Sugar Land Skeeters
The Sugar Land Skeeters are a Minor League Baseball team of Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, and play their home games at Constellation Field. Their name is a Southern slang word for mosquitos, which are common on summer nights in Southeast Texas.[1]
| Sugar Land Skeeters Founded in 2012 Sugar Land, Texas | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Triple-A (2021–future) | ||||
| Previous classes | Independent (2012–2020) | ||||
| League | Pacific Coast League (from 2021) | ||||
| Conference | TBD | ||||
| Division | TBD | ||||
Previous leagues |
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| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team | Houston Astros (2021–future) | ||||
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles (3) |
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| Division titles (3) |
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| First half titles (4) |
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| Second half titles (3) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Name | Sugar Land Skeeters (2012–present) | ||||
| Colors | Blue, black, yellow, white | ||||
| Mascot | Swatson | ||||
| Ballpark | Constellation Field (2012–present) | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Houston Astros | ||||
| Manager | Mickey Storey | ||||
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The Skeeters began play as an expansion team of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent baseball league, in 2012. Over eight seasons, they won two league championships (2016 and 2018). In 2020, the Skeeters competed in the Constellation Energy League, a makeshift league they hosted in light of the Atlantic League's cancelled season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sugar Land won its championship. In conjunction with Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minors after the 2020 season, the Houston Astros purchased an ownership stake in the team and made them their Triple-A affiliate.
History
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (2012–2019)
In 2008, Sugar Land, Texas, residents voted for the allocation of civic revenues toward the construction of a new baseball park.[2] Initially, the Omaha Royals were interested in moving to the city, but eventually declined because of the construction of Werner Park in suburban Omaha, Nebraska.[3] City of Sugar Land officials contracted Opening Day Partners to build the ballpark to bring professional baseball to the region. The city knew that the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB) would not approve of an affiliated team in the Greater Houston area, so Sugar Land chose the independent circuit. The American Association and United Baseball League were considered since both organizations had teams located in Texas. The city decided on the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball mainly because Opening Day Partners' other teams were already members of that league. Sugar Land's entry was officially announced on May 18, 2010.[4]
In 2012, the Skeeters signed former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens.[5] The Skeeters sold out tickets on August 25, the night of Clemens' start, where he pitched 3 1⁄3 innings in a 1–0 win.[6]
The Sugar Land City Council approved an ownership change on October 28, 2014. The Council's action cleared the way for Houston-area residents Bob and Marcie Zlotnik, who had been one-third minority partners since the 2012 season, to assume full ownership of SL Baseball, LLC.[7]
Also in the 2014 season, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball All-Star Game was held at Constellation Field, home of the Skeeters. Usually, in each annual All-Star Game, the best players from the Freedom Division battle it out with the best players from the Liberty Division. However, in the 2014 event, the best players from all around the league faced the Skeeters. Sugar Land won on their home field by a score of 5–3. Nick Stavinoha was recognized as the game's Most Valuable Player. The game attendance was 7,555, which was the fourth highest All-Star Game attendance at the time. The Skeeters reached the Atlantic League championship finals that season but were swept by the Lancaster Barnstormers in the best-of-five game series, 3–0.
On September 17, 2015, the Skeeters announced the signing of former MLB All-Star Rafael Palmeiro, who had been in retirement for ten years. His son, Patrick Palmeiro, was also a member of the team that year. Shortly after signing with the Skeeters, the elder Palmeiro said, "We discussed me playing earlier this year and it's something I've looked forward to since then. The chance to play with my son is an opportunity the Skeeters have offered me and I'm very excited to make it happen this weekend."[8] On September 18, Rafael Palmeiro debuted for the Skeeters batting third, which was the spot right after his son. The father-son duo combined for five RBIs to lead Sugar Land to a 10–4 victory over the Camden Riversharks.[9]
They returned to the Atlantic League championships in 2016, where they won the ALPB title against the Long Island Ducks, 3–0. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2017 season, Skeeters manager Gary Gaetti stepped down from his position with the expiration of his contract. Gaetti had been the club's inaugural skipper in 2012 and managed the club for their first six seasons (2012–2017).[10]
The Skeeters reached the championship series in 2018 against Long Island, winning three games to two, to win their second championship overall and second in three years. They returned to the championship series again the following year, but lost to the Ducks, 3–2.
Constellation Energy League (2020)
In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Skeeters organization launched their own four-team independent league—the Constellation Energy League—with play beginning on July 3, thereby going on hiatus for the 2020 ALPB season.[11] Opening Day was pushed back to July 10 due to a spike in coronavirus cases.[12]
All games were played at Constellation Field, with a maximum of 1,800 fans (31% of stadium capacity) allowed at each game in accordance with social distancing guidelines. Rosters were composed of former MLB players and other professionals who had previously played in minor league or independent baseball. Skeeters skipper Pete Incaviglia managed one of the teams, the father-son duo of Roger Clemens and Koby Clemens managed another team, and former MLB pitchers Greg Swindell and Dave Eiland each managed their own teams. The names of the four teams were: Sugar Land Skeeters (managed by Incaviglia), Team Texas (managed by the Clemenses), Sugar Land Lightning Sloths (managed by Swindell), and Eastern Reyes del Tigre (managed by Eiland).[13]
Triple-A (from 2021)
In November 2020, the Sugar Land Skeeters reached an agreement with the Houston Astros to be their Triple-A affiliate beginning in the 2021 season. This move is part of a broader Major League Baseball realignment and direct management plan over all Minor League player development.[14][15] The deal also involved the Astros purchasing a majority ownership share of the Skeeters.[16]
Season-by-season records
| League | The team's final position in the league standings |
|---|---|
| Division | The team's final position in the divisional standings |
| GB | Games behind the team that finished in first place in the division that season |
 |
Class champions (from 2021) |
 |
League champions (2012–present) |
| § | Conference champions (from 2021) |
| * | Division champions (2012–present) |
| ^ | Postseason berth (2012–2019) |
| Season | League | Regular season | Postseason | MLB affiliate | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record | Win % | League | Division | GB | Record | Win % | Result | ||||
| 2012 | ALPB | 64–76 | .457 | 7th | 4th | 24 | — | — | — | Independent | [17] |
| 2013 ^ |
ALPB | 95–45 | .679 | 1st | 1st | — | 0–3 | .000 | Won First and Second Half Freedom Division titles Lost Freedom Division title vs. Somerset Patriots, 3–0[18] |
Independent | [19] |
| 2014 ^ |
ALPB | 80–60 | .571 | 3rd | 2nd | 1 | 3–5 | .375 | Won First Half Freedom Division title Won semifinals vs. York Revolution, 3–2 Lost AL championship vs. Lancaster Barnstormers, 3–0[20] |
Independent | [21] |
| 2015 | ALPB | 68–71 | .489 | 5th | 3rd | 6 1⁄2 | — | — | — | Independent | [22] |
| 2016 ^ * |
ALPB | 74–66 | .529 | 3rd | 2nd | 2 | 6–0 | 1.000 | Won Second Half Freedom Division title[23] Won Freedom Division title vs. York Revolution, 3–0 Won AL championship vs. Long Island Ducks, 3–0[24] |
Independent | [25] |
| 2017 | ALPB | 67–73 | .479 | 6th (tie) | 3rd (tie) | 9 | — | — | — | Independent | [26] |
| 2018 ^ * |
ALPB | 81–45 | .643 | 1st | 1st | — | 6–4 | .600 | Won First and Second Half Freedom Division titles Won Fredom Division title vs. Lancaster Barnstormers, 3–2 Won AL championship vs. Long Island Ducks, 3–2[27] |
Independent | [28] |
| 2019 ^ * |
ALPB | 72–66 | .522 | 4th | 2nd | 2 | 5–4 | .556 | Won First Half Freedom Division title Won Fredom Division title vs. Lancaster Barnstormers, 3–1[29] Lost AL championship vs. Long Island Ducks, 3–2[30] |
Independent | [31] |
| 2020 |
CEL | 17–11 | .607 | 1st | — | — | — | — | Won CEL championship | Independent | [32] |
| Totals | — | 618–513 | .546 | — | — | — | 20–16 | .556 | — | — | — |
Ballpark
In December 2010, StarTex Power bought the rights to name the future ballpark of the Skeeters. The initial name of the field was StarTex Power Field. A year later, StarTex merged with Constellation Energy and the name Constellation Field was born on December 2011. Constellation Field opened on April 26, 2012, when the Sugar Land Skeeters hosted the York Revolution. The ballpark cost US$37 million to build and is owned by the City of Sugar Land.
Logos and uniforms
The official colors of the Sugar Land Skeeters are imperial blue, nighttime black, rawhide yellow, white, and refinery red. Aside from nighttime black, each color is a regional allusion: "imperial blue" for the Sugar Land–based Imperial Sugar company, "rawhide yellow" for the cattle industry, and "refinery red" for the area's oil refineries. The team's primary logo consists of a mosquito flying over a Texas contour with its proboscis marking Fort Bend County which is located in the Southeast Texas area. The "Skeeters" wordmark centered below is made up of sugarcane-inspired lettering – a reference to the industry's importance to the region. Centered to the right above the contour is "Sugar Land" in black letters with a "lone star."[33]
Television and radio
On April 24, 2014, the Sugar Land Skeeters announced a deal with ESPN that allowed for all home games at Constellation Field to be exclusively broadcast on the Internet channel ESPN3 for the 2014 season,[34] an agreement that was renewed for both the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Away games are heard on radio station KBRZ.
For the 2017 season, the Skeeters dropped their deals with both KBRZ and ESPN. Telecasts moved to the Skeeters' YouTube channel, while radio broadcasts moved to SB Nation Radio flagship station KGOW.
Mascots
The Sugar Land Skeeters utilize two mascots. Their primary mascot is Swatson: a large, green mosquito who performs stunts, engages in fan activities, and is often found throughout the stadium during games. There is also a secondary mascot, the Rally Sloth, who is used in the middle of the ninth inning whenever the Skeeters are trailing. The Rally Sloth was first used in 2019 and was the main mascot of the Sugar Land Lightning Sloths of the 2020 Constellation Energy League.
Roster
| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
|
Pitchers
|
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
|
Manager Coaches
| ||
Notable alumni
- Roger Clemens – former MLB player who signed with the team in 2012
- Rafael Palmeiro – former MLB player who signed with the team in 2015
- Tracy McGrady – former NBA player who became a professional pitcher for the Skeeters in 2014[35]
- Scott Kazmir – MLB pitcher before and after his 2012 stint with the Skeeters
- Delwyn Young – former MLB player who signed with the team in 2014
- Jason Lane – former MLB outfielder who pitched for the Skeeters in 2012–2013 and returned to MLB as a pitcher
- Ryan Langerhans - former MLB outfielder who played for the Skeeters in 2013
- Scott Elarton - former MLB pitcher who played with the team in 2013 and retired after the season
- Daryle Ward - former MLB player who signed with the team in 2015
- Derek Norris - former MLB catcher who played for the team in 2018
- James Loney - former MLB player who played for 11 games for the club in 2019 before retiring
- Hector Olivera - former MLB infielder who played for the team in 2017
- Willy Taveras - former MLB outfielder who played for the club in the 2015 and 2019 seasons
- Brett Eibner - former MLB outfielder who pitched for the Skeeters in 2019 and returned to the MLB as a pitcher
- Chris Colabello - former MLB player who played for the Skeeters in 2019
- Mark Lowe - former MLB pitcher who played for the team in 2019
Achievements
Records
| Atlantic League Team Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Statistic | Year |
| Most wins in a single season | 95 wins | 2013 |
| Highest winning percentage in a single season | .679 winning percentage | 2013 |
| Highest attendance total in a single season | 456,511 people | 2012 |
| Highest attendance average per game | 6,650 people | 2012 |
| Highest attendance in a single game | 8,606 people | July 4, 2016 |
Awards
| Atlantic League Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | Recipient | Year |
| Atlantic League First Team (Outfield) | Adam Godwin | 2013 |
| Atlantic League First Team (First Base) | Aaron Bates | 2013 |
| Atlantic League First Team (Catcher) | Travis Scott | 2013 |
| Atlantic League Second Team (Catcher) | Koby Clemens | 2013 |
| Atlantic League Second Team (Closer) | Gary Majewski | 2013 |
| Atlantic League Manager of the Year | Gary Gaetti | 2013 |
| All-Star Game MVP | Nick Stavinoha | 2014 |
| All-Star Game MVP | Travis Scott | 2015 |
| End-of-Season All-Star Team (Catcher) | Chris Wallace | 2015 |
| End-of-Season All-Star Team (Second Base) | Delwyn Young | 2015 |
| Red, White, and Blue All-Defensive Team (Third Base) | Patrick Palmeiro | 2015 |
| Red, White, and Blue All-Defensive Team (Pitcher) | Roy Merritt | 2015 |
| Atlantic League Player of the Year | Jeremy Barfield | 2016 |
| End-of-Season All-Star Team (Outfield) | Jeremy Barfield | 2016 |
| End-of-Season All-Star Team (Relief Pitcher) | Andrew Johnston | 2016 |
| Atlantic League Championship Series MVP | Juan Martinez | 2016 |
| End-of-Season All-Star Team (Second Base) | Josh Prince | 2017 |
| Red, White, and Blue All-Defensive Team (Third Base) | Bryan Pounds | 2017 |
| Red, White, and Blue All-Defensive Team (Pitcher) | Jake Hale | 2017 |
| Atlantic League Championship Series MVP | James Russell | 2018 |
| Red, White, and Blue All-Defensive Team (Outfield) | Anthony Giansanti | 2018 |
| Red, White, and Blue All-Defensive Team (First Base) | Matt Chavez | 2018 |
| Red, White, and Blue All-Defensive Team (Catcher) | Derek Norris | 2018 |
| End-of-Season All-Star Team (Outfield) | Anthony Giansanti | 2018 |
| End-of-Season All-Star Team (First Base) | Matt Chavez | 2018 |
| End-of-Season All-Star Team (Relief Pitcher) | Felipe Paulino | 2018 |
| Atlantic League Manager of the Year | Pete Incaviglia | 2018 |
References
- "Three finalists named in Sugar Land name-the-team contest". Namesugarlandsteam.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2010. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- "Sugar Land seeks proposals for ballpark". Ballparkdigest.com. December 8, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- "Today's big ballot issue: new ballpark in Sugar Land". Ballparkdigest.com. November 4, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- "Atlantic League to expand to Sugar Land". Ballparkdigest.com. May 17, 2010. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- Berman, Mark. Roger Clemens to sign with the Sugar Land Skeeters, FOX-TV Houston, August 20, 2012.
- Baldwin, Chris. Roger Clemens takes advantage of meek minor leaguers: AARP Rocket not Majors ready, but oh the joy, HoustonCultureMap, August 26, 2012.
- http://www.sugarlandskeeters.com/team/news/?article_id=635
- http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13678957/rafael-palmeiro-play-sugar-land-skeeters-atlantic-league
- http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2015/09/18/rafael-palmeiro-drives-in-a-run-in-debut-with-sugar-land-skeeters
- http://www.sugarlandskeeters.com/news/2017/9/29/baseball-gary-gaetti-steps-down.aspx
- "Skeeters Intend to Host Four-Team Pro Baseball League at Constellation Field". sugarlandskeeters.com. June 13, 2020.
- "Constellation Energy League to Be Delayed to July 10". sugarlandskeeters.com. June 29, 2020.
- "Constellation Energy League Announces Team Names and Logos". sugarlandskeeters.com. July 2, 2020.
- "Astros to make Sugar Land Skeeters their Class AAA affiliate". Chron.com. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "Sugar Land Skeeters To Become Astros' Triple-A Affiliate". MLBtraderumors.com. MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- McTaggart, Brian (November 20, 2020). "Sugar Land Becomes Astros affiliate". Houston Astros. Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- "2012 Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2013 Atlantic League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2013 Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2014 Atlantic League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2014 Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2015 Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "Sugar Land Skeeters Clinch Second Half Freedom Division Title". Atlantic League. September 16, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2016 Atlantic League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2016 Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2017 Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2018 Atlantic League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2018 Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2019 Atlantic League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "History". Atlantic League. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "2019 Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "Constellation Energy League Standings". Sugar Land Skeeters. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- "It's the 'Sugar Land Skeeters'". Ballparkbiz.wordpress.com. December 1, 2010. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- Barron, David (April 24, 2014). "Skeeters to stream home games via ESPN3.com, team website". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
- http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10829008/tracy-mcgrady-makes-sugar-land-skeeters-pitcher
