Team History
Prior to moving to Lancaster, the team was known as the Riverside Pilots of Riverside, California. Notable players to play for the JetHawks include José Cruz, Jr. and Brandon Webb. While in Riverside, the team played at UC-Riverside Sports Center. The Pilots' previous owners chose Lancaster over Palm Springs, California in a lucrative offer.
In November 2005, the original owners of the JetHawks during their first 10 years in Lancaster, Clutch Play Baseball, LLC, sold the team to a group led by majority investor Peter Carfagna of Cleveland, Ohio. One of their first acts was to replace the stadium's original scoreboard with a more advanced video board. For the first time, this allowed for video replays and other views from cameras around the field. For the 2006 season, the JetHawks' manager was former major leaguer Brett Butler.
On September 29, 2006, the Boston Red Sox announced a two-year affiliation agreement with the JetHawks after losing their previous Carolina League affiliation in Wilmington. Since the Fenway Sports Group purchased the Carolina League's Salem Avalanche franchise after the 2007 season, with the stated intent of moving the Red Sox's High-A affiliation there once the 2007–2008 agreement term expired, the JetHawks were forced to find a new major league affiliate before the 2009 season—the Houston Astros.
On August 25, 2008, the JetHawks announced its new General Manager, Antelope Valley native Larry Thornhill. Thornhill, a former JetHawks broadcaster from its inaugural season of 1996, took over day-to-day operations of the Lancaster organization from Brad Seymour who was promoted to Vice President of both the JetHawks and Lake County Captains. Seymour joined the organization in 2004 and served as General Manager for five seasons with the JetHawks.
Wes Clemente, after serving the 2009 season as the JetHawks' manager, took over the managerial position for the Corpus Christi Hooks, Houston's Double-A affiliate. On November 16, 2009, the JetHawks announced its new manager for the 2010 season, Tom Lawless. He served as the manager of the Lexington Legends, the Astros' Class A minor league team, for the 2009 season.
The JetHawks concluded the 2010 season with a 54–86 record, setting the worst season mark in franchise history.
The JetHawks have been lauded for their creative giveaways. Every season, they give away a NASA-related bobblehead to pay tribute to the Antelope Valley and its leading industry. The Buzz Aldrin bobblehead was a big hit. On July 12, 2008, the JetHawks gave away skateboards to the first 500 children to arrive at the ballpark. These skateboards were widely considered the most expensive and high-end giveaway of the season in minor league baseball. Minor League Baseball (MILB.com) rated the skateboard giveaway one of the top ten promotions of 2008 in the minor leagues.
On December 9, 2010, Tom Spencer was named as the JetHawks' manager for the 2011 season. He served as the manager of the Palm Beach Cardinals, the Advanced A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, for the 2009 season.
On May 26, 2011, the Lancaster JetHawks announced that Larry Thornhill had resigned his position as Vice President and General Manager of the franchise for personal reasons. Derek Sharp, Lancaster's Assistant General Manager who has been with the organization since 2008, was named Interim General Manager for the remainder of the 2011 California League season. Brad Seymour, who was the JetHawks General Manager from 2004 - 2008, had also been named Senior Consultant for the JetHawks. Seymour currently also serves as Vice President and General Manager of the Lake County (OH) Captains, Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians under the direction of the Peter A. Carfagna ownership group which also controls the Lancaster JetHawks. Seymour, along with team President Peter E. Carfagna, will have direct oversight of the day-to-day activities of the JetHawks. On September 7, 2011, Derek Sharp was promoted from Interim General Manager to General Manager.
On January 3, 2012, Rodney Linares was named as the JetHawks' manager for the 2012 season. He served as the manager of the Lexington Legends, the Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros, for the 2011 season.
The Lancaster JetHawks clinched a playoff berth after the 2012 season as the #2 seed Wild Card. In the Southern Division Mini-Series, the JetHawks beat the Lake Elsinore Storm, two games to one. In the Southern Division Championship Series, the JetHawks beat the 1st & 2nd Half Champion High Desert Mavericks, three games to one. On September 15, 2012, the Lancaster JetHawks became the California League Champions after sweeping the Northern Division Champion Modesto Nuts three games to none with a final score in Game 3 of 3-2. It would be the JetHawks’ first California League Championship title in franchise history.
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Famous quotes containing the words team and/or history:
“Is my team ploughing,
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When I was man alive?”
—A.E. (Alfred Edward)
“Every generation rewrites the past. In easy times history is more or less of an ornamental art, but in times of danger we are driven to the written record by a pressing need to find answers to the riddles of today.... In times of change and danger when there is a quicksand of fear under men’s reasoning, a sense of continuity with generations gone before can stretch like a lifeline across the scary present and get us past that idiot delusion of the exceptional Now that blocks good thinking.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)