The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mirabito Stadium, located in Binghamton.
| Binghamton Rumble Ponies | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class | Double-A (1987–present) | ||||
| League | Eastern League (1987–present) | ||||
| Division | Northeast Division | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team | New York Mets (1991–present) | ||||
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles (3) |
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| Division titles (4) |
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| Second-half titles (1) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Name | Binghamton Rumble Ponies (2017–present) | ||||
Previous names | Binghamton Mets (1992–2016) Williamsport Bills (1987–1991) | ||||
| Colors | Navy blue, red, silver, white | ||||
| Ballpark |
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Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Diamond Baseball Holdings | ||||
| General manager | Richard Tylicki | ||||
| Website | milb.com/binghamton | ||||
History
editIn 1976, the franchise played as the Williamsport Bills in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It played in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1977 and 1978, then Buffalo, New York, from 1979 through 1984.
It returned to Williamsport in 1987. The team was an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians in 1987 and 1988, and of the Seattle Mariners during the 1989 and 1990 seasons. (The Bills franchise was actually two separate franchises. After the 1988 season, the original owners moved the Bills to Hagerstown, Maryland, while the Eastern League franchise based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, moved back to Williamsport before the 1989 season.)
It was purchased by the New York Mets in 1991, and moved to Binghamton in 1992 as the Binghamton Mets.
In 2016, the franchise announced a plan to stay in Binghamton for the foreseeable future, and to change the team's name.[1] The team held a name-the-team contest on its website from May 17 to June 1; the finalists were the Bullheads (for the bullhead catfish abundant in the nearby Susquehanna River), Gobblers (for the rich hunting culture of the area, as well as the turkeys in Binghamton), Rocking Horses (for the Triple Cities' nickname as the "Carousel Capital of The World"), Rumble Ponies (also a carousel tribute), Stud Muffins (for the collections of carousel horses in Binghamton), and Timber Jockeys (for everyone who rides the carousels).[2][3] On November 3, 2016, the team announced that it would be rebranding as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, and released a new logo. The Mets' High-A affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones, are also named after an amusement park ride, specifically, the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster at Luna Park.
In 2019, Major League Baseball released a proposal to sever ties with 42 minor-league teams, including the Rumble Ponies and fellow Double-A teams such as the Erie SeaWolves and Chattanooga Lookouts, in 2021.[4][5] On November 10, 2020, the Mets announced they would continue their affiliation with Binghamton, saving the Rumble Ponies from elimination.[6] The team was organized into the Double-A Northeast.[7] In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.[8]
On April 26, 2024, the Rumble Ponies' owners entered into an agreement to sell the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings.[9]
Roster
edit| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
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Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Season records
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(Place indicates finish in Eastern League from 1987 to 1993, in the Northern Division from 1994 to 2009, in the Eastern Division from 2010 to 2020, and in the Northeastern Division from 2021. Italics indicates league champions.)
- Williamsport Bills
- 1987: 60–79 (7th), managers Steve Swisher & Orlando Gomez
- 1988: 66–73 (6th), manager Mike Hargrove
- 1989: 63–77 (7th), manager Jay Ward
- 1990: 61–79 (7th), manager Rich Morales
- 1991: 60–79 (7th), manager Clint Hurdle
- Binghamton Mets
- 1992: 79–59 (2nd), manager Steve Swisher
- 1993: 68–72 (5th), manager Steve Swisher
- 1994: 82–59 (1st), manager John Tamargo
- 1995: 67–75 (4th), manager John Tamargo
- 1996: 76–66 (2nd), manager John Tamargo
- 1997: 66–76 (4th), manager Rick Sweet
- 1998: 82–60 (2nd), manager John Gibbons
- 1999: 54–88 (6th), manager Doug Davis
- 2000: 82–58 (1st), manager Doug Davis
- 2001: 73–68 (4th), manager Howie Freiling
- 2002: 73–68 (3rd), manager Howie Freiling
- 2003: 63–78 (5th), manager John Stearns
- 2004: 76–66 (2nd), manager Ken Oberkfell
- 2005: 63–79 (6th), manager Jack Lind
- 2006: 70–70 (3rd), manager Juan Samuel
- 2007: 61–81 (6th), manager Mako Oliveras
- 2008: 73–69 (3rd), manager Mako Oliveras
- 2009: 54–86 (6th), manager Mako Oliveras
- 2010: 66–76 (5th), manager Tim Teufel
- 2011: 65–76 (5th), manager Wally Backman
- 2012: 68–74 (5th), manager Pedro López
- 2013: 86–55 (2nd), manager Pedro López
- 2014: 83–59 (1st), manager Pedro López
- 2015: 77–64 (2nd), manager Pedro López
- 2016: 63–77 (5th), manager Pedro López
- Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- 2017: 85–54 (2nd), manager Luis Rojas
- 2018: 64–76 (5th), manager Luis Rojas
- 2019: 67–73 (4th), manager Kevin Boles
- 2020: Season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021: 47–60 (4th), manager Lorenzo Bundy
- 2022: 53–83 (6th), manager Reid Brignac
- 2023: 74–61 (2nd), manager Reid Brignac
- 2024: 69–67 (4th), manager Richard Tylicki
Playoffs
edit| Season | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | W, 3–1, Harrisburg | W, 3–2, Canton-Akron |
| 1994 | W, 3–0, New Haven | W, 3–1, Harrisburg |
| 1996 | L, 3–2, Portland | - |
| 1998 | L, 3–1, New Britain | - |
| 2000 | L, 3–1, New Haven | - |
| 2004 | L, 3–1, New Hampshire | - |
| 2013 | L, 3–0, Trenton | - |
| 2014 | W, 3–2, Portland | W, 3–0, Richmond |
| 2015 | L, 3–0, Reading | - |
| 2017 | L, 3–1, Trenton | - |
| 2023 | W, 2–0, Somerset | L, 2–0, Erie |
References
edit- ^ "B-Mets changing name as part of team rebranding". WBNG. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
- ^ Caputo, Paul (May 17, 2016). "Introducing your Binghamton Bronies? (No, Not Really)". Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ^ "Binghamton Name the Team Finals". Binghamton Mets.
- ^ "The Minor League Teams That Could Lose M.L.B. Ties". The New York Times. 2019-11-19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ^ Barry, Dan (2019-11-16). "Across the Country, Minor League Towns Face Major League Threat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ^ Cooper, J.J. (November 10, 2020). "Binghamton, Brooklyn Survive As Mets Announce Affiliates". Baseball America. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ "Diamond Baseball Holdings Agrees to Buy Mets Double-A Rumble Ponies". Sportico. April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
External links
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