Thetford Mines Pirates
The Thetford Mines Pirates and the Thetford Mines Miners (French: les Pirates (Mineurs) de Thetford Mines) were the names of a Canadian minor league baseball franchise that represented Thetford Mines, Quebec, in the Double-A Eastern League in 1974–75. The club played at le Stade Bellevue.[1]
| Thetford Mines Pirates (1974-1975) Thetford Mines, Quebec | |
| Minor league affiliations | |
|---|---|
| Class | Double-A |
Previous leagues | Eastern League |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 1 (1974) |
| Team data | |
Previous names |
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Previous parks | le Stade Bellevue |
After two winning but non-playoff teams as the Sherbrooke Pirates, the team moved to Thetford Mines, located 104 km (65 miles) to the north, for the 1974 season as an affiliate of the namesake Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Led by league All-Star catcher and Most Valuable Player Ken Macha, the future MLB manager, Thetford Mines made the playoffs and defeated the Bristol Red Sox in the semi-finals and the Pittsfield Rangers in the finals to win the Eastern League championship. But the club drew almost 50,000 fans less than they had in Sherbrooke during the 1973 season.[2] As a result, the MLB Pirates switched their Double-A affiliate to the Shreveport Captains of the Double-A Texas League for 1975.
They were replaced in Thetford Mines by the Milwaukee Brewers for 1975. But the renamed "Miners" finished in seventh place, 22½ games out of a playoff spot, and drew only 16,000 fans all year.[2] The franchise was moved to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for 1976.
Season-by-season
(from Pirates' Baseball Reference Bullpen) (from Miners' Baseball Reference Bullpen)
| Year | Record | Finish | Attendance | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 75–65 | Second (National Div.) | 22,516 | Tim Murtaugh | Won Semi-Finals vs. Bristol Red Sox, 2-0 Won Championship vs. Pittsfield Rangers, 2-0 |
| 1975 | 59–80 | Seventh | 16,360 | John Felske |
Notable alumni
References
- Digital Ballparks.com
- Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, eds., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, NC: Baseball America, 2007, pp. 566, 570
External links
| Preceded by Sherbrooke Pirates |
Pittsburgh Pirates Double-A affiliate 1974 |
Succeeded by Shreveport Captains |
| Preceded by Shreveport Captains |
Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate 1975 |
Succeeded by Berkshire Brewers |