New York–Penn League

The New York–Penn League is a Minor League Baseball league which operates in the northeastern United States. It is classified as a Class A Short Season league; its season starts in June, after major league teams have signed their amateur draft picks to professional contracts, and ends in early September.

As of the 2018 season, the league includes 14 teams from eight different states. In addition to New York and Pennsylvania, from which the league draws its name, the NYPL also has clubs in Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Vermont, West Virginia, and Connecticut.

The Brooklyn Cyclones are the most recent league champions, defeating the Lowell Spinners two games to one.

History
The league was founded in 1939 with the name Pennsylvania – Ontario – New York League in a hotel in Batavia, New York.  This was generally shortened to PONY League.  The original teams included the Batavia Clippers, Bradford Bees, Hamilton Red Wings, Jamestown Jaguars, Niagara Falls Rainbows, and Olean Oilers; all were based in or near Western New York.  The Oilers, a Brooklyn Dodgers affiliate, won both the regular-season and playoff championships. Batavia is the last remaining charter city in the league.

The Hamilton Red Wings folded early in the 1956 season, and with no more teams in Ontario, the league adopted its current name in 1957.  The league crossed back into Canada with the formation of the St. Catharines Blue Jays in 1986.  They were joined by the Hamilton Redbirds in 1987 and the Welland Pirates in 1989, but all three clubs had moved back to the United States by 2000.

The New York–Penn circuit was originally a Class D league (the minors' lowest classification through 1962). It was a full-season Class A league from 1963 through 1966, and became a short-season Class A league in 1967.

At least half the leagues teams (Auburn, Batavia, Connecticut, Lowell, Staten Island, Vermont and Williamsport) would be shuttered when the current MLB/MiLB agreement ends at the end of the 2020 season, under a proposed plan calling for the Short Season Class A designation to be eliminated.

Player limits and requirements
New York–Penn League teams may have no more than three players on their active lists that have four or more years of prior combined Major League/Minor League service, with the exception of position players changing roles to become pitchers and vice versa. Teams can eliminate up to one year of Minor League service for players who have spent time on the disabled list.

By July 1 of each year, all clubs must have at least 10 pitchers.

The maximum number of players under team control is 35, 30 of whom may be active. However, only 25 may be in uniform and eligible to play in any given game.

Current teams

Current team rosters

Past champions

League champions have been determined by different means since the New York–Penn League's formation in 1939. For a few seasons in the 1960s and 1970s, no playoffs were held and the league champions were simply the regular season pennant winners. Most seasons, however, have ended with playoffs to determine a league champion.

The Oneonta Tigers have won 12 championships, the most among all teams in the league, followed by the Auburn Mets/Twins/Phillies/Doubledays (8) and the Jamestown Falcons/Expos (7). Among active franchises, Auburn has won 8 championships, the most in the league, followed by the Staten Island Yankees (6) and the Batavia Clippers/Pirates/Muckdogs (4).

PONY/NY–Penn League teams (1939–present)

 
Aberdeen IronBirds
Auburn Americans
Auburn Astros
Auburn Doubledays
Auburn Mets
Auburn Phillies
Auburn Red Stars
Auburn Sunsets
Auburn Twins
Auburn Yankees
Batavia Clippers
Batavia Indians
Batavia Muckdogs
Batavia Pirates
Batavia Trojans
Binghamton Triplets
Bradford Beagles
Bradford Bees
Bradford Blue Wings
Bradford Phillies
Bradford Yankees
Brooklyn Cyclones
Connecticut Tigers
Corning Athletics
Corning Cor-Sox
Corning Independents
Corning Red Sox
Corning Royals
Elmira Pioneers
Erie Cardinals
 
Erie Orioles
Erie Sailors
Erie Senators
Geneva Cubs
Geneva Pirates
Geneva Redlegs
Geneva Senators
Geneva Twins
Glens Falls Redbirds
Hamilton Cardinals
Hamilton Redbirds
Hamilton Red Wings
Hornell Dodgers
Hornell Maple Leafs
Hornell Maples
Hornell Redlegs
Hudson Valley Renegades
Jamestown Braves
Jamestown Dodgers
Jamestown Expos
Jamestown Falcons
Jamestown Jaguars
Jamestown Jammers
Jamestown Tigers
Little Falls Mets
Lockport Cubs
Lockport Reds
Lockport White Socks
Lockport White Sox
London Pirates

Lowell Spinners
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
New Jersey Cardinals
Newark Co-Pilots
Newark Orioles
Niagara Falls Pirates
Niagara Falls Rainbows
Niagara Falls Rapids
Niagara Falls Sox
Olean A's
Olean Giants
Olean Oilers
Olean Red Sox
Olean Yankees
Oneonta Red Sox
Oneonta Tigers
Oneonta Yankees
Pittsfield Astros
Pittsfield Mets
Queens Kings
St. Catharines Blue Jays
St. Catharines Stompers
State College Spikes
Staten Island Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats

Utica Blue Jays
Utica Blue Sox
Vermont Expos
Vermont Lake Monsters
Watertown Indians
Watertown Pirates
Welland Pirates
Wellsville Braves
Wellsville Nitros
Wellsville Red Sox
Wellsville Rockets
Wellsville Senators
Wellsville Yankees
West Virginia Black Bears
Williamsport Astros
Williamsport Crosscutters
Williamsport Cubs
Williamsport Red Sox
York White Roses

Cities represented
(Current teams in bold)

Connecticut
Norwich: 2010–present (9 seasons)

Maryland
Aberdeen: 2002–present (17 seasons)

Massachusetts
Lowell: 1996–present (23 seasons)
 Pittsfield: 1989–2001 (13 seasons)

New Jersey
 Augusta: 1994–2005 (12 seasons)

New York
Auburn: 1958–1980, 1982–present (60 seasons)
Batavia: 1939–1959, 1960–present (80 seasons)
 Binghamton: 1964–66 (3 seasons)
Brooklyn: 2001–present (18 seasons)
 Corning: 1951–60, 1968–69 (12 seasons)
 Elmira: 1957–61, 1973–95 (28 seasons)
Fishkill: 1994–present (25 seasons)
 Geneva: 1958–73, 1977–93 (33 seasons)
 Glens Falls: 1993 (1 season)
 Jamestown: 1939–57, 1962–1973, 1977–2014 (67 seasons)
 Hornell: 1942–57 (16 seasons)
 Little Falls: 1977–88 (12 seasons)
 Lockport: 1942–50 (9 seasons)
 Newark: 1968–79, 1983–87 (17 seasons) 
 Niagara Falls: 1939–40, 1970–79, 1982–85, 1989–93 (21 seasons)
 Olean: 1939–59, 1961–66 (27 seasons)
 Oneonta: 1966–2009 (44 seasons)
 Queens: 2000 (1 season)
Staten Island: 1999–present (20 seasons)
Troy: 2002–present (17 seasons)
 Utica: 1977–2001 (25 seasons)
 Watertown: 1983–98 (16 seasons)
 Wellsville: 1942–1961, 1963–65 (23 seasons)

Ohio
Youngstown: 1999–present (20 seasons)

Pennsylvania
 Bradford: 1939–42, 1944–57 (18 seasons)
 Erie: 1954–63, 1967, 1981–93, 1995–98 (28 seasons)
State College: 2006–present (13 seasons)
Williamsport: 1968–72, 1994–present (30 seasons)
York: 1923-1933, 1936(moved to Trenton July 2) (12 seasons)

Vermont
Burlington: 1994–present (25 seasons)

West Virginia
Morgantown: 2015–present (4 seasons)

Ontario
 Hamilton: 1939-42, 1946–56, 1988–92 (20 seasons)
 London: 1940–42 (2 seasons)
 St. Catharines: 1986–1999 (14 seasons)
 Welland: 1989–94 (5 seasons)

Hall of Fame

The New York–Penn League Hall of Fame was established in 2012 to honor league players, managers, and executives for their accomplishments or contributions to the league in playing or administrative roles. The Hall of Fame inducted its first class of seven men in 2012. New members are elected before the start of each season.

References

External links

 

Category:Minor baseball leagues in the United States
 
Category:Baseball leagues in New York (state)
Category:Baseball leagues in Pennsylvania