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ericnease84 · 05-26-2024, 03:36 PM

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Best Record: 111-51 (1963)
Worst Record: 22-103 (1928)
Playoff Appearances: 15
Championships: 5 (1961, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970)

The Atlanta Colonels are one of the original 16 teams, although they have not always played under that name. They were founded in 1895 as the Cleveland Blue Sox. They finished in third place with a respectable 66-59 record in 1895, but that turned out to be their best season in Cleveland. They spent a total of 33 seasons in Cleveland, and never again posted a winning record. The Cleveland Blue Sox were irrelevant every single year, and fan interest seemed to dwindle more and more. After owner Tom Hess died in 1920, his son Ryan took over the organization and spent the next seven years trying to find a new home for the team. The 1927 season was their last in Cleveland, and they posted the second-best record in team history, at 54-71.
The team moved to Atlanta for the 1928 season and re-branded themselves as the Atlanta Colonels. Their first season in Atlanta was a complete disaster, as they posted a horrible record of 22-103, the worst in team history and tied with the 1933 Indianapolis Blues for the worst record in NBL history. They slowly improved, finishing over .500 in 1933 for the first time since 1895. However, they finished under .500 for the next 13 seasons after that. In 1947, they finally posted another winning record, this time finishing in first place for the first time ever. In their first ever World Series, they lost to the Chicago Cardinals in 5 games. Over the next five seasons, they posted a winning record each year but did not make the playoffs. Then in 1953, they called up a young center fielder named Aaron Henry, who very quickly blossomed into a star. With Henry leading the way, the Colonels struggled for the rest of the 1950s before they finally made it back to the World Series in 1961, this time winning it all for the first time in team history. After missing the playoffs in 1962, they returned in 1963 as they posted the best record to date in team history, at 111-51. However, the playoffs had a championship round now and they lost in the ABC Championship Series to the Toronto Giants. In 1965, they returned to the World Series and won it all for three seasons in a row. Their run ended in 1968 when the Fireflies swept them in the ABC Championship Series. However, they remained a force as they returned to the World Series in 1970 and won it all again. But then their star center fielder Aaron Henry retired after the 1970 season and the Colonels' run of dominance ended. They posted the same record in 1971 as they had in 1970, but this time it only got them a second place finish. After an 81-81 season, they fired manager Robert Earl Padilla, who had guided them since their 111-win season in 1963. With Padilla and Henry both gone now, they tumbled fast, bottoming out in 1974 with a 59-103 record and a last place finish. They began a slow climb back to relevance and respectability over the next decade, finally winning a weak division in 1982 with an 82-80 record. They took down the Giants and Sea Monsters--both of whom had much better records--and made a surprise run to the World Series before being taken down by the 106-win Seals. They won a wild card in 1983, the last year to date that the wild card has existed, and then won their division for the next five seasons. Despite their run of success in the 1980s, they never were able to capture another championship.

Outlook for 1990: The Colonels were consistently contending for the playoffs in the 1980s, and hope to continue to do so going into 1990 and beyond.

Current manager: Ryan Skinner has been the Colonels' manager for the past five seasons, guiding them to four division titles and one World Series appearance. He is going into the last year of his contract. Skinner previously managed in the minor leagues prior to being hired by Atlanta. He played in the Oakland Panthers' minor league system from 1957 until 1961 as a center fielder, only making it as high as AA.

HALL OF FAMERS

Aaron Henry, CF, 1953-1970
Aaron Henry is the greatest player to ever put on an Atlanta Colonels uniform, and one of the greatest of all time. He signed with the Colonels in 1953 at age 22, made the team out of Spring Training and immediately became a star. His only time in the minor leagues was due to rehabilitation assignments due to injuries. Over an 18-year career, he batted .340 and hit 731 home runs, the current all-time record. He also holds the single season record for home runs, hitting 82 home runs in 1958. He also holds the single season record for highest batting average, hitting .413 in both 1958 and 1965. Only one qualifying player ever hit over .400 before him (Josh Kahrs of the Baltimore Browns in 1911), and none have done it since him. He also set the single season record for most RBI in a season in 1958 with 174. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1976, his first year on the ballot. The team retired his #18 in 1974, but un-retired it in 1982 when they drafted his son, J.R. Henry, so that he could wear the same number as his father. The younger Henry was called up in 1984 and has been on the team ever since. He is currently signed through 1994. Henry's two younger sons also play baseball: his middle son Matthew is currently a pitcher in the San Diego Sharks' minor league system, and his youngest son Malachi plays for his high school team and hopes to go pro someday.

Eric McClanahan, P, 1933-1953
Eric McClanahan first came up with the Charlotte Roadrunners at age 19. After three seasons in Charlotte, he was traded to the Colonels where he spent the rest of his 21-year career, pitching in Atlanta from 1936 until his retirement in 1953. McClanahan won 270 games in his career, and like Nate Kinney he was never a superstar but was a consistent winner for years. He struck out 3,023 batters in his career, currently 9th all-time and one of only nine pitchers to achieve that feat. He pitched two no-hitters in his career, against the Cincinnati Silverbacks in 1939 and then again against the New York Knights in 1942. Considered one of the best pitchers in Colonels history, McClanahan was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1959, his first year on the ballot. He was a minor league pitching coach from 1958 until 1976.

Nate Kinney, P, 1932-1949
Nate Kinney signed with the Boston Rebels in the fall of 1931, and then traded him to Atlanta prior to the 1932 season. He had a rough first season, but soon settled in as one of Atlanta's best pitchers. He never lit the world on fire or stood out as a superstar, but he was a consistent winner for some pretty bad Atlanta teams. He was on the Colonels' first playoff team toward the end of his career. He pitched for the Colonels for a total of 18 years, winning 264 games and retiring in 1949. Kinney was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964, his 10th and final year on the ballot. His grandson, Ryan Kinney, currently pitches for the San Diego Sharks and just won the ABC Rookie of the Year award in 1989.

05-26-2024, 03:36 PM	#3
ericnease84 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 144	Atlanta Colonels Best Record: 111-51 (1963) Worst Record: 22-103 (1928) Playoff Appearances: 15 Championships: 5 (1961, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970) The Atlanta Colonels are one of the original 16 teams, although they have not always played under that name. They were founded in 1895 as the Cleveland Blue Sox. They finished in third place with a respectable 66-59 record in 1895, but that turned out to be their best season in Cleveland. They spent a total of 33 seasons in Cleveland, and never again posted a winning record. The Cleveland Blue Sox were irrelevant every single year, and fan interest seemed to dwindle more and more. After owner Tom Hess died in 1920, his son Ryan took over the organization and spent the next seven years trying to find a new home for the team. The 1927 season was their last in Cleveland, and they posted the second-best record in team history, at 54-71. The team moved to Atlanta for the 1928 season and re-branded themselves as the Atlanta Colonels. Their first season in Atlanta was a complete disaster, as they posted a horrible record of 22-103, the worst in team history and tied with the 1933 Indianapolis Blues for the worst record in NBL history. They slowly improved, finishing over .500 in 1933 for the first time since 1895. However, they finished under .500 for the next 13 seasons after that. In 1947, they finally posted another winning record, this time finishing in first place for the first time ever. In their first ever World Series, they lost to the Chicago Cardinals in 5 games. Over the next five seasons, they posted a winning record each year but did not make the playoffs. Then in 1953, they called up a young center fielder named Aaron Henry, who very quickly blossomed into a star. With Henry leading the way, the Colonels struggled for the rest of the 1950s before they finally made it back to the World Series in 1961, this time winning it all for the first time in team history. After missing the playoffs in 1962, they returned in 1963 as they posted the best record to date in team history, at 111-51. However, the playoffs had a championship round now and they lost in the ABC Championship Series to the Toronto Giants. In 1965, they returned to the World Series and won it all for three seasons in a row. Their run ended in 1968 when the Fireflies swept them in the ABC Championship Series. However, they remained a force as they returned to the World Series in 1970 and won it all again. But then their star center fielder Aaron Henry retired after the 1970 season and the Colonels' run of dominance ended. They posted the same record in 1971 as they had in 1970, but this time it only got them a second place finish. After an 81-81 season, they fired manager Robert Earl Padilla, who had guided them since their 111-win season in 1963. With Padilla and Henry both gone now, they tumbled fast, bottoming out in 1974 with a 59-103 record and a last place finish. They began a slow climb back to relevance and respectability over the next decade, finally winning a weak division in 1982 with an 82-80 record. They took down the Giants and Sea Monsters--both of whom had much better records--and made a surprise run to the World Series before being taken down by the 106-win Seals. They won a wild card in 1983, the last year to date that the wild card has existed, and then won their division for the next five seasons. Despite their run of success in the 1980s, they never were able to capture another championship. Outlook for 1990: The Colonels were consistently contending for the playoffs in the 1980s, and hope to continue to do so going into 1990 and beyond. Current manager: Ryan Skinner has been the Colonels' manager for the past five seasons, guiding them to four division titles and one World Series appearance. He is going into the last year of his contract. Skinner previously managed in the minor leagues prior to being hired by Atlanta. He played in the Oakland Panthers' minor league system from 1957 until 1961 as a center fielder, only making it as high as AA. HALL OF FAMERS Aaron Henry, CF, 1953-1970 Aaron Henry is the greatest player to ever put on an Atlanta Colonels uniform, and one of the greatest of all time. He signed with the Colonels in 1953 at age 22, made the team out of Spring Training and immediately became a star. His only time in the minor leagues was due to rehabilitation assignments due to injuries. Over an 18-year career, he batted .340 and hit 731 home runs, the current all-time record. He also holds the single season record for home runs, hitting 82 home runs in 1958. He also holds the single season record for highest batting average, hitting .413 in both 1958 and 1965. Only one qualifying player ever hit over .400 before him (Josh Kahrs of the Baltimore Browns in 1911), and none have done it since him. He also set the single season record for most RBI in a season in 1958 with 174. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1976, his first year on the ballot. The team retired his #18 in 1974, but un-retired it in 1982 when they drafted his son, J.R. Henry, so that he could wear the same number as his father. The younger Henry was called up in 1984 and has been on the team ever since. He is currently signed through 1994. Henry's two younger sons also play baseball: his middle son Matthew is currently a pitcher in the San Diego Sharks' minor league system, and his youngest son Malachi plays for his high school team and hopes to go pro someday. Eric McClanahan, P, 1933-1953 Eric McClanahan first came up with the Charlotte Roadrunners at age 19. After three seasons in Charlotte, he was traded to the Colonels where he spent the rest of his 21-year career, pitching in Atlanta from 1936 until his retirement in 1953. McClanahan won 270 games in his career, and like Nate Kinney he was never a superstar but was a consistent winner for years. He struck out 3,023 batters in his career, currently 9th all-time and one of only nine pitchers to achieve that feat. He pitched two no-hitters in his career, against the Cincinnati Silverbacks in 1939 and then again against the New York Knights in 1942. Considered one of the best pitchers in Colonels history, McClanahan was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1959, his first year on the ballot. He was a minor league pitching coach from 1958 until 1976. Nate Kinney, P, 1932-1949 Nate Kinney signed with the Boston Rebels in the fall of 1931, and then traded him to Atlanta prior to the 1932 season. He had a rough first season, but soon settled in as one of Atlanta's best pitchers. He never lit the world on fire or stood out as a superstar, but he was a consistent winner for some pretty bad Atlanta teams. He was on the Colonels' first playoff team toward the end of his career. He pitched for the Colonels for a total of 18 years, winning 264 games and retiring in 1949. Kinney was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964, his 10th and final year on the ballot. His grandson, Ryan Kinney, currently pitches for the San Diego Sharks and just won the ABC Rookie of the Year award in 1989.