The Atlantic City Surf
were a professional baseball team based in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in the United States. The Surf were most recently a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Surf played its home games at Bernie Robbins Stadium, formerly known as The Sandcastle
.
From 1998 to 2006, the Surf played in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. While in the Atlantic League, the Surf won the first-ever Atlantic League championship in 1998 while also hosting the inaugural Atlantic League All-Star game.
On March 30, 2009, the Atlantic City Surf organization ceased operations [1], leaving the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball with six teams. Players from the team were made available in an April 3, 2009 dispersal draft.
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ATLANTIC CITY SURF TICKETS
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Earlier Atlantic CIty Baseball Teams
Atlantic City historically has never enjoyed much success as a venue for professional sports teams and baseball has been no exception. The city hosted a few short-lived, unnamed teams in various leagues in the 19th century, then provided a home for the defunct
Lancaster Red Roses of the Tri-State League in 1912. The franchise played one more season in Atlantic City in 1913 before disbanding.
Bacharach Giants
In 1916, the
Bacharach Giants
moved to Atlantic City. Originally known as the Duval Giants of
Jacksonville, Florida, its name was changed to the Bacharach Giants in honor of the city's mayor,
Harry Bacharach. The team was independent from 1916 to 1922, then became a member of the
Eastern Colored League from 1923 until the league's folding during the 1928 season, winning the league in 1926 and 1927 under the leadership of
Dick Lundy. Other notable players for the Giants included
Oliver Marcelle,
Smokey Joe Williams,
John Henry Lloyd (AKA "Pop" Lloyd), and Arthur "Rats" Henderson. The team became affiliated with the
American Negro League in 1929, and continued in the
Negro National League in 1932, when it folded as a professional team.
Atlantic City Surf
In 1998, sixty-six years after the Bacharach Giants folded, the new independent
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball placed a team in Atlantic City. This new team was called the Surf. Opening their new ballpark called
The Sandcastle on May 20, the Surf was defeated by the
Somerset Patriots by a score of 8 to 5. Playing host to the first Atlantic League All-Star game on July 15, the Surf defeated the League All-Stars 6 to 4 and would later win the league's first Championship Series over the
Bridgeport Bluefish, three games to one. The Surf made it to the post-season four times in five years (2002 and 2004-06) but were eliminated in the first round each time.
In 2007, the Surf moved play from the Atlantic League to the Can-Am League.
On March 30, 2009, the Can-Am League announced that the Surf would not be operating for the 2009 season because of the collapse of the proposed sale of the team and the lack of ownership to continue for the 2009 season. The Surf joined fellow league member
Ottawa Voyageurs in ceasing operations for the 2009 season.
[2]
Post Season
Atlantic League Post-Season Results:
- 1998: Defeated
Bridgeport Bluefish, 3 games to 1, for League Championship
- 2002: Lost
to Newark Bears, 2 games to 1, in opening round
- 2004: Lost
to Camden Riversharks, 2 games to 0, in opening round
- 2005: Lost
to Somerset Patriots, 2 games to 1, in opening round
- 2006: Lost
to Lancaster Barnstormers, 2 games to 0, in opening round
The Surf reached the playoffs in their first two seasons in the Can-Am League, but lost in the first round both times.
Can-Am League Post-Season Results:
- 2007: Lost
to North Shore Spirit, 3 games to 1, in opening round
- 2008: Lost
to Quebec Capitales, 3 games to 1, in opening round
Team Information
Uniform colors:
White with navy pinstripes for home games and navy for away games. The home jersey has an interlocking "AC" centered on the left and number on the back. The away jersey has the wordmark "Surf" in teal with white and purple outline. Navy blue hats with the interlocking letters "AC" in white with teal outline.
Mascot:
"Splash".
Radio broadcasts:
Play-by-Play announer: Matt Martucci, broadcast by
WLFR.
References
- http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/atlantic_city_surf_minor_leagu.html
- Can-Am to go with six clubs in 2009 - CanAmLeague.com