TinCaps Rewrite Franchise Record Book

Fort Wayne, Ind. - The Fort Wayne TinCaps destroyed the team record book in their first season at Parkview Field. Sixteen records went by the wayside during the 2009 regular season as Fort Wayne went 94-46, the best record in Minor League Baseball since 2003.

The team's 94 wins shattered the old record of 79, set in 1998. The TinCaps opened the season with a franchise-record ten-game winning streak on their way to 45 wins in the first half. That was a record for wins in a half-season until the TinCaps won 49 games in the second half. They also won 15 straight home games during the year and racked up 50 wins at Parkview Field, better than the 47 wins at home in 1998.

Manager Doug Dascenzo collected his franchise-record 210th win on August 21st, breaking the record set by now-San Diego Padres hitting coach Randy Ready.

The TinCaps' pitching staff set new marks in shutouts (17) and strikeouts (1,224, or 8.7 per game). RHP Erik Davis won 16 games, breaking the old record of 15 set in 1993 by now-Houston Astros reliever LaTroy Hawkins. RHP Nick Schumacher set a record for best ERA for a reliever at 1.13, breaking J.J. Trujillo's standard of 1.33 set in 2000 (minimum 45 innings pitched).

As an offense, Fort Wayne set new franchise records in walks drawn (681, or 4.9 per game), home runs (97) and RBIs (661). INF Allan Dykstra blew away the old individual record of 80 walks by taking 104 free passes during the season.

Defensively, the TinCaps were the best in franchise history, committing 130 errors. That broke the old record of 156 errors, set in 2006.

Even the fans of Fort Wayne broke records in 2009. The TinCaps set a new franchise attendance record with 378,529, breaking the mark set in the inaugural 1993 season, when 318,506 went through the turnstiles.