Richmond Roosters

• Location: Richmond, IN
• League: Frontier League 1995-2005
• Affiliation: Independent
• Ballpark: McBride Stadium

Team History

Founded in 1995, the Richmond Roosters were an Independent Minor League team playing in Richmond, IN. The Roosters, who made their home in McBride Stadium were the first professional team to play in Richmond in over forty years since the departure of the Class D teams that played there in the 1940s and 1950s. The Roosters were formed as an expansion team to the Frontier League in 1995, replacing the Kentucky Rifles.

In their first year, the Roosters made the playoffs by defeating the Portsmouth Explorers on the last day of the season. The Richmond Roosters lost to the Johnstown Steal in the first round of the playoffs.

Roosters alumni make up some of the most notable athletes in Frontier League history. Eight Roosters were featured on the Frontier League 10th anniversary all star team. On June 8, 1997 Christian Hess became the first Frontier League player to throw a no-hitter, defeating the Kalamazoo Kodiaks. Morgan Burkhart became the first playerr in FL history to hit three home runs in one game. The game, against the Ohio Valley Redcoats, was shortened after 5 innings due to rain. In 2002, the Roosters became the first Frontier League team to win back-to-back championships.

By the end of 2004 the team had declined in popularity and attendance had dropped to become the lowest in the Frontier League. The team attempted to strike a deal with the city of Richmond, IN to build a new stadium in the hopes of renewing public interest. During the 2004-2005 off-season relations between the city and the franchise became strained. Failing to secure a new home in Richmond, the team was sold to Wuerfel Sports Development at the end of the 2005 season. Only 1,055 fans attended the Roosters' final game as Richmond lost to the Evansville Otters. The team was relocated to Traverse City, MI and in 2006 became the Traverse City Beach Bums.

Retired Numbers

• Matt Schweitzer
• John Cate

Roosters Alumni in Major League Baseball

• Morgan Burkhart (1995-1998)- Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals
• Jason Childers (1996)- Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Year by Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1995	38-32	4th	Larry Nowlin	Lost in 1st round
1996	39-35	2nd	John Cate	Lost in 1st round
1997	43-37	4th	John Cate	Lost in 1st round
1998	49-31	5th	John Cate (23-17) / Bill Richardson (26-14)
1999	40-43	7th	John Cate
2000	40-43	6th	John Cate (28-34) / Woody Sorrell (12-9)
2001	49-35	2nd	Fran Riordan	League Champs
2002	53-31	2nd	Fran Riordan	League Champs
2003	50-39	5th	Chris Mongiardo
2004	43-53	9th	Chris Mongiardo
2005	39-56	10th	Chris Mongiardo