Gulf Coast League Nationals

Gulf Coast League Nationals
Founded in 1969
(1969-1970, 1974, 1977, 1986-present)
Viera, Florida
Team logoCap insignia
Class-level
Current Class Rookie League
Minor league affiliations
League Gulf Coast League
Division East Division
Major league affiliations
Current Washington Nationals (2005-present)
Previous Montreal Expos (1969-2004)
Minor league titles
League titles (4)
  • 1969
  • 1991
  • 2009
  • 2013
Division titles (6)
  • 1990
  • 1991
  • 1992
  • 1996
  • 2008
  • 2013
Team data
Nickname GCL Nationals
Previous names
 Gulf Coast League Expos (1969-2004)
Ballpark Washington Nationals Training Center
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
 Washington Nationals
Manager Josh Johnson

The Gulf Coast League Nationals, often called the GCL Nationals, is a rookie-level minor-league baseball team that is an affiliate of Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals. The team is a member of the Gulf Coast League and plays in Viera, Florida, at the Washington Nationals Training Center next to Space Coast Stadium. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball either as draftees or non-drafted free agents.

History

GCL Expos (1969–2004)

From 1969 to 2004, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Expos (or GCL Expos),[1] and was a minor-league affiliate of the National League's Montreal Expos. The Gulf Coast League Expos played in the Gulf Coast League from 1969 to 1970, in 1974, in 1977, and again from 1986 to 2004.

They were based in various Florida cities during these years: in Sarasota in 1969, in Bradenton in 1970, in Sarasota in 1974 and 1977, in Bradenton from 1986 to 1991, in West Palm Beach from 1992 to 1997, in Jupiter in 1998 and 1999, in Bradenton in 2000, in Jupiter in 2001, and in Melbourne from 2002 to 2004.

The team won two Gulf Coast League championships over the course of its history, the first in 1969 under manager J. W. Porter and the second in 1991 under manager Keith Snider.[2]

When the Montreal Expos left Montreal after the conclusion of the 2004 season and moved to Washington, D.C. to become the Washington Nationals, the Gulf Coast League Expos became the Gulf Coast League Nationals, beginning play as such in the 2005 season.

GCL Nationals (2005–present)

When the Montreal Expos moved from Montreal to Washington, D.C., after the conclusion of the 2004 season to become the Washington Nationals, the Gulf Coast League Expos became the Gulf Coast League Nationals, beginning play as such in the 2005 season.

In 2013, the Gulf Coast League Nationals finished their regular season with a record of 49-9. This .845 winning percentage was the highest winning percentage for a full regular season ever achieved by a minor-league baseball team based in the United States. The only minor-league baseball team to have a better winning percentage over a full regular season anywhere in the world was the Toronto Blue Jays' 1992 Dominican Summer League team based in the Dominican Republic, which finished at 68-2 with a .971 winning percentage.[3] The Nationals then won all three of their playoff games, defeating the Gulf Coast League Pirates in a single-game semifinal playoff and sweeping the Gulf Coast League Red Sox in the best-of-three league championship series, to become the 2013 Gulf Coast League champions.[4][5]

Roster

Gulf Coast League Nationals roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 64 Carlos Acevedo
  • 57 Angher Cespedes
  • 56 Weston Davis
  • -- Robbie Dickey
  • -- John Feliz
  • 41 Steven Fuentes
  • -- Cody Gunter
  • 39 Russ Harmening
  • 62 McKenzie Mills
  • 28 Carlos Pena
  • 46 Wilber Pena
  • 54 Yorlin Reynoso
  • 47 Brayan Serrata
  • 48 Kyle Simmons
  • 33 Tyler Watson

Catchers

  •  6 Davinson Pimentel

Infielders

  •  8 Clayton Brandt
  • 17 Dalton DiNatale
  •  9 Angelo La Bruna
  •  5 Andres Martinez
  • 37 Joshual Ramirez
  •  3 Luis Rengel

Outfielders

  • 24 Israel Mota
  • 26 Oliver Ortiz
  • 27 Blake Perkins
  • 51 Gilberto Ramirez

Manager

  • -- Josh Johnson

Coaches



7-day disabled list
* On Washington Nationals 40-man roster
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporary inactive list
Roster updated May 4, 2016
Transactions
→ More MiLB rosters
→ Washington Nationals minor league players

Season-by-season results

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
GCL Expos (1969-2004)[6]
1969 31-22 1st J. W. Porter League Champs
No playoffs until 1983
1970 36-27 2nd Ed Sadowski
1974 21-33 7th Pat Daugherty
1977 19-35 8th Ray Bellino
1986 33-29 4th (t) Mike Easom
1987 21-42 9th Jethro McIntyre
1988 24-39 9th Dave Jauss
1989 28-35 9th Jerry Weinstein
1990 40-23 1st Gomer Hodge Lost League Finals
vs. GCL Dodgers (2 games to 0)
1991 32-28 3rd Keith Snider League Champs
vs. GCL Orioles
(2 games to 1)
Won in first round
vs. GCL Red Sox (1 game to 0)
1992 35-24 2nd (t) Nelson Norman Lost League Finals
vs. GCL Royals
(2 games to 1)
Won in first round
vs. GCL Blue Jays (1 game to 0)
1993 27-31 11th Nelson Norman
1994 35-24 5th Nelson Norman
1995 21-35 12th Luis Dorante
1996 41-18 1st Jim Gabella Lost in 1st round
vs. GCL Yankees (1 game to 0)
1997 25-35 12th(t) Luis Dorante
1998 32-27 6th Frank Kremblas
1999 29-31 8th(t) Bill Masse
2000 17-43 12th Steve Phillips
2001 20-40 13th(t) Dave Dangler
2002 28-32 8th(t) Andy Skeels
2003 25-33 10th Bob Henley
2004 22-38 11th Arturo DeFreitas

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
GCL Nationals (2005-present)[7]
2005 21-32 12th Wendell Kim
2006 23-31 10th Bob Henley
2007 23-31 13th Bob Henley
2008 33-22 3rd Bob Henley Lost League Finals
vs. GCL Phillies (2 games to 1)
Won in 1st round
vs. GCL Twins (1 game to 0)
2009 36-19 2nd Bob Henley League Champs
vs. GCL Marlins (2 games to 0)
Won in 1st round
vs. GCL Twins (1 game to 0)
2010 24-32 13th (t) Bobby Williams
2011 20-33 14th Bobby Williams
2012 27-33 11th Tripp Keister
2013 49-9 1st Patrick Anderson League Champs
vs. GCL Red Sox (2 games to 0)
Won in first round
vs. GCL Pirates (1 game to 0)
2014 25-35 12th (t) Michael Barrett
2015 24-34 14th Michael Barrett

References

  1. ↑ GCL Expos - BR Bullpen
  2. ↑ Baseball Reference
  3. ↑ Wagner, James, "Nationals GCL Team Sets a Minor League Record," washingtonpost.com, August 29, 2013, 7:20 pm EDT.
  4. ↑ DiPietro, Lou, "Baby Bombers 2013 Playoff Log: One and Done for the GCL Yankees," yesnetwork.com, August 30, 2013, 7:49 PM EDT
  5. ↑ Dykstra, Sam, "Nationals capture GCL championship," September 1, 2013, 7:10 PM EDT
  6. ↑ "GCL Expos". Baseball Reference Bullpen. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  7. ↑ "GCL Nationals". Baseball Reference Bullpen. Retrieved May 10, 2016.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/25/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.