Florida Complex League Pirates

Florida Complex League Pirates
Minor league affiliations
ClassRookie
LeagueFlorida Complex League
DivisionNorthwest Division
Previous leagues
Gulf Coast League (1968–2020)
Major league affiliations
TeamPittsburgh Pirates
Minor league titles
League titles (1)2012
Division titles (6)
  • 2002
  • 2003
  • 2008
  • 2013
  • 2023
  • 2024
Team data
NameFCL Pirates Black & Gold
Previous names
GCL Pirates (1968–2020)
BallparkPirate City complex
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Pittsburgh Pirates
ManagerJosé Mosquera

The Florida Complex League Pirates are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Pirates. The team plays its home games in Bradenton, Florida, at the Pirate City complex. 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.

History

The team was first established in 1968, and has competed continuously since then. The team won division championships in 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2013. In 2012, the team won its first league championship.[1]

In 2009, the team had nine players each from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, with the United States third at six players. They were the two highly publicized, pioneering Indian pitchers, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, who became the first Indian-born players to sign professional baseball contracts in the United States,[2] a second baseman named Henry from Colombia, two players from Puerto Rico, and one each from Mexico, Panama, Australia, Canada and one of the first three players ever signed out of South Africa, Gift Ngoepe, while one of the Americans, Chris Aure, was from Alaska. "We eat together in the cafeteria, but sometimes we try each other's foods," Ngoepe says. "I listen to the Indians' music when I go past their rooms, and they listen to my music from Africa. We tell each other stories about our home countries. We do everything together." "Everybody's the same here, like family," Venezuelan infielder Elevys Gonzalez says.[3]

For the 2021 season, the team is fielding two squads in the league, differentiated as "Black" and "Gold" in reference to the team's colors.

Season-by-season

Year Record Win–loss % Manager Regular Season Finish Playoffs
1968 27-33 .450 Buddy Pritchard 6th GCL No playoffs until 1983
1969 28-26 .519 Buddy Pritchard 4th GCL
1970 23-40 .365 Dick Cole 8th GCL
1971 20-32 .385 Ed Napoleon 6th GCL
1972 21-39 .350 Ed Napoleon 7th(t) GCL
1973 17-37 .315 Woody Huyke 9th GCL
1974 11-42 .208 Woody Huyke 9th GCL
1975 23-31 .426 Woody Huyke 4th GCL
1976 11-41 .212 Woody Huyke 7th GCL
1977 22–32 .407 Woody Huyke 7th GCL
1978 21–32 .396 Woody Huyke 6th GCL
1979 20–32 .385 Woody Huyke 6th GCL
1980 24–39 .381 Woody Huyke 8th GCL
1981 32–28 .533 Woody Huyke 5th GCL
1982 27–35 .435 Woody Huyke 3rd GCL
1983 28–32 .467 Woody Huyke 3rd GCL North Did not qualify
1984 21–42 .333 Woody Huyke 5th GCL North Did not qualify
1985 15–47 .242 Woody Huyke 5th GCL North Did not qualify
1986 24–39 .381 Woody Huyke 5th GCL North Did not qualify
1987 33–30 .390 Woody Huyke 2nd GCL North Did not qualify
1988 26–37 .413 Julio Garcia 5th GCL South Did not qualify
1989 21–42 .333 Woody Huyke 8th GCL South Did not qualify
1991 30–29 .508 Woody Huyke 3rd GCL Central Did not qualify
1992 23–37 .383 Woody Huyke 4th GCL Central Did not qualify
1993 21–38 .356 Woody Huyke 7th GCL West Did not qualify
1994 25–35 .417 Woody Huyke 4th GCL West Did not qualify
1995 23–36 .390 Woody Huyke 4th GCL Northwest Did not qualify
1996 28–31 .475 Woody Huyke 3rd GCL Northwest Did not qualify
1997 27–32 .458 Woody Huyke 6th GCL Northwest Did not qualify
1998 25–35 .407 Woody Huyke 6th GCL West Did not qualify
1999 24–35 .407 Woody Huyke 5th GCL North Did not qualify
2000 34–26 .567 Woody Huyke 2nd GCL North Did not qualify
2001 22–34 .393 Woody Huyke 6th GCL West Did not qualify
2002 37–23 .617 Woody Huyke 1st GCL North Lost in 1st round
vs. GCL Dodgers (1 game to 0)
2003 36–20 .643 Woody Huyke 1st GCL North Lost in Finals
vs. GCL Braves (2 games to 0)
2004 30–28 .517 Woody Huyke 3rd GCL South Did not qualify
2005 28–26 .519 Jeff Livesey 2nd GCL South Did not qualify
2006 27–26 .509 Turner Ward 4th GCL North Did not qualify
2007 26–30 .464 Tom Prince 4th GCL South Did not qualify
2008 37–19 .661 Tom Prince 1st GCL South Lost in 1st round
vs. GCL Phillies (1 game to 0)
2009 29–31 .483 Tom Prince 4th GCL North Did not qualify
2010 29–30 .492 Tom Prince 4th GCL North Did not qualify
2011 34–26 .567 Tom Prince 2nd GCL North Lost in 1st round
2012 36–24 .600 Tom Prince 2nd GCL North Won GCL Championship
vs. GCL Red Sox (2 games to 0)
Won in first round
vs. GCL Cardinals (1 game to 0)
2013 33-27 .600 Milver Reyes 1st GCL Northwest Lost in 1st round
vs. GCL Nationals (1 game to 0)
2014 20-40 .333 Milver Reyes 3rd GCL Northwest Did not qualify
2015 28-31 .475 Milver Reyes 3rd GCL Northwest Did not qualify
2016 22-34 .393 Edgar Varela 2nd GCL Northwest Did not qualify
2017 26-34 .433 Dave Turgeon 3rd GCL Northeast Did not qualify

Rosters

Florida Complex League Pirates roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • -- Matt Ager
  • 49 Victor Cabreja
  • 70 Jose Garces
  • -- Josh Hartle
  • 66 Kevison Hernandez
  • 45 Brennan Malone
  • 37 Dioris Martinez
  • 34 Carlos Mateo
  • 58 David Matoma
  • 52 Jose Regalado
  • 36 Pitterson Rosa
  • -- Levi Sterling
  • 57 Alexis Torres
  • 27 Jonawel Valdez

Catchers

  • 67 John Lopez
  • 35 Richard Ramirez
  • 41 Luke Scherrer
  • -- Miguel Sosa

Infielders

  • 13 Roinny Aguiar
  •  2 Carlos Caro
  • 14 Ewry Espinal
  • -- Konnor Griffin
  • -- Wyatt Sanford
  • 24 Carlos Tirado
  • 86 Jeral Toledo

Outfielders

  • 39 Tony Blanco Jr.
  •  3 Juan Machado
  • -- Solomon Maguire
  • 12 Jhonson Pena
  •  6 Estuar Suero

Manager

  • 32 Kieran Mattison

Coaches

  • 55 Quentin Brown (hitting)
  • 51 Renny Duarte (pitching)
  • 61 Mick Fieldbinder (pitching)
  • 43 Jose Mendez (bench)
  • 54 Gavi Nivar (coach)
  • 31 Jonathan Roof (hitting)
  • 28 Curt Wilson (hitting)

60-day injured list

  • -- Gavin Adams (full season)
  • 46 Gilberto Alcala (full season)
  • -- Ronaldo Gallo (full season)
  • -- Jackson Grounds
  • 19 Eduardo Oviedo
  • -- Andres Silvera (full season)
  • -- Angel Soriano
  • 44 Joaquin Tejada
  • 18 John Zorrilla

7-day injured list
* On Pittsburgh Pirates 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated August 16, 2024
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • Florida Complex League
 → Pittsburgh Pirates minor league players

References

  1. ^ Williams, Tim (August 29, 2012). "GCL Pirates Win First Gulf Coast League Championship in Franchise History".
  2. ^ "Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh Make Pro Debuts". July 4, 2009.
  3. ^ Kovacevic, Dejan (July 10, 2009). "The Bradenton Pirates: They are the world". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.


Stub icon

This article about a baseball team in Florida is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.