Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
Encyclopedia : S : SO : SOU : Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
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The Southwest Michigan Devil Rays, based in Battle Creek, Michigan, is a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The team plays in the Midwest League and their home park is C.O. Brown Stadium, opened in 1990.
The Midwest League came to Battle Creek, in 1995 after a franchise previously based in Springfield, Illinois (1982-93) and Madison, Wisconsin (1994) moved. The team was first known as the Battle Creek Golden Kazoos. Due to a trademark dispute and general fan dissatisfaction with the name (which is a nickname for the nearby city of Kalamazoo), the name was changed to the Michigan Battle Cats on March 9, 1995.
The team was affiliated with the Boston Red Sox (1995-98) and Houston Astros (1999-2002). The team changed its name to the Battle Creek Yankees after becoming an affiliate of the New York Yankees in 2003. In September 2004, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays took over affiliation of the team, making the first association of the Devil Rays with the Midwest League.
In January of 2006, it was confirmed that the Devil Rays would be sold to the non-profit Michigan Baseball Foundation and relocated to Midland, Michigan.
Notable alumni of the Midwest League, Battle Creek franchise include Rafael Betancourt, Justin Duchscherer, David Eckstein, Shea Hillenbrand, Matt Kinney, Jason Lane, Aaron Miles, Roy Oswalt, Carl Pavano, Tim Redding, Chris Reitsma, Donnie Sadler, Johan Santana and Wilton Veras.
Sources
- Dinda, J. (2003), "Battle Creek, Michigan, in the Midwest League" [link]
External link
| Midwest League | ||
| Eastern Division | Western Division | |
|---|---|---|
| Dayton Dragons | Fort Wayne Wizards | Lansing Lugnuts | South Bend Silver Hawks | Southwest Michigan Devil Rays | West Michigan Whitecaps | Beloit Snappers | Burlington Bees | Cedar Rapids Kernels | Clinton LumberKings | Kane County Cougars | Peoria Chiefs | Swing of the Quad Cities | Wisconsin Timber Rattlers | |
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