Tampa Tarpons

Tampa Tarpons Founded in 1994 Tampa, Florida
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class	Low Single-A (2021–present)
Previous classes	Class A-Advanced (1994–2020)
League	Low-A Southeast (2021–present)
Division	West Division
Previous leagues	Florida State League (1994–2020)
Major league affiliations
Team	New York Yankees (1994–present)
Minor league titles
League titles (5)	1994 2001 2004 2009 2010
Division titles (7)	1994 2001 2004 2009 2010 2016 2021
Team data
Name	Tampa Tarpons (2018–present)
Previous names	Tampa Yankees (1994–2017)
Colors	Legends navy, Tarpon silver, Gulf blue, white[1]
Mascot	Blue
Ballpark	George M. Steinbrenner Field (1996–present)
Previous parks	Red McEwen Field (1994–1995)
Owner(s)/ Operator(s)	New York Yankees
General manager	Jeremy Ventura
Manager	Rachel Balkovec

The Tampa Tarpons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Low-A Southeast and the Low-A affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball team based in Tampa, Florida. The Tarpons play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is also the spring training home of the New York Yankees and incorporates design elements from old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, including identical field dimensions. They competed at the Class A-Advanced level from 1994 to 2020 before being reclassified Low Single-A in 2021. Since their inception, the club has won five league championships, in 1994, 2001, 2004, 2009, and 2010.

The club was established in 1994 as the Tampa Yankees and played for 24 seasons under that name. Before the 2018 season, the team was rebranded as the "Tampa Tarpons", reviving a name that had been used by an earlier franchise in the Florida State League for over 30 years.^[2]

On January 9, 2022, the Yankees announced that Rachel Balkovec has been hired to manage the Tarpons. She is the first woman to manage a minor league team affiliated with Major League Baseball.^[3]

History[]

Tampa has a long history of amateur and organized baseball, with the first spring training held in the city in 1913 and the Tampa Smokers founded as charter members of the Florida State League (FSL) in 1919. In anticipation of a potential Major League Baseball expansion team, the original Tampa Tarpons of the FSL relocated in 1988 and Al Lopez Field was demolished soon thereafter. However, the expected franchise was eventually awarded to nearby St. Petersburg, leaving Tampa without a professional baseball team or venue.

In 1994, the New York Yankees established a new Class A-Advanced FSL team and placed them in Tampa, replacing their previous Class-A Advanced affiliate, the Prince William Cannons. After operating as the Tampa Yankees for 24 seasons, the club was rebranded as the Tarpons in 2018, reviving the name of Tampa's longest-lasting minor league ballclub.^[4] For the 2021 season, the FSL was reconfigured as a Low Single-A circuit and the Florida State League name was retired.^[5]

Notable major league players to once play for the Tampa Yankees / Tarpons include Aaron Judge, Derek Jeter, Rubén Rivera, Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes, Ramiro Mendoza, Tim Raines, Eric Milton, and Luis Sojo.

Ballpark[]

As part of a deal with the city of Tampa, the Tampa Sports Authority agreed to publicly finance a new ballpark for the New York Yankees to use during spring training and the Tampa Yankees to use during the summer. Legends Field has the same dimensions as Yankee Stadium and includes some design elements of the previous ballpark in the Bronx. The Tampa Yankees played their first two seasons (1994 and 1995) at Red McEwen Field on the campus of the University of South Florida while their permanent home was under construction. In 1996, the New York Yankees held spring training at newly completed Legends Field, moving from their long-time spring facilities at Fort Lauderdale, and the Tampa Yankees played at the new ballpark that summer. In 2008, Legends Field was renamed in honor of ailing long-time Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who lived in Tampa.

Steinbrenner Field has a baseball capacity of about 11,000 and is located across Dale Mabry Highway from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' home of Raymond James Stadium. The facility has an adjacent parking lot that is sufficient for most minor league crowds, and a pedestrian bridge allows for spring training attendees to park at the football stadium's much larger parking area and safely cross the busy highway to Steinbrenner Field.

Playoffs[]

• 2017: Lost to Dunedin 2–1 in semifinals.
• 2016: Lost to Bradenton 3–1 in the FSL finals.
• 2010: Defeated Dunedin 2–0 in semifinals; defeated Charlotte 3–1 to win championship.
• 2009: Defeated Brevard County 2–0 in semifinals; defeated Charlotte 3–2 to win championship.
• 2004: Defeated Dunedin 2–0 in semifinals; declared co-champions with Daytona.
• 2002: Lost to Charlotte 2–0 in semifinals.
• 2001: Defeated Charlotte 2–0 in semifinals; declared co-champions with Brevard County.
• 1998: Defeated Charlotte 2–0 in semifinals; lost to St. Lucie 3–2 in finals.
• 1996: Lost to Clearwater 2–0 in semifinals.
• 1995: Lost to Fort Myers 2–1 in semifinals.
• 1994: Defeated Sarasota 2–1 in semifinals; defeated Brevard County 3–1 to win championship.

Roster[]

Notable people[]

Note: Years indicate service time with the Tampa Yankees / Tarpons, either as a minor leaguer or on an injury rehabilitation assignment

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tampa Tarpons.

• Official website