 season and was renamed 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 ...

, who are now the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 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 (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

. The state of Maine has had the

Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red ...

of the Double-A Eastern League in the city of

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

since 1994.

Notable alumni

Darren Daulton Darren Arthur Daulton (January 3, 1962 – August 6, 2017), nicknamed "Dutch", was an American professional baseball catcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (, –) and Miami Marlins, Florida Marlins (199 ...

* Steve Farr * John Farrell *

Dave Gallagher David Thomas Gallagher (born September 20, 1960) is an American former professional baseball journeyman outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven teams, during his nine-year big league career (–). Early life Gallagher w ...

* Chris James *

Ricky Jordan Paul Scott "Ricky" Jordan (born May 26, 1965)Ricky Jordan
Baseball Reference, access date August 28, ...

Mike Maddux Michael Ausley Maddux (born August 27, 1961) is an American professional baseball coach and former pitcher. He is the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for nine teams, over 15 seasons, and co ...

Otis Nixon Otis Junior Nixon (born January 9, 1959) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1983), Cleveland Indians (1984–87), Montreal Expos (1988–90), Atlanta Brav ...

Junior Noboa Milciades Arturo "Junior" Noboa Díaz (born November 10, 1964) is a Dominican former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, California Angels, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Oa ...

Geno Petralli Eugene James Petralli (born September 25, 1959) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers from to . Early life and education Petralli grad ...

* Roy Smith *

Cory Snyder James Cory Snyder (born November 11, 1962) is an American former professional baseball right fielder and the manager of the Northern Colorado Owlz. He played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 1994 for the Cleveland Indians, ...

* Jeff Stone

References

Notes Sources *Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, editors. ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball,'' 1997 edition. Durham, N.C.: ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

''. {{refend

External links

The Guides' 10 greatest players
Defunct International League teams Baseball teams established in 1984 Baseball teams disestablished in 1988 Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates Philadelphia Phillies minor league affiliates Professional baseball teams in Maine Old Orchard Beach, Maine 1984 establishments in Maine 1988 disestablishments in Maine Defunct baseball teams in Maine