History
(This article has been reproduced from page 24
and 25 of the 2001 Second Edition Ravens Souvenir Program with the intent to
provide information previously unobtainable via the internet to the general
public.)
In the spring of 1992, Yale University identified the need to have its baseball
stadium renovated. The university contacted three prominent Yale alumni
regarding a stadium fund-raising project: W. Edward Massey, Christopher Getman
and Carter LaPrade. The three men agreed to participate in the stadium project
and eventually learned that, with the addition of the Colorado Rockies and the
Florida Marlins to the National League in 1993, two Double-A level minor league
expansion teams would be available to begin play in the 1994 season. Realizing
that a minor league baseball team would have a tremendous impact on the area,
the group decided to apply for a franchise. To aid them in their quest, the
group hired the club's first employee in the spring of 1992 - Joe Zajac. Zajac
had just graduated from Yale, where he had been a star pitcher for the Bulldogs.
He assumed the post of expansion coordinator and worked out of the headquarters
of US HomeCare in New York, the home healthcare provider of which Massey was CEO
at the time.
New Haven faced stiff competition from a dozen other cities which applied for
Double-A expansion teams, but eventually the field was narrowed to four. The Elm
City (along with Portland, ME, Atlantic City, NJ, and Nassau County, NY)
received a visit from the Double-A expansion committee. On September 30, 1992,
Massey led the prospective New Haven ownership group in hosting a community
breakfast at Yale Field which included a thorough presentation to the committee.
The committee was so impressed with the extent of support shown at the visit
that New Haven was officially awarded one of the franchises only 3 days later.
On October 3, 1992, New Haven and Portland joined the world of minor league
baseball.
After hiring a general manager, concessions manager and opening up operations at
its Dugout Store in downtown New Haven, the club turned its attention to its
next two necessities: a major league affiliate and a name. In a contest
sponsored by WELI radio, the New Haven Register and WTNH-TV8, the club received
more than 800 suggestions for names from over 2,000 people. Club officials
eventually decided on "Ravens" as the name in mid-January of 1993, deciding that
the name fit well with "New Haven". Of the 25 people that submitted that name,
Priscilla Shrumruck of Orange was selected as the winner and received a trip for
two to the Ravens' major league affiliate's spring training site, along with
Ravens merchandise.
Local designer Bill Silverman of the Silverman Group then got to work designing
a new logo for the team. In early April 1993, the club unveiled the stylized
black and teal "R" that now symbolizes the team. The logo quickly became one of
the hottest sellers in the minor leagues.
As the summer of 1993 drew closer, it became clear that the Ravens and their
companions, the Portland Sea Dogs, would be affiliated with the Major League's
two new teams: the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins. Officials from both
the Rockies and the Marlins paid visits to New Haven and in early May, the
Ravens and the Rockies signed a player development contract. The Ravens would be
Colorado's first-ever Double-A affiliate, as the expansion club had operated
only rookie league, A and AAA affiliates prior to adding the Ravens.
At the Team's Grove Street office, business was picking up. The team continued
to expand its merchandise line to try to meet demand for the popular logo. In
early 1993, the club was able to begin selling its most important item: tickets.
Season ticket packages went on sale in May, bringing a steady stream of fans
down to the Dugout Store. Meanwhile, the Ravens were busy working out a deal
with Yale University to finalize the renovations to Yale Field. The Baseball
Foundation of Connecticut was formed to act as an intermediary between the two.
The Ravens eventually signed a 25 year lease, with a 25-year option, with just
enough time to begin renovations for scheduled completion in April 1994.
Shortly after 7:00 on the morning of Tuesday, October 12, 1993, the renovation
of Yale Field began. The first steps in the process included demolition of
virtually all of the 66-year old facility's grandstand, leaving only the roof
and outside wall standing. The renovations, costing in excess of $3 million,
involved replacing all of the ballpark's seating with wider, more comfortable
seats. For historical purposes, the last two rows of wooden reserved seats was
retained. It remains a part of Yale Field to this day. The Ravens also added new
concession stands and what would become one of the most popular areas for
groups: the Party Pavilion in right field. Additionally, the right field fence
was brought in to accompany a grassy berm. Within one year, due to the
popularity of the Party Pavilion, the Ravens had this area converted into the
Short Porch Cafe to further accommodate groups.
On February 1, 1994, the Ravens welcomed a new addition to their staff. A giant
egg, which had been found at the Yale Field renovation, hatched at the
Connecticut Post Mall, and out came the bird who would be the Raven's mascot. A
"Name the Mascot" contest was held, and Rally the Raven was born.
While renovations at Yale Field continued at a furious pace, the Raven's
organization was busy lining up another important relationship. The team began
an association with the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer that continues to this
day. As one of the team's top charities, the Tommy Fund would benefit from
donations by the team and its sponsors for each homerun hit at Yale Field.
As spring training progressed in Arizona, the renovations in New Haven gradually
came together as well. The brand-new color electronic scoreboard was installed
in left field as one of the finishing touches, and on April 14, 1994, fans
finally got to see all of the improvements in person. 6,667 people packed Yale
Field for its Opening Day, and Massey through out the ceremonial first pitch
with Yale President Rick Levin as his catcher. Though the Ravens lost that day
to the Reading Phillies and fell to 0-5 on the year, there were better days
ahead for this team. The Ravens beat the Phillies 6-5 the following night for
their first-ever win. Though they finished only 6-12 in April, they improved to
17-11 in May and established themselves as playoff contenders with a remarkable
21-11 run in June. Led by Eastern League pitcher of the Year and co-Rookie of
the Year RHP Juan Acevedo, the Ravens boasted one of the strongest starting
rotations in the league. The offense was led by pesky hitters like OF Quinton
McCracken and 2B Craig Counsell hitting in front of big bashers like 3B Bryn
Kosco and 1B Frank Bolick. With veteran leadership from SS Billy White and OF
Lou List, the combination was enough for the Ravens to place second in the
E.L.'s Northern Division (77-63), qualifying for the playoffs. Things came apart
in the playoffs against Binghamton, however, as Acevedo and Bolick both suffered
injuries and the Ravens were swept 3-0.
With such a successful first year, the Ravens did not rest on their laurels. The
team continued making improvements to Yale Field, adding a permanent bleacher
section in left field and a new team office/concession stand complex right
behind it. A second scoreboard was added in right field for out-of-town scores
and lineups.
The Ravens also saw improvements in the field. Manager Paul Zuvella returned for
his second season and once led the team to the playoffs, this time going 79-63.
The Ravens followed a similar formula to the one that worked in 1994. Speedy OF
Terry Jones jump-started the lineup, stealing 51 bases, while 1B David Kennedy
and OF Angel Echevarria provided the pop by hitting 22 and 21 homeruns
respectfully. RHP Joel Moore anchored the staff with a league-high 14 wins. The
Ravens had enough ammunition to get past Portland in the Northern Division
playoffs, but fell one game short of the championship in losing to Reading three
games to two.
1996 began a stretch in which the Ravens saw plenty of future superstars at Yale
Field, but not enough wins. Bill Hayes took over as manager and had an extremely
talented team. 1B Todd Helton, the Rockies' top prospect, was joined by other
highly regarded hitting prospects like outfielders Derrick Gibson and Edgard
Velazquez. Gibson homered over the famed center field "Green Monster" in
pre-season batting practice, raising expectations. When the season began,
though, the Ravens struggled. RHP Jamey Wright provided early highlights,
dominating the league with 54 strikeouts and an 0.81 ERA in 44.2 innings of work
before being called up to AAA. Helton produced all year long, finishing with a
.332 batting average before a late-season promotion. Velazquez hit 19 homeruns
and Gibson added 15, but it wasn't enough to keep the Ravens from falling to a
66-75 record
The Ravens' record slipped again in 1997, down to 64-78, though there were once
again some outstanding individual performances. Gibson, back for a second
season, hit 23 homeruns to claim the franchise's all-time record for homeruns in
a season and a career (38). SS Chris Sexton, who also saw time in center field,
established himself as a prospect by posting a stellar .400 on-base percentage.
On the mound, LHP pitcher Mike Vavrek earned E.L. Pitcher-of-the-Year honors
after going 12-3 with a 2.57 ERA. RHP Heath Bost set a new strikeout mark (170).
Another individual highlight came at the Major League level courtesy of former
Ravens Craig Counsell. Counsell had been traded to the Florida Marlins earlier
in the year, and thus became the first Ravens alum to win a World Series after
scoring the winning run.
After a season of struggles for the team on the field, the off-season proved to
be difficult as well. In the fall, former Ravens LHP Doug Million collapsed and
died from an asthma attack while working out in Arizona. Just a few months
later, List lost his battle to Hodgkin's disease. The two losses shocked the
Ravens, but the team stuck together like a family during the trying times. The
Ravens brought back their "Hot Stove Luncheon" and donated a portion of the
proceeds from the event to the Asthma and Allergy Relief Foundation in Million's
name. New York Yankees manager Joe Torre spoke at the event, making it extremely
popular. The Ravens did the same with proceeds from their annual "Meet the Team"
dinner prior to the 1998 season. To honor List, the Ravens retired his uniform #
7 on August 7, 1998, and held a special "FundRaver" to help his family pay for
his medical expense. List was also inducted into the Hall of Fame on the Ravens'
website, joining Acevedo, Echevarria and McCracken.
A new manager in 1998, Tim Blackwell, was unable to reverse the Ravens' downward
trend on the field. The team's record dropped again, but there was one major
highlight to the year. On July 8, 1998, the Ravens hosted the BIC Double-A
All-Star game at Yale Field. A sell-out crowd had to wait two hours as the game
was delayed by rain, but it lived up to expectations. RHP Scott Randall and OF
Wonderful Monds earned the MVP award after hitting the game-winning homer. In a
thriller which ended on a strikeout with the bases loaded, the National League
All-Stars prevailed 2-1. The game featured a number of mega-prospects, such as
Oakland A's 3B Eric Chavez, Los Angeles Dodgers 3B Adrian Beltre and Boston Red
Sox Dernell Stenson. Several players made the jump to the Majors before the
conclusion of the 1998 season.
After three straight losing seasons, the Ravens and the Colorado Rockies decided
to go their separate ways after the 1998 season. As a member of the National
Association of Professional Baseball Clubs, the Ravens were guaranteed an
affiliation with another major league team. From about a half-dozen candidates
the Seattle Mariners emerged, and the two organizations signed a two-year player
development contract in the fall of 1998. The change was a welcome one for the
New Haven fans and the front office. The Mariners and the Ravens got their
relationship off on a positive note, as new manager Dan Rohn took the time to
visit the New Haven area in January for a baseball clinic with local youths and
a "Meet the Manager" dinner with the fans. The following month, outfielders Joe
Mathis and Mike Narchiano took part in the team's first ever "Caravan", visiting
several area locations over the course of a week. Among many activities, the two
volunteered at local soup kitchens, visited hospital patients, and instructed
local youngsters in the finer points of baseball.
With a new affiliate in place and a renewed commitment to working with the
community, the Ravens began a new era in 1999. The team started the season by
losing its first seven games and was saddled with the worst record in the Minor
Leagues into June. The Ravens made a remarkable recovery, however, and finished
with their highest place in the standings (tie for third) since reaching the
Eastern League championship in 1995. The Ravens won eight of their last 11 games
and posted an impressive 33-19 record after July 10. The pitching staff, behind
Pat Ahearne (2.61 ERA) and strikeout champion Ryan Anderson (162 K's) finished
second in the EL with a 3.85 ERA and also set a team record with 1,059
strikeouts.
The organization carried its second half momentum into the off-season, earning
the Ellis Award as the Mariners minor league affiliate with the highest
commitment to community service. Over the winter, the Ravens established several
additional programs, including a reading program, Rally Around Reading and a
Baseball in Education program which provides math and science curricula to area
educators. The team also hosted its annual "Hot Stove Luncheon," benefiting the
Tommy Fund, with New York Mets Manager Bobby Valentine.
The turn of the century marked the perfect time for the Ravens to introduce
several new features for fans of all ages. The Ravens launched a new and
improved website, becoming the first sports organization to offer fans the
option to order concessions on line in addition to listening to all games over
the internet. A kids playground, a new best seat in the house, a sports bar in
the third base seating area and the corporate super box highlight the variety of
new additions to Yale Field. But best of all, the Year 2000 brought the New
Haven Ravens its first ever Eastern League Championship. After finishing the
regular season in second place (82-60) behind the Binghamton Mets, the Ravens
defeated the Mets three games to one to become Northern Division Champs. And on
September 15, 2000, after dropping the opening game of the Championship Series
at the hands of the Reading Phillies, the Ravens clinched the series at Yale
Field to bring home the championship. The Ravens were led by Eastern League
Pitcher of the Year Greg Wooten who posted a record of 17-3 (league leader in
wins) with an ERA of 2.31 (led league) and an amazing stat of just 15 walks in
179.1 innings. Joining Wooten on the E.L. All-Star team was DH Juan Thomas who
hit 27 homeruns and drove in 100 runs and SS Ramon Vazquez who hit .286 and
knocked in 59 runs.
The New Haven Ravens signed a new two year player development contract with the
National League 2000 Central Division Champions St. Louis Cardinals during the
off-season. The Cardinals moved their Double-A to New Haven after spending 30
years in Little Rock, Arkansas with the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League.
The Ravens front office was excited to hear the news about the affiliate change
especially with the Cardinals tradition throughout the years in Major League
Baseball as one of the top run organizations. Ravens fans will now dream of
seeing Cardinals' player Mark McGwire or Jim Edmonds (just to name a few) on a
rehab assignment at Historic Yale Field.