Northeast League - After The Merger

After The Merger

After the four-year merger, the Northeast League returned to its status as a separate entity following the 2002 season. In that time, Northeast League teams won all four league titles as the Diamond Dogs, Lumberjacks, and Jackals defeated their Northern League opponents. The league returned to play in 2003 with only four returning members. The Jackals, Pioneers, and Ambassadors were still in the league as they had left it, while the Lumberjacks franchise moved to Maine for 2003. Joining them were Les Capitales de Quebec, a 1999 Northern League expansion; the Brockton Rox, who were formed in 2002; the Berkshire Black Bears, who had previously been the Massachusetts Mad Dogs; and the North Shore Spirit, who had previously been in Waterbury and who took over the Mad Dogs' home stadium.

After the Rox won the 2003 league title, Berkshire moved to New Haven, Connecticut as the New Haven County Cutters while Allentown folded and were replaced by a traveling team, the Northeast League Aces. The 2004 season, proving to be the final Northeast League season, New Jersey defeated North Shore in the league championship series. New Jersey, Brockton, North Shore, New Haven, Quebec, and Elmira became part of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball (or Can-Am League) along with an expansion franchise in Worcester, Massachusetts and a traveling team formed when Bangor's charter for the new league was rescinded.