Akron RubberDucks

• Location: Akron, OH
• League: Eastern League 2014-2019; Double-A Northeast 2021-
• Affiliation: Cleveland Indians 2014-
• Ballpark: Canal Park

Team History

The Akron RubberDucks, formerly of the Eastern League and now in Double-A Northeast, were among the first minor league teams to play in the shadow, or at least in the market, of their parent club. They play their home games at Canal Park.

The franchise has been a Cleveland Indians affiliate since the Vermont Mariners moved to Canton, OH in 1989, the seventh longest partnership among teams without common ownership. Of course, the nearby Indians could veto any other affiliation. Proximity not only saves travel costs but eases rehabilitation assignments.

Another possible first for this franchise is the shortest time between moving into new stadiums: In 1988, the Vermont Mariners moved into brand-new Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton; in 1997, the Canton-Akron Indians moved into brand-new Canal Park in Akron, OH, and got a new name in the process.

In 2014, second-year Akron Aeros owner Ken Babby saluted the local rubber industry by changing his club's nickname to RubberDucks – an option that had failed just five years earlier when fans gave Aeros two-thirds of a five-way vote. Previous Akron ownership had selected Aeros to salute Ohio's historic figures in aviation, from Orville and Wilbur Wright to John Glenn and Neil Armstrong.

The Ducks play Copa de la Diversión as Perros Calientes de Akron (Akron Hot Dogs; literal hot dogs, not the ballpark treat).

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs	Hitting coach	Pitching coach	Coach
2014	73-69	4th(t)	Dave Wallace	Lost in 1st Round	Rouglas Odor	Jeff Harris
2015	73-69	5th(t)	Dave Wallace		Tony Mansolino	Jeff Harris
2016	77-64	3rd	Dave Wallace	League Champs	Tim Laker	Tony Arnold
2017	69-71	6th	Mark Budzinski		Johnny Narron	Tony Arnold	Omir Santos
2018	78-62	3rd	Tony Mansolino	Lost League Finals	Kevin Howard	Rigo Beltran	Dennis Malave
2019	61-79	11th	Rouglas Odor		Justin Toole	Tony Arnold	Juan De La Cruz
2020	Season cancelled
2021			Rouglas Odor		Junior Betances	Owen Dew	Michael Mergenthaler

External Links

• Akron RubberDucks
• Akron RubberDucks on Twitter