Eastern League (baseball)

Eastern League

Eastern League logo
Sport	Baseball
Founded	1923
No. of teams	12
Country	United States
Most recent champion(s)	Akron RubberDucks
Classification	Double-A
Official website	www.easternleague.com

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 (Double-A) level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923, as the New York–Pennsylvania League. In 1936, the first team outside the two original states was created, when the York White Roses of York, Pennsylvania moved to Trenton, New Jersey and renamed the Trenton Senators. When in 1938, the Scranton Miners of Scranton, Pennsylvania team moved to Hartford, Connecticut and renamed the Hartford Bees, the league was renamed as the Eastern League.

Since 1923, there have been Eastern League teams in 51 different cities, located in 12 different states and two Canadian provinces. The league consisted of six to eight teams from 1923 until 1993. In 1994, the league expanded to 10 teams, with the addition of the Portland Sea Dogs and the New Haven Ravens, and split into two divisions, the Northern Division and the Southern Division. In 1999, the league expanded to 12 teams, with the addition of the Altoona Curve and the Erie SeaWolves. The two divisions were restructured and renamed for the 2010 season, as the Eastern Division and the Western Division, because the Connecticut Defenders moved to Richmond, Virginia after the 2009 season, where they are now known as the Richmond Flying Squirrels.