Lakewood Blueclaws
From SoSH
| Location: | Lakewood, New Jersey |
| Established: | 1987 |
| MLB Affiliation: | Philadelphia Phillies |
| League: | South Atlantic League |
| Level: | A |
| Ballpark: | FirstEnergy Park |
| Championships: | 1 (2006) |
| Division Titles: | |
| Wild Card: |
The Lakewood Blueclaws are a Minor League Baseball team that plays in the South Atlantic League, and are a Single-A affiliate to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Contents |
Franchise History
The Blueclaws moved to Lakewood from Fayetteville, North Carolina, where they had been known first as the Fayetteville Generals and later as the Cape Fear Crocs. Their first season in Lakewood was 2001. The Phillies' previous South Atlantic League affiliate was based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and known as the Piedmont Boll Weevils from 1995 to 2000.
Since their arrival in New Jersey, the Blueclaws have been a success at the gate. In each of their first five seasons, they have averaged over 6,500 fans per game. On August 26, 2002, in a game against the Hickory Crawdads which the BlueClaws won 3-0, attendance was a South Atlantic League record 13,003. The BlueClaws have led the South Atlantic League in attendance every year, topping out at over 460,000 in 2006 and became the fastest team in South Atlantic League history to reach the 2 million fan attendance mark. This success comes in the absence of great success on the field. In their first four seasons, the BlueClaws failed to qualify for the playoffs. Their overall record topped the .500 mark for the first time in 2004.
On September 1, 2004, Ryan Howard became the first former Blueclaw to play in the major leagues, playing first base for the Phillies in a 7-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. He played for the Blueclaws in the 2002 season. In 2005, he was named the National League Rookie of the Year, and in 2006 he was named the National League Most Valuable Player. In May of 2007, while on the 15-day disabled list, Ryan Howard played a few warm-up games with the Blueclaws after suffering a hamstring injury.
The team shares ownership with the Trenton Thunder.
Major League Affiliations
- Philadelphia Phillies (2001-present)
- Montreal Expos (1997-2000)
- Detroit Tigers (1987-1996)
Team Names
- Lakewood BlueClaws (2001-present)
- Cape Fear Crocs (1997-2000)
- Fayetteville Generals (1987-1996)
