Ken schnacke biography

Columbus Clippers

Minor League Baseball team

Minor league baseball team

The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.

They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy merchantsailing vessels known as clippers. The team has played their place games at Huntington Park since They previously played at Cooper Stadium from to

The Clippers were established in as members of the Triple-A International League.

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in , the Clippers were shifted to the Triple-A East, but this was renamed the IL in They won seven IL championships during a year affiliation with the Recent York Yankees (–).

Columbus has won four more IL titles and two Triple-A championships since affiliating with Cleveland in

History

Before the Clippers

Professional baseball was first played in Columbus, Ohio, in by the Columbus Buckeyes of the International Association.[3] It has been represented at the utmost levels of Minor League Baseball nearly continuously since , at first in the American Association by the Columbus Senators (–) and Columbus Red Birds (–) and then in the International League (IL) by the Columbus Jets (–).[3] In , the Jets moved to Charleston, West Virginia, as the Charleston Charlies, touching off a six-year drought of minor-league baseball in Columbus.

[3]

International League

Pittsburgh Pirates (–)

The Columbus Clippers began play in as the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the International League. They played their dwelling games at Franklin County Stadium, which opened in and was renamed Cooper Stadium in [4] The Clippers were named for speedy merchantsailing vessels known as clippers.

Consecutive seventh-place finishes in their first two seasons kept the team out of the playoffs.[5][6] Off the field, the franchise was recognized with the Larry MacPhail Award for exceptional minor league promotions.[7]

New York Yankees (–)

Columbus changed its affiliation to the New York Yankees in in what would become a year relationship and the most successful period in Clippers history.

From to , the Clippers finished atop the league standings and won three consecutive Governors' Cups, the International League championship. The team, managed by Gene Michael, won the league title by defeating the Syracuse Chiefs in the finals.[8]OutfielderBobby Brown was selected as the IL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Rick Anderson as the Most Valuable Pitcher.[9] Additionally, the franchise won its second Larry MacPhail Award.[7]Joe Altobelli's Clippers won the next Governors' Cup over the Toledo Mud Hens.[10]First basemanMarshall Brant won the league MVP Award, Bob Kammeyer won the top pitcher award, and Altobelli was chosen as the Manager of the Year.[9] In , Frank Verdi led Columbus to its third title over the Richmond Braves in a championship series that was shortened due to inclement weather.[11]

Columbus qualified for the playoffs in each of the next three seasons but was eliminated in the semifinals each time.[12][13][14] Several Clippers were recognized with league awards during this period.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In November , the same month Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States, Ken Schnacke was hired by the Columbus Clippers. Forty-seven years -- and seven U.S.

Third basemanTucker Ashford won the IL MVP Award.[9] In , catcherScott Bradley was the MVP and Rookie of the Year,[9] and the Clippers won a third Larry MacPhail Award. [7] Outfielder Dan Pasqua was a dual MVP and Rookie of the Year in [9] The club reached the finals, but they lost the Governors' Cup to the Tidewater Tides.[15] Though missing the postseason in , first baseman Orestes Destrade won the Rookie of the Year Award.[9] The Clippers, managed by Bucky Dent, swept the Rochester Red Wings in the semifinals and Tidewater in the finals to win their fourth IL championship.[16]Brad Arnsberg won the Most Valuable Pitcher Award.[9] Columbus next returned to the playoffs in via a Western Division title, but they confused the single round of playoffs and the championship to Rochester.[17] Outfielder Hensley Meulens was the MVP of the season, and Dave Eiland was the foremost pitcher.[9]

Manager Rick Down led the Clippers to back-to-back Governors' Cup championships in and The team defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox in the finals.[18] They then advanced to the Triple-A Classic, a postseason championship series against the Denver Zephyrs, champions of the American Association, where they were defeated, 4–1.[19] The squad won their championship over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.[20] First baseman J.

T. Snow was selected as the MVP and Rookie of the Year, while Sam Militello was chosen as the Most Valuable Pitcher.[9] In a ranking by baseball historians, the Clippers were recognized as the seventy-second greatest minor league team of all time.[21]

The franchise was awarded the John H.

Johnson President's Award, 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."[7] Columbus won its final IL championship as a Yankees affiliate in under Stump Merrill after winning the Western Division title, sweeping the Norfolk Tides in the semifinals, and sweeping Rochester in the championship round.[22] They reached the finals in but lost in the final round to Rochester and were eliminated in the semifinals in and [23][24][25] A pair of Clippers won awards in Ed Yarnall as the Most Valuable Pitcher and first baseman Kurt Bierek as Rookie of the Year.[9] In , first baseman Fernando Seguignol was selected as the league MVP.[9]

Washington Nationals (–)

The Clippers became the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals in The partnership lasted two seasons, with Columbus finishing with losing records each season and failing to qualify for the Governors' Cup playoffs.[3] On September 1, , the Clippers played their final game at Cooper Stadium before moving into a new facility the obeying season.

Over 16, people attended the game, a 3–0 deficit to Toledo.[26]

Cleveland Indians / Guardians (–present)

In , Columbus began their affiliation with the Cleveland Indians.[27] The Clippers also began playing at Huntington Park, a $million dollar, 10,seat stadium located at the corner of Neil Ave.

and Nationwide Blvd. in the Columbus's Arena District.[27] The inaugural home opener was played on April 18, , when 11, people in attendance saw the Clippers lose to Toledo, 3–1.[28]

Managed by Mike Sarbaugh, Columbus won consecutive IL championships in and After clinching a wild card berth, they defeated the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the semifinals then won the Governors' Cup against the Durham Bulls.[29] 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.[30] As the Western Division winners, Columbus advanced to the finals with a win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and won the Governors' Cup over Durham.[31] In the Triple-A National Championship Game, they defeated the PCL's Omaha Storm Chasers, 8–3.[32] Sarbaugh was recognized as the IL Manager of the Year.[9]

The Clippers won the Western Division title but were ousted from the Governors' Cup playoffs by Durham in the semifinals.[33] In , 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.[34] Defeating Norfolk in the semifinals, the Clippers met the Indians in the Governors' Cup finals and won the IL championship under manager Chris Tremie.[35] They then lost the Triple-A Championship to the PCL's Fresno Grizzlies, 7–0.[36] Columbus returned to the postseason in via a Western Division title, but they fell to the Gwinnett Braves in the semifinals.[37] Outfielder Yandy Díaz was the IL Rookie of the Year.[9] In , 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.[38] At the Triple-A National Championship Game they lost to the Sacramento River Cats, 4–0.[39] The start of the season was initially postponed due to the COVID pandemic before being cancelled altogether.[40][41]

Following the season, Major League Baseball assumed control of Low League Baseball in a advance to increase player salaries, modernize facility standards, and reduce travel.[42] The Clippers were organized into the Triple-A East and maintained their affiliation with the Cleveland Indians.[42] Columbus ended the season in fifth place in the Midwestern Division with a 56–62 record.[43] No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner.[44] 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.[44] Columbus finished the tournament tied for 23rd place with a 3–6 record.[45]

In , the Triple-A East became known as the International League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the reorganization, after Major League Baseball acquired the rights to the name.[46] The Clippers won the second-half of the season,[47] giving them a playoff berth, but they disoriented the IL championship to the Omaha Storm Chasers, 2–1, in a best-of-three series.[48] Their complete season record was 80–[49] Outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez won the IL MVP Award.[50]

Season-by-season records

Main article: List of Columbus Clippers seasons

Roster

Awards

The franchise has been awarded these honors by Minor League Baseball.[7]

Eighteen players, two managers, and two executives have won league awards in recognition for their performance with Columbus.[9]

Radio and television

All Clippers residence and road games are disseminate on WMNI AM [54] Stay audio broadcasts are also accessible 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 subscription feature of the official website of Minor League Baseball.[55]

As of , Ryan Mitchell and Scott Leo serve as play-by-play announcers.[2] Several former Clippers broadcasters own gone to work in Major League Baseball, including: John Gordon (–), Rick Rizzs (–), Pat Hughes (), Terry Smith (–), and Tom Hamilton (–).

Notes

References

  1. ^"Columbus Clippers Mascot Request Form". Columbus Clippers. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 1,
  2. ^ ab"Clippers Front Office Staff".

    Columbus Clippers. Insignificant League Baseball. Retrieved May 1,

  3. ^ abcd"Columbus, Ohio Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.

    Sports Reference. Retrieved May 25,

  4. ^"Harold Cooper Stadium". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 25,
  5. ^" International League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved April 29,
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  7. ^ abcdefghi"Minor League Baseball Award Winners".

    Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 23,

  8. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
  9. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeafagahaiajakalamanaoap"International League Award Winners".

    International League.

    Kenneth A. Schnacke, American baseball team executive, educator. Member National Society to Prevent Blindness, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, National Football Hall of Fame, Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus, 65 Roses Baseball Club, Agonis Club, Champions for Children, Ohio State University Diamond Club, Sales Executives, Columbus Chamber of C.

    Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 23,

  10. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
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    They are located in Columbus, Ohioand are named for speedy merchant sailing vessels known as clippers. The team has played their home games at Huntington Park since They previously played at Cooper Stadium from to Columbus has won four more IL titles and two Triple-A championships since affiliating with Cleveland in

    Retrieved April 29,

  17. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
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  19. ^"Triple-A Baseball Interleague Post-Season Compete Results".

    Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original on April 15, Retrieved July 30,

  20. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
  21. ^Weiss, Bill; Wright, Marshall (). " Columbus Clippers".

    Minor League Baseball. Retrieved July 30,

  22. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
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  26. ^"16,Plus Show for Last Game at Cooper Stadium". The Advocate.

    Newark. September 2, p.&#;2B &#; via

  27. ^ abBenson, John (April 16, ). "Fortune Smiles On Clippers". The Advocate. Newark. p.&#;1D &#; via
  28. ^Storm, Stephanie (April 19, ).

    "Loyalty to Indians Clear at Opener". The Akron Beacon Journal. Akron. p.&#;C7 &#; via

  29. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
  30. ^"Tacoma Rainiers () 6, Columbus Clippers () 12"(PDF).

    Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original(PDF) on September 16, Retrieved July 30,

  31. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
  32. ^"Columbus Clippers () 8, Omaha Storm Chasers () 3"(PDF).

    Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original(PDF) on May 2, Retrieved July 30,

  33. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
  34. ^Wagner, John (September 9, ).

    "International League Playoff Preview". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 30,

  35. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
  36. ^"Fresno Grizzlies () 7, Columbus Clippers () 0"(PDF).

    Triple-A Baseball. Archived from the original(PDF) on May 1, Retrieved July 30,

  37. ^" International League". Stats Crew. Retrieved April 29,
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  39. ^Heneghan, Kelsie. "Stingy Baragar, Cats Take Triple-A crown".

    Mark Warren Vice President of Business. Scott Ziegler Vice President of Tickets. Krista Oberlander Vice President of Merchandising. Ticket Operations and Merchandising.

    Minor League Baseball. Retrieved July 30,

  40. ^"A Letter From Pat O'Conner". Minor League Baseball. March 13, Retrieved May 5,
  41. ^ ab" Minor League Baseball Season Shelved".

    Minor League Baseball. June 30, Retrieved July 1,

  42. ^ abMayo, Jonathan (February 12, ). "MLB Announces Modern Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12,
  43. ^ ab" Triple-A East Standings".

    Forty-seven years -- and seven U. He sums up his career thusly:. The Clippers have served as Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate sincethe same year their current dwelling of Huntington Park opened. I had not been a very good athlete, but I treasure the game of baseball.

    Minor League Baseball. Retrieved October 3,

  44. ^ ab"MiLB Announces 'Triple-A Last Stretch' for ". Minor League Baseball. July 14, Retrieved July 16,
  45. ^ ab" Triple-A Last Stretch Standings".

    Minor League Baseball. Retrieved October 3,

  46. ^"Historical League Names to Return in ". Minor League Baseball. March 16, Retrieved March 16,
  47. ^ ab"Standings".

    Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on September 23, Retrieved September 23,

  48. ^ ab"Omaha Storm Chasers Win International League Championship". .

    Forty-seven years -- and seven U. He sums up his career thusly:. The Clippers have served as Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate sincethe same year their current home of Huntington Park opened. I had not been a very good sportsman, but I love the game of baseball.

    Minor League Baseball. September 26, Retrieved September 27,

  49. ^ ab" International League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on September 23, Retrieved September 23,
  50. ^ abAvallone, Michael (October 2, ).

    "Here are the Triple-A All-Stars and Award Winners". Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on October 2, Retrieved October 2,

  51. ^Bonnell, Rick (February 12, ). "Columbus Clippers Extend Agreement With Cleveland as Part of Minor League Realignment Plan".

    NBC4i. Retrieved April 30,

  52. ^" International League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved September 28,
  53. ^" International League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference.

    Archived from the authentic on September 25, Retrieved September 25,

  54. ^"Columbus Clippers". WMNI.

    Ken Schnacke reflects on time with Triple-A Columbus - MiLB.com: COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In November , the same month Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States, Ken Schnacke was hired by the Columbus Clippers. Forty-seven years -- and seven U.S. presidents -- later, Schnacke is still working for the Clippers.

    North American Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 31,

  55. ^"". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved July 31,

External links