Florida Fire Frogs

Last updated

Florida Fire Frogs
Florida Fire Frogs.PNG FloridaFireFrogs Cap.png
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class Class A-Advanced (2017–2020)
League Florida State League (2017–2020)
Major league affiliations
Team Atlanta Braves (2017–2020)
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
NameFlorida Fire Frogs (2017–2020)
ColorsRed, black, orange, gold, white
     
Ballpark

The Florida Fire Frogs were a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League from 2017 to 2020. They were located in North Port, Florida, and served as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

Contents

Founded in 2017, the Fire Frogs played their home games at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida, part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area, through 2019. [1] In 2020, they were to have begun playing at CoolToday Park in North Port, but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They ceased operations after the Major League Baseball's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021.

History

The Fire Frogs were the relocation of the Brevard County Manatees. The team's name was announced on October 26, 2016, at the conclusion of a name-the-team contest. [2] The finalists from which their name was selected were: "Dragonflies," "Fire Frogs," "Mud Kickers," "Rodeo Clowns," "Sorcerers," and "Toucans." [3]

In May 2019, the team accepted a half-million-dollar buyout from Osceola County to leave at the end of the 2019 season. The stadium would be redeveloped as part of a training complex at Osceola Heritage Park for Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer. [4] [5]

In December 2019, the Fire Frogs' co-owner expressed an interest in returning the franchise to Brevard County, but their previous ballpark, Space Coast Stadium, was not available. Coastal Florida Sports Park was a possibility, but not until 2021. [6] The team's future was further called into question when it was included in a list of teams that may have been folded as part of reorganization of Minor League Baseball after the 2020 season. [7]

On January 16, 2020, the Braves announced that the Fire Frogs would play at their new spring training facility, CoolToday Park in North Port, for the 2020 season. [8] The 2020 minor league baseball season, however, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On December 9, 2020, the Braves announced their minor league affiliates as part of Major League Baseball's reorganization, which excluded the Fire Frogs. [9]

Season-by-season results

YearLeague Division Regular seasonPost-season
1st half2nd half
Finish Wins Losses Win% GB Finish Wins Losses Win% GB
2017FSLNorth6th2541.379125th2340.36522
2018FSLNorth6th2937.43986th2243.33821
2019FSLNorth6th2541.37916.56th2941.41410
StatisticWinsLossesWin %
All-time regular season record (2017–2019)153243.386

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas League</span> American sports league in minor league baseball

The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the state of Texas; the five North Division teams are located in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State League</span> Baseball league in Florida, US

The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league temporarily operated for the 2021 season as the Low-A Southeast before reassuming its original moniker in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery Biscuits</span> Minor league baseball team

The Montgomery Biscuits are a Minor League Baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and play in the Southern League. The team was founded in Orlando, Florida, in 1973 as the Orlando Twins, an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. After remaining in the Minnesota minor league organization for 20 seasons, the team became an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs for four seasons and then the Seattle Mariners for one. In 1999, the team became an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, and they have remained in the organization ever since. They became members of the Double-A South in 2021, though this was renamed the Southern League in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Knights</span> Minor league baseball team

The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 2014 and is located in Uptown Charlotte. The team previously played at Knights Park (1976–1988), Knights Castle (1989), and Knights Stadium (1990–2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brevard County Manatees</span> Minor league baseball team

The Brevard County Manatees were a minor league baseball team of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1994 to 2016. They were based in Viera, Florida, and played their home games at Space Coast Stadium. The team left Brevard County after the 2016 season for Kissimmee, Florida, where they began play in 2017 as the Florida Fire Frogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin Blue Jays</span> Minor league baseball team

The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, which opened in 1990 and seats 8,500 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampa Tarpons</span> Minor league baseball team

The Tampa Tarpons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Tampa, Florida. The Tarpons play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is also the spring training home of the New York Yankees and incorporates design elements from old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, including identical field dimensions. They competed at the Class A-Advanced level from 1994 to 2020 before being reclassified Low Single-A in 2021. Since their inception, the club has won five league championships, in 1994, 2001, 2004, 2009, and 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USSSA Space Coast Complex</span>

USSSA Space Coast Complex is a baseball stadium and 13 diamond multi-sports facility in Viera, Florida, owned by Brevard County, Florida. Under its original name, Space Coast Stadium, it served as the spring training facility for the Florida Marlins (1994–2002), Montreal Expos (2003–2004), and Washington Nationals (2005–2016) and as the home field of the Brevard County Manatees (1994–2016). After a full year of renovations, it officially reopened in 2017 with its new name as a baseball/softball venue – part of a new multi-sport complex operated by the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA). Since 2017, it has been the home field of the USSSA Pride women's professional fast-pitch softball team.

The Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports is a baseball stadium located at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort. The stadium was built in 1997. It was most recently the home of the Rookie-league GCL Braves, until they moved to CoolToday Park in North Port.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osceola County Stadium</span>

Osceola County Stadium is an outdoor sports venue located in Kissimmee, Florida, part of the wider Orlando City SC Training Ground at Osceola Heritage Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe W. Davis Stadium</span>

Joe W. Davis Stadium is a minor league baseball park in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, which hosted the Huntsville Stars of the Southern League from 1985 until 2014, and then served as a temporary home for the Stars' successor in 2015. The stadium is currently undergoing renovations that will see it serve as the home to Nashville SC's MLS Next Pro team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Complex League Astros</span> Minor league baseball team

The Florida Complex League Astros are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Houston Astros, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Astros. The team plays its home games in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball either as draftees or non-drafted free agents from the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double-A (baseball)</span> Second-highest level of competition in Minor League Baseball

Double-A is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League Baseball, organized into three leagues: the Eastern League, the Southern League, and the Texas League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biloxi Shuckers</span> Minor League Baseball team in Biloxi, Mississippi

The Biloxi Shuckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Biloxi, Mississippi, and are named in reference to the city's oyster industry and seafood heritage. The Shuckers play their home games at MGM Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina Mudcats</span> Minor league baseball team

The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and play their home games at Five County Stadium. "Mudcats" is Southern slang for catfish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orlando City B</span> Football club

Orlando City B is an American soccer club that began play in 2016 and currently plays in MLS Next Pro. Owned by Orlando City SC and based at the Orlando City training facility in Kissimmee, the club plays its home games at Osceola County Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CoolToday Park</span>

CoolToday Park is a ballpark in North Port, Florida, located in the southern portion of Sarasota County, 35 miles (56 km) south of Sarasota, Florida. It is the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. The ballpark opened on March 24, 2019, with the Braves' 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

References

  1. ↑ Hill, Benjamin (September 16, 2016). "Braves move A Advanced club to Kissimmee". MiLB.com. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Team Name Revealed as Florida Fire Frogs". MiLB.com. October 26, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Six Potential Names Revealed for Central Florida Team". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. July 28, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  4. ↑ Jackson, Ken (May 31, 2019). "Orlando City confirms it's bringing MLS, developmental training facility to Heritage Park; Fire Frogs sign deal to leave after this season". Osceola News-Gazette . Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  5. ↑ Reichard, Kevin (May 31, 2019). "Fire Frogs to Depart Osceola County Stadium at End of Season". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  6. ↑ Spedden, Zach (December 20, 2019). "Co-Owner: Return Fire Frogs Franchise to Brevard County". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  7. ↑ Baer, Bill (November 17, 2019). "MLB could eliminate 42 Minor League Baseball teams" . Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  8. ↑ Zucker, Scott (January 16, 2020). "Florida Fire Frogs will be Cool Today Park's boys of summer" . Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Braves Invite Four Teams to Affiliate". December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.