Somerset Patriots
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Wikipedia - Somerset Patriots
The Somerset Patriots are an American professional Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team based in Bridgewater, New Jersey. They are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League (EL), known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021, and were previously members of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) from 1998 to 2020. The Patriots have played their home games at TD Bank Ballpark since 1999.
From 1998 to 2020, the Patriots were the most successful franchise in the Atlantic League. During their twenty-two seasons, they compiled 1,580 regular seasons wins, 47 playoff wins, captured thirteen division titles and six league championship titles in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2015, all league records. Their most recent Atlantic League playoff appearance was in 2018 when they lost in the semifinals against the Long Island Ducks.
Their success continued with the move to the Eastern League in 2021 winning back-to-back division titles in 2021 and 2022 and the 2022 Eastern League Championship.They won the first-half season division title in 2023 and the second-half season division title in 2024.
The "Patriots" name refers to the Middlebrook encampment where the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after a law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777. By special order of Congress, a 13-star flag is flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment, in Bridgewater Township.
History
The Somerset Patriots were one of the founding members of the Atlantic League in 1998. However, the team spent its inaugural season as a road team while TD Bank Park was being constructed. In the 1999 season, the Patriots opened their ballpark, where they quickly became one of the most successful franchises of the league in both the win and attendance columns.
For spring training in 2009, the Somerset Patriots became the first Atlantic League team to hold its spring training in its own locale, at the Jack Cust Baseball Academy in nearby Flemington, instead of the traditional site in Lakeland, Florida. The Lancaster Barnstormers and the York Revolution followed suit in 2009, primarily because of the 2007–2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession.
The Patriots, and then manager Sparky Lyle, won their 1,000th game on July 24, 2012. The Patriots defeated the Sugar Land Skeeters with a score of 6–5, in the day game of a day/night doubleheader.
On November 27, 2012, it was announced Somerset's pitching coach and former major league pitcher, Brett Jodie, would become the new manager with Lyle becoming manager emeritus.
Former professional football player Donald Jones briefly played for the Patriots during his recovery from a kidney transplant.
With the Atlantic League's 2020 season cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, Somerset organized a twelve game series called the SOMERSET Professional Baseball Series, which would feature the Patriots and the New Jersey Blasters, a team created for the series. The rosters were composed mostly of players from the state of New Jersey.
In November 2020, the Patriots were announced as the new Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, replacing the Trenton Thunder. They were organized into the Double-A Northeast. Somerset began competition in the new league as a Yankees affiliate on May 4 with a 6–0 victory over the Harrisburg Senators at TD Bank Ballpark. They won the 2021 Northeast Division title with a first-place 72–47 record. Despite winning the division, their record was third-best in the league, and only the two teams with the highest winning percentages in the regular season competed for the league championship. Oswaldo Cabrera won the league's Most Valuable Award. In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.
On September 28, 2022, the Patriots won their first Eastern League Championship and seventh league championship overall with a 15–0 combined no-hitter victory over the Erie SeaWolves at TD Bank Ballpark.
The Somerset Patriots have a strong fan base and play their home games at TD Bank Ballpark, which is known for its family-friendly atmosphere and affordable ticket prices. The team has won multiple championships and has a reputation for developing talented players who go on to play in Major League Baseball.
The Somerset Patriots are known for their competitive spirit, teamwork, and dedication to the game of baseball. They have a roster of skilled players who are committed to giving their all on the field and representing their community with pride. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual observer, watching the Somerset Patriots play is sure to be an exciting and memorable experience.