Trenton Thunder
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The Trenton Thunder are an American minor league baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Northern Division of the Eastern League. The Thunder's home field is Mercer County Waterfront Park in Trenton, New Jersey.
The Thunder moved to Trenton from London, Ontario, where they had been known as the London Tigers, playing at historic Labatt Park. The club was affiliated with the Detroit Tigers at that time, but switched affiliations to the Boston Red Sox in 1995. As a Red Sox affiliate, the club recorded three first-place finishes, but was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round each time. In 2003, the Thunder became aligned with the Yankees; the Red Sox adopted the Portland Sea Dogs at that time. The switch reflected both teams' fanbases, as Central New Jersey is largely split between the Yankees, Mets and Phillies, while Maine is part of Red Sox territory.
On July 17, 1995, pitcher Jeff Suppan became the first former Thunder player to play in the major leagues. He was the losing pitcher in a 4-3 Red Sox loss at Fenway Park to the Kansas City Royals.
In 2005, the Thunder became the first team in Minor League Baseball history to draw over 400,000 fans for eleven consecutive seasons at the Double-A level or below.[link]
Team History
Notable alumni
Former Thunder players have earned spots on the big-league rosters of several teams over the years. Tony Clark and Nomar Garciaparra were arguably the first two real successes to pass through the Thunder organization, breaking in with the Tigers and Red Sox, respectively.
Current Red Sox outfielder Trot Nixon was a member of the Thunder in the 1995 and 1996 seasons. He has proved one of the most consistent Thunder alumni, being a staple in Boston since he was called up.
Shea Hillenbrand played for the Thunder in the 1999 and 2000 seasons before being promoted to Boston, where he became a steady presence at first and third base. He now plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.
David Eckstein, a key component of the 1999 Trenton Thunder team, is currently a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2002, Eckstein, then the shortstop for the Anaheim Angels, became the first former Thunder player to play on a World Series champion. Pitcher Carl Pavano followed suit with the Florida Marlins in 2003, as did Nomar Garciaparra, Trot Nixon, and Adam Hyzdu with the 2004 World Champion Red Sox.
Ex-Thunder infielder Robinson Canó and starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang were promoted to the New York Yankees during the 2005 season. Outfielder Melky Cabrera was called up to the Bronx for a short stint in 2005 and injuries made him a starting player in 2006.
Retired numbers
The Thunder have retired two uniform numbers, in addition to the all-of-baseball retirement of number 42 for Jackie Robinson.- Number 33 of Tony Clark, 1994 first baseman
- Number 5 of Nomar Garciaparra, 1995 shortstop
Season records
| Season | Affiliation | Manager | Record |
| 1994 | Tigers | Tom Runnells | 55-85, 5th place South |
| 1995 | Red Sox | Ken Macha | 73-69, 1st place South (tie) |
| 1996 | Red Sox | Ken Macha | 86-56, 1st place South |
| 1997 | Red Sox | DeMarlo Hale | 71-70, 4th place South |
| 1998 | Red Sox | DeMarlo Hale | 71-70, 3rd place South |
| 1999 | Red Sox | DeMarlo Hale | 92-50, 1st place North |
| 2000 | Red Sox | Billy Gardner, Jr. | 67-75, 5th place North |
| 2001 | Red Sox | Billy Gardner, Jr. | 67-75, 5th place North |
| 2002 | Red Sox | Ron Johnson | 63-77, 5th place North (tie) |
| 2003 | Yankees | Stump Merrill | 70-71, 4th place North |
| 2004 | Yankees | Stump Merrill | 64-78, 6th place North |
| 2005 | Yankees | Bill Masse | 74-68, 2nd place North |
Post-season records
- 1995: Lost to Reading Phillies, 3 games to 0, in opening round
- 1996: Lost to Harrisburg Senators, 3 games to 1, in opening round
- 1999: Lost to Norwich Navigators, 3 games to 2, in opening round
- 2005: Lost to Portland Sea Dogs, 3 games to 2, in opening round [link]
Waterfront Park
Official Name: Samuel J. Plumeri Field at Mercer County Waterfront Park
Address: One Thunder Road, Trenton, NJ 08611
Opened: 1994
Seating Capacity: 6,440
Dimensions: LF - 330 ft, CF - 407 ft, RF - 330 ft
Waterfront Park is located right on the banks of the Delaware River, creating beautiful scenery for guests.
Boomer
![The Boomer Race has been a fixture at Thunder games. [link]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Boomerrace.jpg "The Boomer Race has been a fixture at Thunder games. [link]")
Boomer is the Thunder's well-known and much-loved mascot. He is a blue "Thunderbird" with a yellow beak and buck teeth. He wears a Thunder uniform as well as purple and yellow shades. Boomer traditionally takes part in many of the promotions and activities throughout Thunder home games, such as a race around the bases against a young fan. Boomer's likeness has appeared on numerous pieces of merchandise, and he is involved with several programs assisting children in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These factors have made him perhaps the most popular and enduring aspect of the Trenton Thunder.
External links
| Eastern League | ||
| Northern Division | Southern Division | |
|---|---|---|
| Binghamton Mets | Connecticut Defenders | New Britain Rock Cats | New Hampshire Fisher Cats | Portland Sea Dogs | Trenton Thunder | Akron Aeros | Altoona Curve | Bowie Baysox | Erie SeaWolves | Harrisburg Senators | Reading Phillies | |
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