Previous Double-A (1972-1982) | Previous parks Quigley Stadium | |
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League Eastern League (1972-1982) Previous Oakland Athletics (1980-1982)
New York Yankees (1972-79) League titles 1972, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982 Previous names West Haven A's (1981-82)
West Haven Whitecaps (1980)
West Haven Yankees (1972-1979) | ||
The West Haven Yankees was the original and predominant name of an American minor league baseball team located in West Haven, Connecticut, from 1972 until 1982. The team played in the Double-A Eastern League. Its home field was Quigley Stadium.
Contents
Successful Yankee farm club
From 1972 until 1979, the team was affiliated with and named for the New York Yankees. During that eight-year period, West Haven — managed by future Major League pilots Bobby Cox, Doc Edwards, Mike Ferraro and Stump Merrill — won four Eastern League championships and compiled a regular-season won-loss record of 611–496 (.552).
Notable alumni
Oakland affiliation: the Whitecaps and A's
The Yankees entered into a deal with a new Double-A team, the Nashville Sounds of the Southern League, after the 1979 season. The West Haven franchise relocated to Lynn, Massachusetts, and became the Lynn Sailors. Concurrently, the Waterbury, Connecticut franchise moved to West Haven in time for the 1980 season, bringing their affiliation with the Oakland Athletics, and renaming the team the West Haven Whitecaps.
The franchise changed its name again in 1981, this time to the West Haven A's. The last West Haven team, managed by Bob Didier, won the team's fifth and final Eastern League title, defeating (ironically) the Lynn Sailors in the finals. In 1983, the franchise moved to Albany, New York, becoming the Albany A's.