News from the PONY League: April 30, 1941

Batavia Clippers to rely on pitching staff this season.

Source: Olean Times Herald  via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams. 

News from the PONY League on April 29, 1954

The Pennsylvaniva-Ontario-New York League opens season on Saturday, May 1.

Source: Sayre (PA) Evening Times  via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.   

News from the New York-Penn League on April 28, 2000

Vermont Expos extend player development contract with the Montreal Expos thru 2004.

Source: Burlington Free Press via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.  

Today's Birthday (from Twitter)

Source: Baseball Reference and Twitter

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams.

News from the PONY League on April 26, 1951

The Bradford Phillies are in Richmond, Virginia with bus problems on way north to Bradford, Pennsylvania.

Source: Bradford Era via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams. 

Today's PONY (New York-Penn) League Birthday: Warren Spahn, Bradford Bees (1940)

Credit: Author's collection

Former PONY (New York-Penn) League prospect Warren Spahn was born on this date in 1921, in Buffalo, New York (on right in photo). He pitched for the Bradford Bees in 1940 (5-4, 2.73 ERA).

He went on to a 21 year Major League Career with the Boston/Milwaukee Braves (1942, 1946-64), New York Mets (1965), and San Francisco Giants (1965) and compiled a record of 363-245.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, and the New York-Penn League Hall of Fame in 2012.

Spahn died on November 24, 2003, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma at the age of 82.

Source: Baseball Reference

NY-Penn League News and History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the New York-Penn League or any of its teams.

Today's New York-Penn League Birthday: Moose Haas, Newark Co-Pilots (1974)

Credits: Donruss and Trading Card Database

Happy 65th Birthday to former New York-Penn League prospect Moose Haas. He pitched in the 13 games for the 1974 Newark (New York) Co-Pilots (96 IP, 5-5, 3.19 ERA, 41 BB, 89 SO, 1.375 WHIP).

He debuted with Milwaukee in 1976 and played during 12 major league seasons with the Brewers (1976-85) and Oakland Athletics (1986-87). He finished has MLB career with a 100-83 win-loss record and a 4.01 ERA.

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams.

Today's New York-Penn League Birthday: Don Mattingly, Oneonta Yankees (1979)

Credits: Arby's via The Trading Card Database

Happy Birthday to former New York-Penn League prospect Don Mattingly, who was born on this date in 1961.

Mattingly played in 53 games for the 1979 Oneonta Yankees (3 HR, 31 RBI, .349/.444/.488). He went on to a 14 year major league career with the New York Yankees (1982-95).

He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2011 to 2015, and has been the manager of the Miami Marlins since 2016.

He was inducted into the New York-Penn League Hall of Fame in 2015.

Sources: Baseball Reference; MiLB.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.

March 9, 1939: In the Beginning

On March 9, 1939, representatives from six cities met in Buffalo, New York to complete the formation of a new minor league to be known as the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League (or PONY).

The league's name changed to the New York-Penn League in 1957. 

On December 9, 2020, Major League Baseball eliminated the league.

Source: The Plain Speaker (Hazelton, PA) via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams. 

Today's Birthday: Steve Blass, Batavia Pirates (1960)

Credits: KDKA and Trading Card Database

Happy Birthday to former New York-Penn League prospect Steve Blass. He was born on this date in 1942 in Canaan, Connecticut. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 and pitched in 23 games for the 1961 Batavia Pirates (13-6, 3.32 ERA, 160 IP, 117 BB, 227 SO, 1.563 WHIP)

Blass pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates during 10 seasons (1964, '66-'74) and had a career record of 103-76, and 3.63 ERA. He was 19-8 in 1971 and pitched in the World Series for the World Champion Pirates (2-0, 1.00 ERA, 0.611 WHIP).

He was broadcaster for the Pirates starting in  1986 until his retirement at the end of the 2019 season.

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.
 

News from the New York-Penn League on April 17, 1960

Eighteen year-old Endicott, New York native Tom Linko assigned to the Auburn Yankees in the New York-Penn League.

[Note: Linko appeared in 3 games for Auburn and was hitless in 7 plate appearances.]

Source: Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.

News from the New York-Penn League: April 16, 2003

Ticket sales for the Aberdeen IronBirds 2003 season are running ahead of last year. All 38 home games were sold out during the 2002 season.

 
Source: The Baltimore Sun via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday: Woodie Fryman, Batavia Pirates (1965)

Credits: Trading Card Database

Former New York-Penn League prospect Woodie (aka: Woody) Fryman was born on this date in 1940. Fryman was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 6, 1965, at the late age of 25. He pitched for the Batavia Pirates in 1965 (3-1, 1.50 ERA, 30 IP, 45 SO, 0.900 WHIP).  

He pitched for 18 seasons in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1966-67), Philadelphia Phillies (1968-72), Detroit Tigers (1972-75), Montreal Expos (1975-76, '78-'83), Cincinnati Reds (1977), and Chicago Cubs 1978).

Fryman died on February 4, 2011, in Lexington, Kentucky at the age of 70.

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams

News from the PONY League: April 14, 1941

Olean Oilers' fans meet tonight prior to season opener on May 8 at Bradner Stadium. 

Source: Olean Times Herald via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday: Ike Brown, Jamestown Tigers (1962)

Credits: Topps Co. via Trading Card Database

The Detroit Tigers obtained Ike Brown in 1962 from the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League. He played in nine games with the Jamestown Tigers during the 1962 season (.273/.385/.394, 1 HR, 6 RBI).

After advancing thru the minor leagues, Brown made his major league debut with Detroit in 1969. He played six seasons with the Tigers and was released on October 8, 1974.

Brown died on May 19, 2001 in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 59.

Source: Baseball Reference

NY-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the New York-Penn League, or any of its teams.  
 

News from the PONY League - April 10, 1942

PONY League proposes increasing salary limit. Players can make more money working in a defense plant in support of the war effort.

Source: The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania) via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams.

 

News from the New York-Penn League: April 8, 1999

The Staten Island Yankees appoint several front office staff.

Source: The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ) via Newspapers.com 

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or the of its teams.

 

Today's Birthday: Phil Regan, Jamestown Falcons (1956).

Credits: Jello and Trading Card Database

Happy 84th birthday to former PONY (New York-Penn) League prospect Phil Regan. He played for the 1956 Jamestown Falcons.

Regan was signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent in 1956 out the Western Michigan University. He pitched in 34 games for Jamestown that summer (17-9, 229 IP, 3.66 ERA). He worked his way thru the Tigers organization and made his major league debut in 1960.

He pitched for Detroit until 1965 and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 15, 1965 for another PONY alum, Dick Tracewski (Hornell Dodgers, 1954). He was traded to the Chicago Cubs on April 23, 1968. He spent five seasons with the Cubs and was sold the the Chicago White Sox on June 2, 1972. He appeared in 10 games for the White Sox and was released on July 20, 1972. Regan had a career record of 96-81 in 13 major league seasons.

Following retirement as a player, Regan was a college head coach (Grand Valley State, 1974-82) and was a major league pitching coach with the  Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago Cubs. He managed the Baltimore Orioles in 1995 (71-73) and later managed and coached in the minor leagues. He was the interim pitching coach for the New York Mets in 2019, and coached in the Dominican Republic winter league in 2019-20.

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams.
 

News from the PONY League: April 5, 1947

PONY (New York-Penn) League news in the Scranton Tribune on April 5, 1947: Jamestown Falcons receive uniforms from the manufacturer intended for the New York Yankees.

Source: Scranton Tribune via Newspapers.com 

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or the of its teams.

 

Today's Birthday: Gary Geiger, Hamilton Cardinals (1955)

Topps Co. and Trading Card Database

Former PONY (New York-Penn after 1957) prospect Gary Geiger was born on April 4, 1937 in Sand Ridge, Illinois.

Originally a pitcher, he went 20-7 with a 1.98 ERA for the 1955 Hamilton Cardinals. He was switched to the outfield in 1957 while playing with the AAA Omaha Cardinals and Rochester Red Wings.

Geiger spent 12 seasons in the majors with the Cleveland Indians (1958), Boston Red Sox (1959-65), Atlanta Braves (1966-67), and Houston Astros (1968-69).

He was involved in a noteworthy trade on December 2, 1958, when along with Vic Wertz, he was sent to the Boston Red Sox for Jimmy Piersall.

Following his playing days, Geiger managed in the minor leagues for three seasons.

Geiger died on April 24, 1996 at the age of 59.

Source: Baseball Reference

NY-Penn League News and History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams

News from the PONY League: April 3, 1947

Catcher Russ Kerns returns to Jamestown.

Source: Bradford Era via Newspapers.com 

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or the of its teams.

 

Today's Birthday: Art Ceccarelli, Olean Oilers (1948)

Topps Co.

Former PONY (New York-Penn) League prospect Art Ceccarelli was born on this date in 1930. He played for the 1948 Olean Oilers.

Ceccarelli pitched for the Kansas City Athletics (1955-56), Baltimore Orioles (1957), and Chicago Cubs (1959-60).

After he retired as a player, he coached baseball at Southern Connecticut State College and taught high school in Connecticut. He died on July 11, 2012, at the age of 82.

Source: Baseball Reference 

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball.