Kane County Cougars Founded in 1991 Geneva, Illinois |
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Class-level | |||||
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Current | Single-A | ||||
Minor league affiliations | |||||
League | Midwest League | ||||
Division | Western Division | ||||
Major league affiliations | |||||
Current | Arizona Diamondbacks (2015-present) | ||||
Previous |
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Minor league titles | |||||
League titles (2) |
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Division titles (4) |
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Team data | |||||
Nickname | Kane County Cougars | ||||
Ballpark | Fifth Third Bank Ballpark | ||||
Manager | Mark Grudzielanek | ||||
General Manager | Curtis Haug |
The Kane County Cougars are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks,[1] that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Geneva, Illinois, about 35 miles west of Chicago.
The Midwest League came to Kane County in 1991 after a franchise that was previously based in Decatur, Illinois (1952–74) and Wausau, Wisconsin (1975–90) relocated there. While they have always been known as the Cougars since moving to Kane County, they were affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles in 1991 and 1992, with the Florida Marlins from 1993 to 2002, the Oakland Athletics from 2003 until 2010, and with the Kansas City Royals for the 2011 and 2012 seasons before joining the Chicago Cubs for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
As a Marlins farm team some key contributors to the 2003 World Series championship team played in Kane County on their way to the big leagues. Series MVP Josh Beckett played for the Cougars in 2000, while Dontrelle Willis had the league's best winning percentage and earned run average in 2002.
The Cougars play their home games at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark, built in 1991. The franchise attendance record of 523,222 was set in 2001. The Cougars are perennially among the league leaders in attendance. On July 20, 2013 the Cougars became the first Class A team to attract 10 million fans.[2] Nancy Faust, after 40 years with the Chicago White Sox, is the stadium organist for selected Cougar home games.
Roster[edit]
Kane County Cougars roster
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Players | Coaches/Other | |||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager Coaches
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Team affiliations[edit]
Level | Team | League | Location |
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Major League | Arizona Diamondbacks | National League | Phoenix, Arizona |
AAA | Reno Aces | Pacific Coast League | Reno, Nevada |
AA | Mobile BayBears | Southern League | Mobile, Alabama |
Advanced A | Visalia Rawhide | California League | Visalia, California |
A | Kane County Cougars | Midwest League | Geneva, Illinois |
Short Season A | Hillsboro Hops | Northwest League | Hillsboro, Oregon |
Rookie | Missoula Osprey | Pioneer League | Missoula, Montana |
Notable Former Players[edit]
Many future Major League stars have played with the Cougars before playing in the Majors. Some notable Cougars alumni include: Miguel Cabrera, Adrian Gonzalez, Yordano Ventura, Kyle Schwarber, Edgar Renteria, Dontrelle Willis, Henry Rodriguez, Ryan Dempster, Charles Johnson, Huston Street, Andre Ethier, Mark Kotsay, Kevin Millar, Scott Podsednik, Mike Redmond, Ross Gload, Josh Willingham, and Gregg Zaun.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ "Cougars Announce Affiliation With Arizona Diamondbacks". Kane County Cougars. September 24, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- ^ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-07-22/news/ct-tl-geneva-10-millionth-cougar-20130725_1_elfstrom-general-manager-curtis-haug-minor-league-baseball
- ^ "Major League Cougars | Kane County Cougars Roster". Kane County Cougars. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
External links[edit]
- Kane County Cougars web site
- The Baseball Cube - Kane County Cougars Historical Statistics
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