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The Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Red Barons are an International League team based in the metropolitan area of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Since the 1989 season, they have played in the North Division of the International League, and is the AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Barons, as they are commonly referred to, play in Lackawanna County Stadium, located in Moosic, Pennsylvania. As of 2006, the Red Barons are the only AAA team in Pennsylvania.
Prior to playing in Scranton, the team was known as the Charleston Charlies from 1971-1983, who won the IL title in 1977 after losing to Pawtucket in 1973. The Charlies moved from West Virginia to Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and became the Maine Guides. There they again lost the IL title to the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1984. In 1989 they moved to their current home in Pennsylvania. The name "Red Barons" comes from a combination of names of former Eastern League teams in Northeast Pennsylvania: the Scranton Red Sox and the Wilkes-Barre Barons.
At the end of the 2006 season, the Phillies will most likely choose to part ways with their AAA affiliate of the past 18 seasons. The Ottawa Lynx are expected to sign a PDC (Player Development Contract) with the Phillies at this time in anticipation of a possible move to Allentown for the 2007 season. The Red Barons are not moving since they are owned by the Lackawanna County Stadium Authority and will be free to negotiate affiliations with any of the other major league teams. Although the New York Yankees and New York Mets would be the best geographic matches, these two teams have excellent relations with their AAA clubs. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles (who are losing their Ottawa affiliation) have expressed desire to sign a Player Development Contract with Scranton. Though recently the Pirates have removed themselves from the running leaving the Red Barons in very murky water.
In April of 2006, the Red Barons unveiled a renovated clubhouse, which was considered to be parallel in quality to major league clubhouses.
The Red Barons' radio play-by-play announcer, Kent Westling, has been with the team since its inception in 1989. While he has cut back his schedule in recent years, Westling -- a former local television sportscaster who once worked on telecasts of St. Louis Blues hockey -- has worked all but few dozen games, putting him behind the microphone for more than 2,000 games. Bill Savage, a sports writer for The Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre, covered the team home and away for its first six seasons, and during that stretch, from 1989 to 1994, missed only about 10 of the team's games.
Titles
The Red Barons have not won the Governors' Cup, the championship of the IL, but have played in the championship series 3 times.
- 1992 - Lost to Columbus
- 2000 - Lost to Indianapolis
- 2001 - Lost to Louisville in a shortened series (one game) due to the September 11th Terrorist Attacks. IL Commissioner Randy Mobley did not declare a co-championship as was done in most other minor leagues.
As the Charleston Charlies, they won the Governor's Cup once, and played in the championship series 2 times.
As the Maine Guides, they played in the championship series once.
Alumni
- Marlon Anderson
- Andy Ashby
- Pat Burrell
- Marlon Byrd
- Darren Daulton
- Johnny Estrada
- Cole Hamels
- Dave Hollins
- Ryan Howard
- Mike Lieberthal
- Jason Michaels
- Mickey Morandini
- Brett Myers
- Scott Rolen
- Jimmy Rollins
- Kevin Stocker
- Chase Utley
- Shane Victorino
- Randy Wolf
External link
Minor league baseball teams | Pennsylvania baseball teams | Sports in Pennsylvania
"Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons"