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Newport Gulls

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Newport Gulls
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
LeagueNECBL (Coastal Division)
LocationNewport, RI (2001–present)
Cranston, RI (1998–2000)
BallparkCardines Field (2001–present)
Founded1998
League championships8 (2001, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2023, 2024)[1]
Post-Season Division championships13 (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2022, 2023, 2024)[1]
Regular-Season Division championships13 (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2022, 2023, 2024)[1]
Former name(s)Newport Gulls (2001–present)
Rhode Island Gulls (1998–2000)
Former league(s)
  • NECBL
    • Coastal Division (2016–present)
    • Eastern Division (2003, 2009–2013)
    • Southern Division (2002, 2004–2008, 2014–2015)
    • American Division (2001)
Former ballparksCranston Stadium (1998–2000)
Colors
  Blue
  Orange
  Black
MascotGully & Gully Jr.
OwnershipChuck Paiva, Chris Patsos
Ron Westmoreland, Greg Fater, Mark Horan
ManagerMike Coombs
General ManagerChuck Paiva
MediaTom Lima
Websitenewportgulls.com

The Newport Gulls are a wooden-bat, collegiate summer baseball team based in Newport, Rhode Island. The Newport Gulls Baseball Club is a member of the Coastal Division of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Since 2001, the Gulls have played at Cardines Field.

History

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An NECBL expansion team, the club was founded in Cranston in 1998. The Gulls have been one of the NECBL's most successful teams since their inception, winning seven Fay Vincent, Sr. Cups as champions of the NECBL, and eleven division titles.

While most teams playing at Cardines average attendance in the dozens or, at most, a few hundred per game, the Newport Gulls, since moving to Newport in 2001, have helped bring the field back to its former glory days of the mid-twentieth century, averaging over 2,300 fans for a regular-season home game. During the 2004 season alone, the Gulls attracted over 50,000 fans through just 26 home games, with sellout crowds in excess of 3,000 people. Following the 2006 season, the Gulls set a team and league record (since surpassed) for regular season home attendance, totaling 42,424 fans after 21 games, along with the league's all-time best win–loss record of 32–10.[2] In 15 seasons in Newport, the Gulls have never failed to win fewer than 25 regular season games.

Gulls in action against the Martha's Vineyard Sharks

Newport Gulls games often feature fan participation activities between innings, along with concessions, low ticket prices, and a safe atmosphere. This reputation has only added to their popularity, not only among tourists passing through Newport, but with many Aquidneck Island children and families, as well. The active crowds, historic atmosphere, and competent club management have allowed the Gulls to recruit some of the best college baseball players in the nation, with talent rivaling the Cape Cod League. Since 2001, Cardines Field has hosted the Gulls through 11 regular season division titles, 11 postseason division titles, and 7 league championships, along with other notable awards, such as the RI Governor's Cup, Pell Bridge Series Championship, and Dunkin' Donuts Cup. The Gulls have also begun an annual tradition of playing Team USA in an exhibition around Independence Day every July, in what is often a sellout game. In July 2005, the Gulls hosted the NECBL All-Star Game and Home Run Derby at Cardines, which was a major event for the park, the league, and the City of Newport. The Gulls later hosted the 2010 NECBL All-Star Game, and were scheduled to host the event a third time on July 17, 2016.

Cardines undergoing pregame preparation on a Gulls game night

The Gulls and the NECBL as a whole have received national attention with the addition of live Internet video webcasts to the normal audio webcast of games, effectively doing so at minimum cost in infrastructure. On opening night of the 2006 NECBL season, the Newport Gulls were the first to implement this new technology, bringing summer collegiate baseball, as well as Cardines Field, into a new era.[citation needed] These changes and improvements were implemented under the direction of team Director of Broadcast Operations and Media Relations Nicholas Lima from 2005 to 2015.

The Fighting Gull

This attention is more than welcome for Gulls players, who, as amateur college athletes, hope to be drafted by Major League Baseball teams. The recent surge in recognition and popularity of the Newport Gulls organization throughout the professional baseball world has provided for an increase in the number of Gulls players to be drafted every year. The professionalism and expanse of the Gulls media operations has made it a model summer collegiate teams around the country attempt to emulate, and the Gulls internship program is considered a premier stepping stone for college students seeking a career in sports management.

The Gulls are the most successful franchise in NECBL history, having won the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014, and most recently in 2023. The 2012 Gulls were Perfect Game's unofficial national champion, and NECBL's first team to be so honored.[3]

Attendance

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The following is a list of Gulls attendance figures at Cardines Field dating back to the 2001 season, when the team began using the facility.

Home attendance
Season Game avg. Season total Lge. rk.
2001[4] 676 11,491 4th
2002[4] 792 16,640 5th
2003[4] 1,200 21,604 4th
2004[4] 1,798 35,963 2nd
2005[4] 1,687 33,759 3rd
2006[4] 2,020 42,424 1st
2007[4] 2,010 42,225 1st
2008[4] 2,101 44,123 1st
2009[4] 2,277 45,547 1st
2010[4] 2,284 45,683 1st
2011[4] 2,146 42,913 2nd
2012[4] 2,126 38,275 1st
2013[4] 1,939 40,714 1st
2014[4] 2,332[A] 46,645[A] 1st
2015[5] 2,104 46,290  
2016[5] 2,086 45,904  
2017[5] 1,823 40,113  
2018[5] 2,093 46,052  
2019[5] 2,190 48,183  
2020 COVID suspended season
2021[5] 2,123 48,698  
2022[5] 2,345 51,608  
2023[5] 2,968 65,297  

Managers and record

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Managers[1] and regular season won-loss records[5]
Season Manager Won-Loss Career Record
2001 Carmen Carcone 25–15 25–15
2002 Terry Allvord 25–17 25–17
2003 Terry Rupp 25–15 25–15
2004 Dennis Healy 26–15 26–15
2005 Tom Atkinson, Mike Coombs 25–16 25–16
2006 Mike Coombs 32–10 57–26
2007 Mike Coombs 25–17 82–43
2008 Mike Coombs 26–16 108–59
2009 Mike Coombs 31–10 139–69
2010 Mike Coombs 27–15 166–84
2011 Mike Coombs 29–13 195–97
2012 Mike Coombs 31–10 226–107
2013 Mike Coombs 30–14 256–121
2014 Mike Coombs 25–17 281–138
2015 Mike Coombs 27–15 308–153
2016 Al Leyva 25–19 25–19
2017 Al Leyva 20-22 45–41
2018 Mike Coombs 21–23 329–176
2019 Kevin Winterrowd 27–17 27–17
2020 COVID suspended season
2021 Kevin Winterrowd 22-20 49–37
2022 Fank Holbrook 30–14 30–14
2023 Frank Holbrook 32–12 62–26
2024 Mike Coombs    

Postseason appearances

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Year Division Semi-Finals[B] Division Finals[C] NECBL Championship Series
Rhode Island Gulls
2000 Mill City All-Americans W (2–1) Keene Swamp Bats L (1–2)
Newport Gulls
2001 Eastern Tides W (2–1) Keene Swamp Bats W (2–1)
2002 North Adams Steeplecats W (2–1) Danbury Westerners W (2–0) Keene Swamp Bats W (2–0)
2003 Danbury Westerners W (2–1) Torrington Twisters L (0–2)
2004 Torrington Twisters W (2–1) Riverpoint Royals W (2–1) Sanford Mainers L (1–2)
2005 Danbury Westerners W (2–0) North Adams Steeplecats W (2–0) Vermont Mountaineers W (2–0)
2006 Manchester Silkworms W (2–1) Torrington Twisters L (0–2)
2007 North Adams Steeplecats W (2–1) Torrington Twisters W (2–0) Vermont Mountaineers L (0–2)
2008 Manchester Silkworms W (2–0) Pittsfield Dukes W (2–0) Sanford Mainers L (0–2)
2009 New Bedford Bay Sox W (2–0) Sanford Mainers W (2–1) Vermont Mountaineers W (2–1)
2010 Laconia Muskrats W (2–0) North Shore Navigators L (1–2)
2011 Laconia Muskrats L (0–2)
2012 Sanford Mainers W (2–1) New Bedford Bay Sox W (2–0) Danbury Westerners W (2–0)
2013 Sanford Mainers W (2–0) Mystic Schooners W (2–0) Keene Swamp Bats L (1–2)
2014 Ocean State Waves W (2–1) Plymouth Pilgrims W (2–1) Sanford Mainers W (2–0)
2015 Ocean State Waves W (2–1) Mystic Schooners L (0–2)
2016 Danbury Westerners W (2-1) Mystic Schooners L (0-2)
2019 Mystic Schooners W (1-0) Martha's Vineyard Sharks L (2-1)
2022 Sanford Mainers L (0–1)
2023 Ocean State Waves W (2–1) Danbury Westerners W (2–0) Bristol Blues W (2–0)

Notable players

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Notable Newport Gulls[6]
Year Player MLB Team University
1999 SzuminskiJason Szuminski[D] San Diego Padres MIT
2003 IanettaChris Ianetta[E][F] Los Angeles Angels University of North Carolina
2004 BoggsMitchell Boggs[E] St. Louis Cardinals University of Georgia
2005 OteroDan Otero[E] San Francisco Giants Duke University
2006 BeliveauJeff Beliveau Chicago Cubs College of Charleston
2006 DominguezChris Dominguez San Francisco Giants University of Louisville
2007 WilkAdam Wilk Detroit Tigers Long Beach State University
2007 StudMike Seander N/A Duke University
2009 GarciaGreg Garcia St. Louis Cardinals University of Hawaii
2010 AppelMark Appel Philadelphia Phillies Stanford University
2010 GarciaChris Taylor Seattle Mariners University of Virginia
2010 GarciaPat Light Boston Red Sox Monmouth University
2011–12 GarciaDaniel Wright Cincinnati Reds Arkansas State University
2013 GarciaBrett Graves Miami Marlins University of Missouri
2013 GarciaJoel McKeithan Cincinnati Reds Vanderbilt University
2014 GarciaTommy Edman St. Louis Cardinals Stanford University
2014 GarciaWill Smith Los Angeles Dodgers University of Louisville
2015 GarciaJames Karinchak Cleveland Guardians Bryant University
2016 GarciaKris Bubic Kansas City Royals Stanford University
2016 GarciaJake Cousins Milwaukee Brewers University of Pennsylvania
2017 GarciaJJ Bleday Oakland Athletics Vanderbilt University

Notable games

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b NECBL Records.[4]
  2. ^ The NECBL had 3 divisions in 2022, and that season's first playoff round consisted of only a single game.
  3. ^ The NECBL did not separate into divisions until 2001.
  4. ^ A Rhode Island Gull.
  5. ^ a b c d Member, Newport Gulls Hall of Fame.[6]
  6. ^ Member, NECBL Hall of Fame.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Newport Gulls 2024 Media Guide. Newport, RI: Newport Gulls. p. 39.
  2. ^ NECBL (August 11, 2006). "New England Collegiate Baseball League - Newport (2006)". NECBL. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  3. ^ Simpson, Allan (August 20, 2012). "Summer Collegiate Team Rankings". Perfect Game USA. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Lima, Nicholas. Newport Gulls 2014 Media Guide. Newport, RI: Newport Gulls. p. 64.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Newport Gulls 2024 Media Guide. Newport, RI: Newport Gulls. p. 45.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Lima, Nicholas. Newport Gulls 2012 Media Guide. Newport, RI: Newport Gulls. pp. 64–65.
  7. ^ Synder, Eric (August 3, 2002). "Gulls player shows versatility at key time". The Newport Daily News. Newport, RI: The Edward A. Sherman Publishing Company. pp. B3.
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