Get to know the teams in the High-A Central
As the 2021 season approaches, MiLB.com introduces the 11 leagues created by the restructuring of Minor League Baseball across four levels of play. Below is a team-by-team introduction to the High-A Central, including affiliation, previous circuit and most recent championship. (Note: "Established" refers to the first year of a team's
As the 2021 season approaches, MiLB.com introduces the 11 leagues created by the restructuring of Minor League Baseball across four levels of play. Below is a team-by-team introduction to the High-A Central, including affiliation, previous circuit and most recent championship. (Note: "Established" refers to the first year of a team's continuous operation in that market regardless of league or level.) Learn about other leagues here: Triple-A East, Triple-A West, Double-A Northeast, Double-A Central, Double-A South, High-A East.
Familiarity reigns in the newly launched High-A Central as all 12 clubs had been longtime members of the former Midwest League. This theme holds true particularly in the East Division as all six clubs -- the Dayton Dragons, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Great Lakes Loons, Lake County Captains, Lansing Lugnuts and West Michigan Whitecaps -- were division rivals as well.
The only change in the West features South Bend sliding from the MWL Eastern Division to the High-A Central West Division. The West also lays claim to the circuit's elder statesmen as Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities and Wisconsin were established in 1962 or earlier. The Beloit Snappers, who date back to 1982, are looking forward to christening a new ballpark this summer after calling Pohlman Field home since that first season.
Regardless of longevity or alignment -- given the fact that the Midwest League had been a Class A circuit -- all 12 teams will host a higher level of play when the season kicks off May 4.
East Division
DAYTON DRAGONS
Affiliate: Cincinnati Reds (since 2000)
Location: Dayton, Ohio (55 miles to Great American Ball Park)
Ballpark: Day Air Ballpark (opened April 27, 2000)
Established: 2000 (previous Dayton clubs date back to 1884)
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: None
Did you know? The Dragons have sold out 1,385 consecutive home games, a North American professional sports record.
FORT WAYNE TINCAPS
Affiliate: San Diego Padres (since 1999)
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana (2,161 miles to Petco Park)
Ballpark: Parkview Field (April 16, 2009)
Established: 1993 (as the Wizards; previous Fort Wayne clubs date back to 1871)
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 2009
Did you know? The 2009 TinCaps, winners of the Midwest League championship, featured 19 players who went on to reach the Majors.
GREAT LAKES LOONS
Affiliate: Los Angeles Dodgers (since 2007)
Location: Midland, Michigan (2,292 miles to Dodger Stadium)
Ballpark: Dow Diamond (opened April 13, 2007)
Established: 2007
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 2016
Did you know? The radio station that carries Great Lakes’ games -- ESPN 100.9 -- operates out of the team's Dow Diamond home.
LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS
Affiliate: Cleveland Indians (since 2003)
Location: Eastlake, Ohio (18 miles from Progressive Field)
Ballpark: Classic Park (opened April 10, 2003)
Established: 2003
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 2010
Did you know? Beginning in 2009, the Captains began hosting a Cleveland Sports History Night, which has, um, honored such events as famous fumbles by the Browns and Albert Belle’s 1994 corked-bat mishap.
LANSING LUGNUTS
Affiliate: Oakland A’s (since 2021)
Location: Lansing, Michigan (2,331 miles to Oakland Coliseum)
Ballpark: Jackson Field (April 3, 1996)
Established: 1996 (previous Lansing clubs date from 1889)
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 2003
Did you know? The Lugnuts have an annual tradition of taking on the Michigan State baseball team in an exhibition during the Crosstown Showdown Fall Fanfest.
WEST MICHIGAN WHITECAPS
Affiliate: Detroit Tigers (since 1997)
Location: Comstock Park, Michigan (161 miles to Comerica Park)
Ballpark: LMCU Ballpark (opened April 12, 1994)
Established: 1994
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 2015
Did you know? En route to a championship in 2006, the Whitecaps went 23-6 in July while amassing the second-best record in team history at 89-48.
West Division
BELOIT SNAPPERS
Affiliate: Miami Marlins (since 2021)
Location: Beloit, Wisconsin (1,478 miles to Marlins Park)
Ballpark: Pohlman Field (opened April 14, 1982; the team plans to open its new facility, Riverbend Stadium, during the 2021 season)
Established: 1982 (as the Brewers)
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 1995
Did you know? The franchise adopted the Snappers nickname in 1995 after using the name of its parent club -- the Milwaukee Brewers -- for 13 years. Entering its first year as a Marlins affiliate in 2021, the Snappers have also partnered with the Twins (2005-12) and A's (2013-20) during their nearly 40-year history.
CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS
Affiliate: Minnesota Twins (since 2013)
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa (258 miles from Target Field)
Ballpark: Veterans Memorial Stadium (opened April 7, 2002)
Established: 1962 (as the Braves; previous Cedar Rapids clubs date back to 1890)
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 1994
Did you know? Four Hall of Famers -- John McGraw, Lou Boudreau, Ted Simmons and Trevor Hoffman -- played Minor League Baseball in Cedar Rapids.
PEORIA CHIEFS
Affiliate: St. Louis Cardinals (since 2013)
Location: Peoria, Illinois (168 miles to Busch Stadium)
Ballpark: Dozer Park (opened May 24, 2002)
Established: 1983 (as the Suns; previous Peoria clubs date from 1883)
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 2002
Did you know? Peoria is roughly equidistant from Wrigley Field and Busch Stadium; the Cubs and Cardinals have each had two stints of affiliation with the Chiefs since 1985.
QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS
Affiliate: Kansas City Royals (since 2021)
Location: Davenport, Iowa (354 miles to Kauffman Stadium)
Ballpark: Modern Woodmen Park (opened May 26, 1931)
Established: 1961 (previous Davenport clubs date back to 1879)
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 2014
Did you know? Class A Bridgeton, a fictional club in the 2008 film Sugar, occupies the River Bandits' Modern Woodmen Park.
SOUTH BEND CUBS
Affiliate: Chicago Cubs
Location: South Bend, Indiana (97 miles to Wrigley Field)
Ballpark: Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium (opened July 2, 1987)
Established: 1988 (as the White Sox; previous South Bend clubs date back to 1888)
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 2019
Did you know? Built in 1901, the Sons of Israel Synagogue located next to Four Winds Field is now used as the South Bend Cubs' gift shop.
WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS
Affiliate: Milwaukee Brewers (since 2009)
Location: Appleton, Wisconsin (104 miles to American Family Field)
Ballpark: Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium (opened April 20, 1995)
Established: 1958 (as the Appleton Foxes; previous Appleton clubs date back to 1891)
Previous league: Class A Midwest League
Last championship: 2012
Did you know? Among the distinguished franchise alumni from the Wisconsin ranks are four Hall of Famers: manager Earl Weaver, who led the team in 1960-61, as well as Pat Gillick (a member of the 1960 squad), Goose Gossage (1970-71, 1974) and Harold Baines (1977).
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