PHOTOS
Randy Shemanski
In the early summer of 2006, the ties between the New York Yankees and Northeastern Pennsylvania were few.
Aside from a rabid fan base due to the proximity to New York City (approximately two hours depending on traffic) and the occasional appearance of stars like Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio in the early 1900s, the Bronx Bombers had little connection with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.
That all changed later that year when rumors began to circulate that the Yankees might be interested in bringing their Triple-A club to Northeastern Pennyslvania. It was a foregone conclusion that the Philadelphia Phillies would be moving their Triple-A club out of Lackawanna County Stadium, which meant there would be a new Major League affiliate coming to town.
But the Yankees never appeared to be the likely replacement. Their Triple-A club, the Columbus Clippers, had been in Columbus, Ohio for 28 years and it was a Yankee town, not to mention that George Steinbrenner grew up in Ohio.
The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals seemed to be the most likely candidates to replace the Phillies, with the New York Mets also considered a slight possibility.
But as the summer wore on, rumors began to surface of a split between the Yankees and Columbus. That's when Scranton/Wilkes-Barre came into the picture.
Then, the Yankees and Clippers officially severed their ties, making the Yankees a free agent in the Triple-A world. With the three New York state Triple-A teams - the Buffalo Bisons (Cleveland), Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota) and Syracuse SkyChiefs (Toronto) - all renewing with their parent clubs, the Yankees' logical choice seemed to be Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, a deal was done by Sept. 21, bringing the Yankees - the most storied franchise in all of baseball - to Northeastern Pennsylvania. They brought their name (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees), they brought about a change to an all-grass playing field and the stadium name eventually went corporate (PNC Field).
But most importantly, the Yankees energized a fan base that was occasionally dormant except the four days each year when Columbus arrived to play the Red Barons. Former Red Barons manager Marc Bombard famously remarked that his team was always the visitor when Columbus came to town - and he wasn't kidding.
Now, the Yankees' Triple-A team was the true home team, and fans throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania couldn't be happier.
Despite an increase in ticket prices, the local club was flooded with season-ticket requests the day the affiliation was officially announced. A day later, the number of tickets sold on that first day was estimated at 47,000. By mid-October, team officials estimated that around 60 percent of the 720,000 tickets available for the entire season had been sold.
It was clear baseball fans in Northeastern Pennsylvania were thrilled to have the Yankees in town and they were rushing to secure their opportunity to see the Triple-A team in action.
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees' first season in 2007 was a huge success as the team drew Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise record 580,908 fans while going 84-59 and winning the International League North Division by 7 ½ games over Rochester. A three games to one loss to Richmond in the first round of the Governors' Cup playoffs wasn't enough to put a damper on an otherwise great debut.
The 2007 season also saw New York Yankees stars Roger Clemens and Jason Giambi play for the local Yankees. On his comeback trail to the big leagues, Clemens earned the victory in a 2-0 win over Toledo on May 28, striking out six and allowing two hits and two walks in six innings. He rejoined the parent club following the start.
Giambi played four games in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pinstripes from Aug. 4-6, getting one hit (a homer) in nine at bats while walking six times.
Current New York Yankees phenom Joba Chamberlain also made three appearances on his way to making his big-league debut, pitching eight shutout innings in three appearances for the local club.
Shelley Duncan also etched his name in the record book with a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre single-season record for homers with 25. The pitching staff also set a franchise record by tossing 32 1/3 scoreless innings at one point during the season.
A year later, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are in the midst of another pennant race, battling the Pawtucket Red Sox - yes, the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox - for first place in the IL North. And with the parent clubs' renewed emphasis on building from the ground up, there's reason to believe the local Yankees will compete for division titles in the foreseeable future.
But one thing is for certain, in their short existence, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees have been a success on and off the field.