International League

The International League (IL) is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States and Canada. Like the Pacific Coast League, it plays at the AAA (Triple-A) level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. The league was created from the mergers of member teams from three precursor leagues, the Eastern League, founded in 1884 (which brought Richmond, Virginia), the New York State League, formed in 1885 (which brought Rochester, New York and Syracuse, New York), and the Ontario League, also organized in 1885.

1960-1969

The battle to neutralize the effects of TV was still being fought in 1961 when Montreal succumbed after a 33-year span and yielded its membership to Syracuse. A shift from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico proved premature and the club finished the season in Charleston, West Virginia. In 1962, Jersey City and Charleston franchises were moved to the new territories of Atlanta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida.

Related Topics:
TV - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Charleston, West Virginia - Atlanta, Georgia - Jacksonville, Florida

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In 1963, the International League expanded to ten clubs with the admission of Little Rock, Arkansas and Indianapolis, Indiana. The second ten-club experiment proved no more successful than had the first in 1887 and the new members were dropped for 1964. Toledo returned to the circuit in 1965 after having been away for 76 years and replaced Richmond. Richmond, however, returned to the International League for the 1966 season, taking over the Atlanta franchise when the National League moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Atlanta.

Related Topics:
Little Rock, Arkansas - Indianapolis, Indiana - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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George Sisler, Jr., General Manager of Rochester for eleven years, was elected League President succeeding Tommy Richardson. Harry Simmons, associated with the league for 25 years, earned a well deserved promotion and joined the staff of the newly elected Commissioner of Baseball, General William D. Eckert.

Related Topics:
George Sisler, Jr. - Harry Simmons - William D. Eckert

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Attendance in 1966 swung sharply upward to 1,248,658 paid admissions featuring fine years at Rochester and Richmond, under the able leadership of Morrie Silver and Hillman Lyons, respectively. The Rochester-Richmond attendance domination continued in 1967, with Rochester topping 300,000 paid admissions. Richmond won its first International League championship beating Rochester in a special playoff after the two teams had tied after completion of the regular season. 1967 also saw the end of Toronto as an International League member after 78 years in the League. Louisville, Kentucky replaced Toronto in 1968.

Related Topics:
Morrie Silver - Hillman Lyons - Louisville, Kentucky

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In 1969, International League baseball entered the mid-atlantic region of Tidewater, Virginia, as the New York Mets moving their Jacksonville franchise there after sparse attendance. William A. Gardner, who saved baseball for Louisville, was named Minor League Executive of the Year.

Related Topics:
Tidewater, Virginia - William A. Gardner

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