Staten Island Yankees

The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team that played in the New York City borough of Staten Island from 1999 to 2020. They were called the "Baby Bombers" and were a Class A Short Season team linked to the famous New York Yankees. Their home games were at Richmond County Bank Ballpark in St. George.

The Staten Island Yankees were very successful. They won six New York–Penn League championships in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2011. This shows how skilled the players were and how much joy fans felt watching them play. The team helped many young players begin their path to becoming professional baseball stars.

History

The Staten Island Yankees started in 1983 as the Watertown Pirates, linked with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1989, they changed their name to the Watertown Indians and joined the Cleveland Indians.

In 1999, the team became the Staten Island Yankees after moving to Staten Island, New York City. They played their home games at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. The team was linked with the New York Yankees and were called the "Baby Bombers."

Some players from the Staten Island Yankees went on to play in the major leagues, like Jason Anderson and Wily Mo Peña. The team stopped playing after the 2020 season because of changes in the minor league system and the COVID-19 pandemic. A new team, the Staten Island FerryHawks, started playing there in 2022.

Year-by-year record

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Staten Island Yankees players

Many players from the Staten Island Yankees later played in the major leagues. This list has over a hundred names of players who joined the big leagues after playing for the team.

The team also had some major league players for short rehab assignments. These players used the Staten Island Yankees to get ready to return to the major leagues after an injury.

Mascots

The Staten Island Yankees had a fun mascot named Scooter the "Holy Cow." Scooter’s name came from a famous New York Yankees player and broadcaster, Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto. Scooter started with the team in 1999 when they moved to Staten Island. In 2003, Scooter got two sisters named Red and Huckleberry, or “Huck.” Together, Scooter, Red, and Huck were popular at games. They led fan activities and games between innings. They were known for their playful, silly acts, much like characters from The Three Stooges.

Retired numbers

The Staten Island Yankees honored some of their important players by retiring their numbers. The retired numbers are 6 for Brett Gardner, 17 for Robinson Canó, 19 for Jason Anderson, 41 for Chien-Ming Wang, and 42 for Jackie Robinson. These numbers will never be used again to honor these players.