Staten Island Yankees facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Staten Island Yankees 1999–2020 Staten Island, New York
Team logo Cap insignia
Class-level
Current	Short-Season A (1999–2020)
Minor league affiliations
League	New York–Penn League (1999–2020)
Major league affiliations
Current	New York Yankees (1999–2020)
Minor league titles
League titles (6)	2000 2002 2005 2006 2009 2011
Division titles (9)	2000 2002 2005 2006 2008 2009 2011 2015 2017
Team data
Nickname	Staten Island Yankees (1999–2020)
Colors	Navy blue, white
Ballpark	Richmond County Bank Ballpark (2001–2020) College of Staten Island Baseball Complex (1999–2000)

The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team. They played in the New York City area, specifically on Staten Island. The team existed from 1999 to 2020.

They were known as the "Baby Bombers." This nickname came from their connection to the famous New York Yankees team. The Staten Island Yankees were a "Class A Short Season" team. This means they were a starting point for players hoping to reach the major leagues.

They played in the New York–Penn League. Their home stadium was Richmond County Bank Ballpark. It was located right by the water in St. George. The team won six championships in their league. These wins happened in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2011. After the team stopped playing, a new team called the Staten Island FerryHawks took their place.

Team History

Early Beginnings

The team's story began in 1983. Back then, they were called the Watertown Pirates. They were linked to the Pittsburgh Pirates major league team. In 1989, they changed their name to the Watertown Indians. This meant they were then connected to the Cleveland Indians.

Moving to Staten Island

In 1999, a big change happened. The team moved to Staten Island, New York. This move was helped by New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The team became the Staten Island Yankees. They were now connected to the New York Yankees. Before this, the New York Yankees had a team called the Oneonta Yankees. That team then became the Oneonta Tigers.

The Staten Island Yankees played their first two seasons at the College of Staten Island Baseball Complex. In 2001, they moved to their new home, the Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

First Players to Reach the Major Leagues

In 2003, the first Staten Island Yankee player reached the major leagues for the New York Yankees. This was pitcher Jason Anderson. He pitched in a game where the Yankees won against the Toronto Blue Jays. The very first Staten Island Yankee player to reach the major leagues for any team was Wily Mo Peña. He started playing for the Cincinnati Reds in 2002.

Changes in Ownership

In 2006, the team's main owners, the Getzler family, thought about selling their share. The New York Yankees then bought their part of the team. They partnered with a company called Mandalay Sports Properties. Together, they managed the team's daily activities.

Team Managers and Fun Moments

Tyler Romeo pitching for the Staten Island Yankees in 2008.

In 2006, Gaylen Pitts was the team's manager. He was known for often getting thrown out of games by the umpires. In one game, he was ejected but came back wearing sandals!

In 2007, Mike Gillespie managed the team. He had previously led the USC Trojans college team to a championship. He helped the Baby Bombers reach the playoffs for the third time in a row.

Pat McMahon managed the team in 2008. Former major league player Josh Paul was the manager in 2009 and 2010. During 2010, Josh Paul briefly helped the New York Yankees. While he was away, Jody Reed became the temporary manager for the Staten Island Yankees.

The Pizza Rats Idea

In 2016, the team thought about changing its name. They asked fans to vote online for new names. Some ideas were the "Bridge Trolls" and "Killer Bees." One popular idea was the "Pizza Rats." In the end, the team kept the "Yankees" name. But they decided to sometimes play as the Staten Island Pizza Rats.

The End of the Team

Before the 2020 season, it was announced that the team might close. This was because of changes in how Major League Baseball worked with minor league teams. The 2020 season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was later canceled completely.

In November 2020, the New York Yankees announced they would no longer be connected to the Staten Island team. They found a new team to work with. On December 3, 2020, the Staten Island Yankees officially announced they would stop playing.

Notable Players

Many players who played for the Staten Island Yankees later reached the major leagues. This list does not include major league players who came to the team just for a short time to recover from injuries.

Major League Players on Rehab

Sometimes, major league players who were recovering from injuries would play a few games with the Staten Island Yankees. This helped them get ready to play in the major leagues again.

• Orlando Hernandez (2001)
• José Contreras (2003)
• Kevin Brown (2004)
• Steve Karsay (2004)
• Felix Rodríguez (2005)
• Octavio Dotel (2006)
• Jeff Karstens (2007) – He was the only former SI Yankee to return for rehab.
• Darrell Rasner (2007)
• Jonathan Albaladejo (2008)
• Phil Hughes (2011)

Team Mascots

The first mascot for the Staten Island Yankees was Scooter the "Holy Cow." This name was a mix of a famous New York Yankees player, Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, and his famous saying, "Holy Cow!" Scooter started as the mascot when the team moved to Staten Island in 1999.

In 2003, Scooter got two sisters, Red and Huckleberry (or "Huck"). Scooter and his sisters were a big part of the games. They led cheers and played games with fans on the field. The cows were known for having a funny relationship, like the characters in The Three Stooges. Red and Huck often teamed up to play tricks on Scooter.

Retired Numbers

When a player's number is "retired," it means no other player on that team will wear that number again. It's a special honor for important players.

• 6: Brett Gardner
• 17: Robinson Canó
• 19: Jason Anderson
• 41: Chien-Ming Wang
• 42: Jackie Robinson