Eastern League

The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league, which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA (Double-A) level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923, as the New York-Pennsylvania League. In 1936, the first team outside of the two original states was created, when the York White Roses of York, Pennsylvania moved to Trenton, New Jersey and renamed the Trenton Senators. When, in 1938, the Scranton Miners of Scranton, Pennsylvania team moved to Hartford, Connecticut and renamed the Hartford Bees, the league was renamed as the Eastern League.

Since 1923, there have been Eastern League teams in 51 different cities, located in 12 different states and two Canadian provinces. The league consisted of six to eight teams from 1923 until 1993. In 1994, the league expanded to ten teams, with the addition of the Portland Sea Dogs and the New Haven Ravens, and split into two divisions, the Northern Division and the Southern Division. In 1999, the league expanded to twelve teams, with the addition of the Altoona Curve and the Erie SeaWolves. The two divisions were restructured and renamed for the 2010 season, as the Eastern Division and the Western Division, because the Connecticut Defenders moved to Richmond, Virginia after the 2009 season, where they are now known as the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Current teams[edit]

Division Team MLB Affiliation City Stadium Capacity Northeast Binghamton Rumble Ponies New York Mets Binghamton, New York Mirabito Stadium 6,012 Hartford Yard Goats Colorado Rockies Hartford, Connecticut Dunkin' Park 6,121 New Hampshire Fisher Cats Toronto Blue Jays Manchester, New Hampshire Delta Dental Stadium 6,500 Portland Sea Dogs Boston Red Sox Portland, Maine Hadlock Field 7,368 Reading Fightin Phils Philadelphia Phillies Reading, Pennsylvania FirstEnergy Stadium 9,000 Somerset Patriots New York Yankees Bridgewater Township, New Jersey TD Bank Ballpark 6,100 Southwest Akron RubberDucks Cleveland Guardians Akron, Ohio Canal Park 7,630 Altoona Curve Pittsburgh Pirates Altoona, Pennsylvania Peoples Natural Gas Field 7,210 Bowie Baysox Baltimore Orioles Bowie, Maryland Prince George's Stadium 10,000 Erie SeaWolves Detroit Tigers Erie, Pennsylvania UPMC Park 6,000 Harrisburg Senators Washington Nationals Harrisburg, Pennsylvania FNB Field 6,187 Richmond Flying Squirrels San Francisco Giants Richmond, Virginia The Diamond 9,560

1923     Binghamton NY, Elmira NY Scranton Pa, Wilkes Barre Pa, Williamsport Pa, York Pa

1924     Harrisburg Pa and Utica NY enter the league, during the season the utica team move to Oneonta NY

1925     Shamokin Pa enter the league and Oneonta has left the league.

1926     No teams enter or left the league

1927     No teams enter or left the league

1928     Syracuse NY enter the league and Shamokin has left the league.

1929     Hazleton Pa enter the league and Syracuse has left the league.

1930     No teams enter or left the league

1931     No teams enter or left the league

1932     No teams enter or left the league

1933     Reading Pa enter the league and Hazleton left the league.

1934     Hazleton Pa enter the league and York left the league

1935     No teams enter or left the league but Reading move to Allentown Pa during the season.

1936     York enter the league and Harrisburg has left the league. During the season the York team move to Trenton NJ

1937     Albany NY enter the league and Allentown left the league.

1938     Hartofrd Ct enter the league and Scranton left the league.

1939     Scranton Pa and Springfield Ma enter the league and Hazleton and Trenton has left the league

1940     No teams enter or left the league

1941     No teams enter or left the league

1942     No teams enter or left the league

1943     Utica NY enter the league and an Williamsport has left the league

1944     Williamsport Pa enter the league and Springfield has left the league

1945-1950  No teams enter or left the league

1951     Schenectady enter the league and Utica has left the league

1952     Reading Pa enter the league and Wilkes Barre has left the league

1953     Wilkes Barre Pa enter the league and Hatford has left the league

1954     Allentown Pa enter the league and Scranton has left the league.

1955     No teams enter or left the league but during the season, Wilkies Barre team move to Johnstown Pa.

1956     Syracuse NY and Wilkes Barre enter the league and Elmira and Johnstown has left the league.

1957     Springfield Ma enter the league and Allentown, Wilkes Barre, and Williamsport has left the league. During the season the Syracuse team move to Allentown.

1958     Lancaster Pa, Williamsport Pa and York Pa enter the league and Schenectady has left the league.

1959     No teams enter or left the league

1960     Albany and York left the league.

1961     Johnstown Pa enter the league and Allentown has left the league.

1962     Charleston WV, Elmira NY and York PA enter the elague and Lancaster, Johnstown and Reading has left the league.

1963     Reading Pa enter the league and Williamsport has left the league

1964     Williamsport Pa enter the elague and Binghamton has left the league

1965     Pittsfield Ma enter the league and Charleston left the leage.

1966     Pawtucket RI and Waterbury CT has left the league and Reading and Springfield has left the league.

1967     Binghamton NY and Reading Pa enter the league

1968     Pawtucket and Williamsport has left the league.

1969     Manchester NH enter the league and Binghamton has left the league.

1970     Pawtucket RI enter the league and York has left the league.

1971     Quebec Qc, and Trois Rivieres Qc enter the league

1972     Sherbrooke Qc and West Haven Ct enter the league and Manchester and Waterbury has left the league

1973     Bristol CT and Waterbury Ct enter the league and Paticket and Elmira has left the league.

1974     Thetford Mines Qc enter the league and Sherbrooke has left the league.

1975     No teams enter or left the league

1976     Williamsport Pa enter the league and Thetford Mines has left the league.

1977     Holyoke Ma and Jersey City NJ enter the league and Pittsfield and Williamsport has left the league.

1978     Quebec and Trois Rivieres has left the league.

1979     Buffalo NY enter the league and Jersey City left the league.

1980     Glen Falls NY and Lynn Ma enter the league.

1981     No teams enter or left the league

1982     No teams enter or left the league

1983     Albany, NY Nashua NH and NEw Britian Ct enter the league and Bristol, Holyoke and West Haven left the league.

1984     Burlington Vt enter the league and Lynn has left the league.

1985     Pittsfield enter the league and Buffalo has left the league.

1986     No teams enter or left the league

1987     Harrisburg Pa and Williamsport Pa enter the league and Nashua and Waterbury has left the league.

1988     No teams enter or left the league

1989     Canton Oh, Hagerstown Md and London On enter the league and Burlington, Glen Falls and Pittsfield has left the league.

1990     No teams enter or left the league

1991     No teams enter or left the league

1992     Binghamton enter the league and Williamsport has left the league.

1993     Bowie Md enter the league and Hagerstown has left the league.

1994     New Haven Ct, Protland Me and Trenton NJ enter the league and London has left the league

1995     Norwich Ct enter the league and Albany has left the league

1996     No teams enter or left the league

1997     Akron Oh enter the league and Canton has left the league

1998     No teams enter or left the league

1999     Altoona Pa and Eire Pa enter the league

2000-2002   No teams enter or left the league

2003     Manchester NH enter the league and New Haven has left the league

2004-2009   No teams enter or left the league

2010     Richmond Va enter the league and Norwich has left the league

2011-2015 No teams enter or left the league

2016     Hartford Ct enter the league and New Britian has left the League

2017-Present  No teams enter or left the league