State College Spikes
Encyclopedia
The State College Spikes are a minor league baseball
team that currently plays in the New York – Penn League. The Spikes play their home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park
located on the main campus of Pennsylvania State University
located in University Park, Pennsylvania
. Medlar Field is located right outside of State College, Pennsylvania
, the town that the team represents. The State College Spikes are the Short Season-A
affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
.
in Erie, Pennsylvania
from 1981-1987. The team relocated to Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium
in Hamilton, Ontario
to become the Hamilton Redbirds
. The team then played in Hamilton, Ontario from 1988-1992. The team relocated again to Glens Falls, New York
to become the Glens Falls Redbirds. The team played at East Field
for the 1993 season only. The team was then relocated to Augusta, New Jersey
which is located in Sussex County
to become the New Jersey Cardinals
. The team played their home games at Skylands Park
from 1994-2005. In October 2005, the owners of the New Jersey Cardinals
agreed to sell the club to a group headed by the principal partners of the Class Double-A Altoona Curve
of the Eastern League
. This allowed for a professional team to share Medlar Field at Lubrano Park with the host Penn State Nittany Lions baseball team, on whose campus the park stands. After the sell of the team was complete, the New Jersey Cardinals were then relocated to State College to become the State College Spikes.
lasted from 1981-2006 ever since the team was founded as the Erie Cardinals and through the years when the team later moved to Hamilton, Ontario
, Glens Falls, New York
, Augusta, New Jersey
, and the team's current location in the State College metro area. On September 21, 2006, the Spikes ended their affiliation with the Cardinals and became the new Class A-Short Season affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
, starting in 2007.http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=5445863&nav=menu158_10
, for whom a "spike" is an undeveloped antler, symbolic of a young team member who may develop into a Major League Baseball player. The name also refers to a railroad spike, similar to the way the name "Altoona Curve" commemorates the famous Horseshoe Curve
on the Pennsylvania Railroad
. Finally, baseball players have long worn shoes
with spikes. The team's official colors are Penn State navy blue, cardinal, old gold, and moonlight yellow.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team that currently plays in the New York – Penn League. The Spikes play their home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park
Medlar Field at Lubrano Park
Medlar Field at Lubrano Park is a 5,406-seat baseball stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game on June 20, 2006, when the secondary tenant of the facility, the State College Spikes, lost to the Williamsport Crosscutters, 5-3...
located on the main campus of Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
located in University Park, Pennsylvania
University Park, Pennsylvania
University Park, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the location of the flagship campus of the Pennsylvania State University....
. Medlar Field is located right outside of State College, Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
, the town that the team represents. The State College Spikes are the Short Season-A
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
State College Spikes
The State College Spikes were founded in 1981 as the Erie Cardinals. The team played their home games at Ainsworth FieldAinsworth Field
Ainsworth Field is a 3,000 seat baseball stadium located in Erie, Pennsylvania. It hosted the Erie Sailors and other Erie based minor league teams between 1928 and 1994. In 1995, it was made obsolete for professional use by the opening of Jerry Uht Park...
in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
from 1981-1987. The team relocated to Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium
Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium
Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium is a stadium on Upper Kenilworth Avenue in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Located in Mohawk Sports Park, it is primarily used for baseball and was once the home of the minor league Hamilton Redbirds of the New York - Penn League...
in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
to become the Hamilton Redbirds
Hamilton Redbirds
The Hamilton Redbirds were a minor league baseball team that played in the New York-Penn League from 1988 to 1992. They were affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals and played their home games at Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario. The Redbirds were founded in 1988, but the...
. The team then played in Hamilton, Ontario from 1988-1992. The team relocated again to Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
to become the Glens Falls Redbirds. The team played at East Field
East Field
East Field is a stadium in Glens Falls, New York. It is primarily used for baseball and is the former home of the Adirondack Lumberjacks, Glens Falls White Sox, Adirondack Red Birds and Glens Falls Tigers, The Detroit Tigers Minor League Team in the 1980s. The ballpark has a capacity of 8,000...
for the 1993 season only. The team was then relocated to Augusta, New Jersey
Augusta, New Jersey
Augusta is an unincorporated area located within Frankford Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.Augusta is the home of the New Jersey State Fair and the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show....
which is located in Sussex County
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
to become the New Jersey Cardinals
New Jersey Cardinals
The New Jersey Cardinals were a Short-Season A minor league baseball team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. They were a member of the New York - Penn League and played at Skylands Park in Augusta, New Jersey from 1994-2005.-History:...
. The team played their home games at Skylands Park
Skylands Park
CenturyLink Field at Skylands Park is a baseball stadium located in Augusta, New Jersey. Skylands Park opened in 1994 and was built for the New Jersey Cardinals, the New York-Penn League affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals called the park home until 2005, after which the team was...
from 1994-2005. In October 2005, the owners of the New Jersey Cardinals
New Jersey Cardinals
The New Jersey Cardinals were a Short-Season A minor league baseball team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. They were a member of the New York - Penn League and played at Skylands Park in Augusta, New Jersey from 1994-2005.-History:...
agreed to sell the club to a group headed by the principal partners of the Class Double-A Altoona Curve
Altoona Curve
The Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...
of the Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
. This allowed for a professional team to share Medlar Field at Lubrano Park with the host Penn State Nittany Lions baseball team, on whose campus the park stands. After the sell of the team was complete, the New Jersey Cardinals were then relocated to State College to become the State College Spikes.
The St. Louis Cardinals affiliation
The Spikes' affiliation with the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
lasted from 1981-2006 ever since the team was founded as the Erie Cardinals and through the years when the team later moved to Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
, Augusta, New Jersey
Augusta, New Jersey
Augusta is an unincorporated area located within Frankford Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.Augusta is the home of the New Jersey State Fair and the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show....
, and the team's current location in the State College metro area. On September 21, 2006, the Spikes ended their affiliation with the Cardinals and became the new Class A-Short Season affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, starting in 2007.http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=5445863&nav=menu158_10
Team Name
The name "Spikes" has a threefold meaning. The club's official logo depicts a young white-tailed deerWhite-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, for whom a "spike" is an undeveloped antler, symbolic of a young team member who may develop into a Major League Baseball player. The name also refers to a railroad spike, similar to the way the name "Altoona Curve" commemorates the famous Horseshoe Curve
Horseshoe Curve (Pennsylvania)
Horseshoe Curve is a famous railroad horseshoe curve in central Pennsylvania, near Altoona in the United States. Called an "engineering marvel", it was completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad...
on the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. Finally, baseball players have long worn shoes
Athletic shoe
Athletic shoe is a generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but in recent years has come to be used for casual everyday activities....
with spikes. The team's official colors are Penn State navy blue, cardinal, old gold, and moonlight yellow.
Season records
(Place listed is finish in the six-team Pinckney Division)- 2006: 39-36 (3rd), manager Mark DeJohn
- 2007: 36-39 (3rd), manager Turner WardTurner WardTurner Max Ward , is a former professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1990-2001.-Career:...
- 2008: 18-56 (6th), manager Brad FischerBrad FischerBradley James Fischer is a major league baseball coach who was most recently the third base coach for the Milwaukee Brewers...
- 2009: 38-38 (3rd), manager Gary Robinson
- 2010: 33-42 (5th), manager Dave Turgeon