Meet the Triple-A East Midwest Division - Toledo Mud Hens

The 2021 season begins in just five days! This year, the Omaha Storm Chasers are part of a new Triple-A league, Triple-A East.

Triple-A East is one of the new leagues in Minor League Baseball formed as a result of the contraction of Minor League Baseball following the renegotiation of the Professional Baseball Agreement after its expiration in September of 2020. Triple-A East includes teams that previously played in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, the Triple-A International League, the Double-A Southern League, and the independent American Association. Triple-A East includes 20 teams and is divided into three divisions: Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast. There will be limited inter-divisional play in 2021 to mitigate travel. The Omaha Storm Chasers will only face teams in the Midwest Division during the 2021 season.

After getting to know the Northeast and Southeast divisions, it's time to learn about the opponents that Omaha will be facing this season, the teams in the Midwest Division. After introducing the Columbus Clippers, Indianapolis Indians, Iowa Cubs, Louisville Bats, and St. Paul Saints, we finish our introductions with the Toledo Mud Hens.

TOLEDO MUD HENS

The Toledo Mud Hens are the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, making the Mud Hens one of four teams in the Triple-A East Midwest Division to be an AL Central affiliate. The only AL Central team without its affiliate in the Midwest Division is Chicago (AL), whose Triple-A Charlotte Knights play in the Southeast Division.

The Mud Hens have been partnered with the Tigers since 1987, making their partnership the third-longest continuous partnership in the Midwest Division behind Omaha's partnership with Kansas City and Iowa's partnership with Chicago (NL). Toledo was also a Tigers affiliate from 1967-1973. Since the team's inception in 1965, it's also been affiliated with New York (AL), Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Minnesota.

Toledo had been a member of the International League since its inception until the move in 2021 to Triple-A East. As a result, Omaha and Toledo have only met during the Triple-A Alliance years in 1988-1991, playing 21 times. Omaha holds a 13-8 all-time record against Toledo.

One of the Mud Hens claims to fame is their current hitting coach, Mike Hessman, who played for the team for parts of seven season between 2005 and 2015, including finishing his career with Toledo. On August 3, 2015, while playing for Toledo Hessman hit his 433rd career home run—a grand slam—to set a new Minor League record.

 

 

The Chasers and Mud Hens meet 18 times this season across three different series, two at Werner Park at one at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio:

• July 7 vs. TOL - 7:05 p.m.
• July 8 vs. TOL - 7:05 p.m.
• July 9 vs. TOL - 7:05 p.m.
• July 10 vs. TOL - 7:05 p.m.
• July 11 vs. TOL - 5:05 p.m.
• July 27 at TOL - 6:05 p.m. CT
• July 28 at TOL - 6:05 p.m. CT
• July 29 at TOL - 6:05 p.m. CT
• July 30 at TOL - 6:05 p.m. CT
• July 31 at TOL - 6:05 p.m. CT
• Aug. 1 at TOL - 1:05 p.m. CT
• Aug. 31 vs. TOL - 7:05 p.m.
• Sept. 1 vs. TOL - 7:05 p.m.
• Sept. 2 vs. TOL - 7:05 p.m.
• Sept. 3 vs. TOL - 7:05 p.m.
• Sept. 4 vs. TOL - 7:05 p.m.
• Sept. 5 vs. TOL - 1:05 p.m.

 

The Omaha Storm Chasers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at Werner Park in Papillion, Neb. The Storm Chasers are scheduled to begin the 2021 season on May 4 against the St. Paul Saints and single-game tickets are _**on sale now**. For more information, please visit **omahastormchasers.com**, call the Werner Park Ticket Office at (402) 738-5100 and follow the team on **Twitter**, **Instagram** and **Facebook**._