Rockford Aviators
The Rockford Aviators were a professional baseball team based in Rockford, Illinois, and played in the Frontier League. Previously, Rockford had a team in the Frontier League called the River Hawks, who began FL play in 2002. There was no Rockford team in the FL in 2010. Rockford came back into the Frontier League in 2011 and changed the team name to Aviators on January 27, 2013.[1] In 2011, the Aviators moved into their most recent home, Aviators Stadium, located in Loves Park, Illinois.
Rockford Aviators | |
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Information | |
League | Frontier League (1993–2008, 2011–2015) (West) |
Location | Loves Park, Illinois |
Ballpark | Aviators Stadium |
Year founded | 2002 |
Year folded | 2015 |
League championships | 0 |
Division championships | 6 (1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2006) |
Former name(s) |
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Colors | Navy blue, Columbia blue, orange, silver, white |
Ownership | Rock River Valley Baseball LLC |
Manager | James Frisbie |
General Manager | Brad Sholes |
Media | Rockford Register Star |
Website | www |
History
The Aviators franchise was relocated from Chillicothe, Ohio, where they were known as the Chillicothe Paints, to Rockford in time for the 2011 season after the former Rockford RiverHawks franchise moved to the Northern League in 2010 and folded following that season. The club operated as the RiverHawks for 2011 and 2012 before changing the name to Aviators.
Seasons
Chillicothe Paints (Frontier League) | ||||
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Year | W-L | PCT | Place | Postseason |
1993 | 25-27 | .480 | 2nd in FL West | |
1994 | 33-34 | .492 | 1st in FL Southern | Lost 1st Round Playoff vs Lancaster Scouts 2-1 |
1995 | 21-48 | .304 | 8th in FL | |
1996 | 48-26 | .649 | 1st in FL East | Won 1st Round Playoff vs. Johnstown Steal 2–1. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Springfield Capitals 2–0. |
1997 | 41-38 | .519 | 3rd in FL East | |
1998 | 48-31 | .608 | 1st in FL East | Won 1st Round Playoff vs. Canton Crocodiles 2–1. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Springfield Capitals 2–1. |
1999 | 45-38 | .542 | 2nd in FL East | |
2000 | 42-40 | .512 | 3rd in FL East | |
2001 | 51-33 | .607 | 1st in FL East | Won 1st Round Playoff vs. Canton Crocodiles 2–1. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Richmond Roosters 3–0. |
2002 | 35-49 | .417 | 5th in FL East | |
2003 | 54-31 | .635 | 1st in FL East | Lost 1st Round Playoff vs. Evansville Otters 2–1. |
2004 | 48-48 | .500 | 4th in FL East | |
2005 | 53-42 | .558 | T-2nd in FL East | Won 1st Round Playoff vs. Washington Wild Things 3–2. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Kalamazoo Kings 3–2. |
2006 | 58-37 | .611 | 1st in FL East | Won 1st Round Playoff vs. Washington Wild Things 3–1. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Evansville Otters 3–0. |
2007 | 47-49 | .490 | 2nd in FL East | |
2008 | 39-57 | .406 | 5th in FL East | |
2009 | Did Not Play | |||
2010 | Did Not Play | |||
Total | 688-628 | .523 | 6 Division Titles. | |
Rockford RiverHawks (Frontier League) | ||||
2011 | 37-59 | .385 | 6th in FL East | |
2012 | 41-55 | .427 | 5th in FL West | |
Rockford Aviators (Frontier League) |
Notable Alumni
- José Martínez (2014)
- Josh Smoker (2014)
References
- "RiverHawks no more: Loves Park man wins contest with Aviators", Rockford Register Star, Rockford, IL, 2013-01-28, archived from the original on 2013-02-16, retrieved 2013-02-01