Jersey Shore BlueClaws

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Lakewood BlueClaws
File:LakewoodBlueClaws.PNG File:BlueClaws.PNG
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassSingle-A
LeagueSouth Atlantic League
DivisionNorthern Division
Major league affiliations
TeamPhiladelphia Phillies (2001-present)
Previous teamsMontreal Expos (1997-2000)
Minor league titles
League titles 1 (2006)
Team data
NameLakewood BlueClaws (2001-present)
BallparkFirstEnergy Park
General managerGeoff Brown
ManagerSteve Roadcap

The Lakewood BlueClaws are a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies. They are based in Lakewood, New Jersey. They play in the Class A South Atlantic League. Their home field is FirstEnergy Park.

History

The BlueClaws moved to Lakewood from Fayetteville, North Carolina, where they had been known first as the Fayetteville Generals and later as the Cape Fear Crocs. Their first season in Lakewood was 2001. The Phillies' previous South Atlantic League affiliate was based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and known as the Piedmont Boll Weevils from 1995 to 2000. Prior to that, the team was based in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Strong Fan Support

Since their arrival in New Jersey, the BlueClaws have been a success at the gate. In each of their first five seasons, they have averaged over 6,500 fans per game. On August 26, 2002, in a game against the Hickory Crawdads which the BlueClaws won 3-0, attendance was a South Atlantic League record 13,003. The BlueClaws have led the South Atlantic League in attendance every year, topping out at over 460,000 in 2006 and became the fastest team in South Atlantic League history to reach the 2 million fan attendance mark. This box office success comes in the absence of great success on the field. In their first four seasons, the BlueClaws failed to qualify for the playoffs. Their overall record topped the .500 mark for the first time in 2004.

Recent Developments

On September 1, 2004, Ryan Howard became the first former BlueClaw to play in the major leagues, playing first base for the Phillies in a 7-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. He played for the BlueClaws in the 2002 season. In 2005, he was named the National League Rookie of the Year, and in 2006 he was named the National League Most Valuable Player. In May of 2007, while on the 15-day disabled list, Ryan Howard played a few warm-up games with the Blue Claws after suffering a hamstring injury.

Records

Season Records

Season Affiliation Manager First Half Record Second Half Record
2001 Phillies Greg Legg 28-42, 7th place North 32-37, 5th place North
2002 Phillies Jeff Manto 33-36, 6th place North 36-34, 5th place North
2003 Phillies Buddy Biancalana 22-47, 8th place North 35-34, 3rd place North
2004 Phillies P.J. Forbes 31-36, 7th place North 39-30, 3rd place North
2005 Phillies P.J. Forbes 25-45, 6th place North 31-38, 7th place North
2006 Phillies Dave Huppert 37-32, 4th place North 47-23, 1st place North

Post-Season Records

The Blue Claws won the 2006 South Atlantic League Championship on September 15, first defeating the Lexington Legends in the Northern division final, two games to none, then defeating the Augusta GreenJackets in a dramatic 5-0 victory, winning the championship series three games to one.

Alumni





External links

Template:MLB Phillies franchise

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