The Lake County Captains are a Minor League Baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio , a suburb of Cleveland , that plays in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians .
34-804: The Captains joined the Class A Midwest League following the 2009 season in a shuffle caused by the Columbus Catfish 's move to Bowling Green, Kentucky , for the 2009 season. The move alleviated travel costs and time, as it was the South Atlantic League 's northernmost team. Before the 2003 season, the club was based in Columbus, Georgia , and known as the Columbus RedStixx . The Captains play their home games in Classic Auto Group Park , which has
68-478: A capacity of 6,157 and opened in 2003 as Eastlake Stadium. The current stadium name results from a naming rights arrangement; the sponsor is Classic Automotive Group, a significant area chain of auto dealerships. Classic Auto Group Park hosted the South Atlantic League All-Star Game on June 20, 2006. In conjunction with Major League Baseball 's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021,
102-522: A record of 18–18, on June 2. The League suspended operations on July 7 due to World War I. The Hutchinson team folded. A new team was formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma , and joined the League. Tulsa lead St. Joseph 3 games to 1 in the championship series when the series was cancelled due to bad weather. Wichita's Joe Wilhoit had a 69-game hitting streak, which remains the professional baseball record. Joplin moved to
136-610: A record of 58–84, moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado on September 10. Their record there was 2–10. Louisville of the American Association defeated Omaha 4 games to 1. The Topeka team folded. A new team in Joplin, Missouri formed and joined the League. Colorado Springs moved back to Wichita. St. Joseph, with a record of 34–56, moved to Hutchinson, where their record was 32–24, on July 24. Sioux City moved to St. Joseph on August 5. Hutchinson defeated Joplin 3 games to none for
170-535: The American Association . New teams in Joplin, Missouri , and Topeka, Kansas , formed and joined the League. Wichita, with a record of 6–13, moved to Muskogee on June 6, keeping the Oilers name, where they had a record of 20–82. Hutchinson, with a record of 25–32, moved on July 7 to Bartlesville, where they had a record of 26–38. St. Joseph beat Topeka 4 games to 1. St. Joseph lost to the Davenport Blue Sox from
204-528: The California League , Carolina League , and Florida State League . Class A was originally the highest level of Minor League Baseball , beginning with the earliest classifications, established circa 1890. Teams within leagues at this level had their players' contracts protected and the players were subject to reserve clauses . When the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues –
238-617: The Lake County Captains Call-Up Club at Classic Auto Group Park. The Call-Up Club includes former Captains, coaches, and managers who've made it to the Major League Baseball coaching staff. A new wall of bronze plaques was installed at the main entrance of Classic Auto Group Park in August of the 2017 season. The previous "Walk of Fame" started in the outfield of Classic Auto Group Park and was moved to an interior wall of
272-617: The Mississippi Valley League 4 games to 2. Bartlesville, Joplin, Muskogee, and Springfield moved to the Western Association . The teams from Davenport Blue Sox , and Rock Island Islanders joined from the Mississippi Valley League . New teams in Cedar Rapids, Iowa , and Sioux City, Iowa formed and joined the League. St. Joseph beat Sioux City 3 games to 1 in the first round of playoffs. Davenport beat Des Moines by
306-687: The Western Association . A new team formed in Denver, Colorado , and joined the League. Tulsa beat Mobile of the Southern Association 4 games to 1, with 1 tie Sioux City moved to the Tri-State League . Lincoln joined from the Nebraska State League . Springfield of the Three-I League led Des Moines 3 games to 1 when the series was cancelled due to bad weather. St. Joseph moved to
340-694: The Western Association . A new team in Amarillo, Texas formed and joined. Waco of the Texas League beat Tulsa 3 games to 2, with 1 tie. Lincoln moved to the Nebraska State League . A new team in Pueblo, Colorado , formed and joined the League. Tulsa beat Oklahoma City 4 games to 1, with 1 tie, for the championship. Amarillo folded. The Topeka, Kansas team from the Western Association joined. The Tulsa team folded. A new team formed in St. Joseph, Missouri and joined
374-609: The Western League (1947–1958), Central League (1948–1951) and Western International League (1952–1954). The Western International League became the Class B Northwest League in 1955, and the Western and Central loops folded. The hierarchy of Triple-A through Class D continued until Minor League Baseball restructured in 1963, at which time Classes B through D were abolished, with existing leagues at those levels reassigned into Class A, while
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#1732851208061408-610: The Western League of 1885–1899 , was the predecessor of the American League . Later, during the 20th century, there were four incarnations of the Western League, including the Western League of 1939–1941 (succeeding the Nebraska State League ) that played at the Class D level, and an independent baseball league that operated as the Western Baseball League from 1995 to 2002. The league's longest-serving franchise
442-1094: The Captains were organized into the High-A Central. In 2022, the High-A Central became known as the Midwest League, the name historically used by the regional circuit before the 2021 reorganization. Columbus Indians (73–69) Columbus RedStixx (823–711) Lake County Captains (853–810 entering 2016) Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Manager Coaches [REDACTED] 7-day injured list * On Cleveland Guardians 40-man roster ~ Development list # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporarily inactive list Roster updated October 28, 2024 Transactions → More rosters: MiLB • Midwest League → Cleveland Guardians minor league players The names of all Captains players and franchise alumni who have advanced to play Major League Baseball are enshrined in
476-488: The Class A-Advanced level. These three leagues operated with Low-A naming for the 2021 season. Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, MLB announced on March 16, 2022, that the leagues would revert to their prior names, effective with the 2022 season. MLB also discontinued use of "Low-A" in favor of Single-A. On June 30, 2021, Minor League Baseball announced that
510-546: The Class AA American Association for supremacy of the central states. The Western League reformed in 1947 with six teams: Denver Bears , Des Moines Bruins , Lincoln A's , Omaha Cardinals , Pueblo Dodgers and Sioux City Soos . All six clubs were affiliated with major league farm systems . The WL expanded to eight teams in 1950 , adding the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and Wichita Indians , but
544-632: The Great Plains, Rocky Mountain States, the Upper Midwest and the Upper Southwest – was a top-level minor league until 1911, then two levels below Major League Baseball through 1935, and three steps removed in 1936–37 and when it was revived in 1947 during the post-war minor league baseball boom. For several years in the 1910s, the Western League champion played a postseason series against the champion of
578-441: The League. Des Moines Demons beat Wichita 4 games to 2 for the championship. Topeka moved to the Western Association . The Tulsa team joined. Oklahoma City beat Tulsa 2 games to 1 for the second half title. Tulsa beat Oklahoma City 4 games to none for the championship. Denver & Pueblo folded. Oklahoma City and Tulsa moved to the Texas League . The teams from Hutchinson, Kansas and Springfield, Missouri joined from
612-486: The League. The Colorado Springs team, with a record of 22–48, moved to Pueblo, Colorado on July 15, where they had a record of 30–44. The St. Joseph team moved to the Western Association . A new team in Lincoln, Nebraska , formed and joined the League. Teams from Topeka, Kansas , and Wichita, Kansas , joined from the Western Association . The Pueblo team folded. A new team in St. Joseph, Missouri , formed and joined
646-526: The League. The Wichita team, with a record of 15–9, moved to Pueblo, Colorado on May 22, Their record there was 77–66. The Pueblo team moved back to Wichita, Kansas . Denver defeated the Minneapolis team of the American Association 4 games to 1. Milwaukee of the American Association defeated Denver 4 games to 2. Wichita Jobbers renamed Wichita Wolves. Indianapolis of the American Association defeated Denver 4 games to 2. The Wichita team, with
680-626: The League. Teams from Kansas City, Missouri , and Minneapolis, Minnesota moved from the American League . The Minneapolis and St. Paul teams joined the American Association . New teams in Milwaukee, Wisconsin , and Peoria, Illinois , formed and joined the League. The teams in Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Peoria folded. the Sioux City, Iowa team from the Iowa–South Dakota League joined
714-664: The South Atlantic League (renamed as the Southern League ) and Eastern League ascended to Double-A. In 1965, a Class A Short Season designation was created, for teams playing June–September schedules, primarily meant for new players acquired via the amateur draft . The Class A-Advanced designation was established in 1990, between Class A and Double-A in the minor league hierarchy. Class A and Class A Short Season were considered independent classifications, with Class A having "Full-Season" and Advanced sub-classifications, per
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#1732851208061748-650: The ballpark near the right-field corner of the stadium. Class A (baseball) Single-A , formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A , is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A , Double-A , and High-A . There are 30 teams classified at the Single-A level, one for each team in Major League Baseball (MLB), organized into three leagues:
782-673: The encroachment of televised baseball and major league franchise shifts into former AAA cities hit the league hard. In 1955 , the Western League's two strongest franchises, the Denver Bears and the Omaha Cardinals , were admitted to the AAA American Association . The WL continued for four more seasons before folding in the autumn of 1958. Its last champion, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, attracted only 61,000 fans for
816-467: The first round of the playoffs. St. Joseph beat Sioux City 4 games to 3 for the championship. Keokuk and St. Joseph folded. New teams formed in Omaha, Nebraska , and Waterloo, Iowa , and joined the League. Omaha moved to Rock Island on August 18. Rock Island folded July 7. Cedar Rapids and Waterloo moved to the Three-I League . Sioux City moved to the Nebraska State League . Davenport, Des Moines, and
850-649: The formal name of Minor League Baseball – was founded in 1901, Class A remained the highest level, restricted to leagues with cities that had an aggregate population of over a million people. Entering the 1902 season, the only Class A leagues were the Eastern League and the Western League —both leagues had eight teams, in cities such as Toronto, Ontario ; Buffalo, New York ; Worcester, Massachusetts ; Omaha, Nebraska ; Denver, Colorado ; and Peoria, Illinois . Leagues operating within less populated areas were classified as Class B, Class C, or Class D. Class A remained
884-610: The rules governing baseball's minor leagues. The overall hierarchy was: Entering the 2020 minor league season (which was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic ), Class A consisted of the Midwest League and South Atlantic League (a newer "Sally League", which been formed in 1963 as the Western Carolinas League ). Prior to the 2021 season, MLB restructured the minor leagues, eliminating Class A Short Season and discontinuing
918-471: The same number. In the championship, St. Joseph beat Davenport 4 games to 3. Topeka folded. A new team in Keokuk, Iowa formed and joined the League. Omaha, with a record of 22–15, moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa on June 25, where they had a record of 33–31. Rock Island folded July 17. Council Bluffs folded August 27. Sioux City beat Davenport 3 games to none, and St. Joseph beat Des Moines 3 games to none, in
952-757: The season. In addition to the founding clubs and the Sky Sox, the postwar WL had teams in Albuquerque , Amarillo , Topeka , and Wichita . The new Western League formed as a Class B league in 1900. Charter teams were the Denver Grizzlies , Des Moines Hawkeyes , Omaha Omahogs , Pueblo Indians , Sioux City Cornhuskers and St. Joseph Saints . The teams in Pueblo and Sioux City folded. New teams in Colorado Springs, Colorado , and St. Paul, Minnesota , formed and joined
986-417: The second half title. Des Moines defeated Hutchinson 4 games to 2 for the championship. The Denver and Lincoln teams folded. New teams in Sioux City, Iowa , and Topeka, Kansas , formed and joined the League. Hutchinson, with a record of 14–19, moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 2, where they compiled a record of 19–18. Topeka, with a record of 19–13, moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, where they compiled
1020-660: The top classification until Class AA was established in 1912, then remained the second-highest classification until Class A1 was established in 1936. In 1946, the top two levels changed from being Class AA and Class A1 to being Class AAA and AA, with Class A remaining the third-highest level, above Classes B through D. Class A in 1946 consisted of the Eastern League and the original South Atlantic League (or "Sally League"), with teams in communities such as Vancouver, British Columbia ; Omaha, Nebraska ; Colorado Springs, Colorado ; Charlotte, North Carolina ; Scranton, Pennsylvania ; and Allentown, Pennsylvania . Class A soon included
1054-517: The top two teams in each league (based on full-season winning percentage , and regardless of division) would meet in a best-of-five postseason series to determine league champions. Western League (1900%E2%80%931958) The Western League was the name of several American sports leagues in Minor League Baseball . This article concentrates on the Western Leagues that operated from 1900 to 1937 and from 1947 to 1958. Its earliest progenitor,
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1088-576: The use of all historical league names within Minor League Baseball. The Midwest League and South Atlantic League were reclassified as "High-A" leagues, and operated during 2021 as High-A Central and High-A East , respectively. They were replaced at the Class A level by three "Low-A" leagues: Low-A West , Low-A East , and Low-A Southeast . These leagues had historically been known as the California League , Carolina League , and Florida State League , respectively, and had previously operated at
1122-712: Was located in Des Moines, Iowa , which joined the WL in 1900 and played continuously through 1937, when the league shut down during the Great Depression . Des Moines then rejoined the reborn Western circuit when Senator Edwin C. Johnson from Colorado founded it in 1947; this team, a Chicago Cubs affiliate called the Des Moines Bruins , then played for the final 12 years of the league's existence. Minor league baseball went unclassified through 1901. From 1902 until 1911, Class A
1156-600: Was the highest level in the minor leagues. In 1912, a new top tier, Class AA, was created; in 1936, a second tier, Class A1, came into being. One year later, the existing Western League disbanded after it ended the 1937 season with only five teams, the Rock Island Islanders , disbanded on July 7. Then, in 1946, the Class AA leagues were renamed AAA, and the A1 loops were renamed AA. Thus the Western League – whose clubs were located in
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