The Fort Lauderdale Yankees, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were an American Minor League Baseball franchise that existed from 1962 through 1992. The team was a member of the Florida State League (FSL) as an affiliate of the New York Yankees and won seven FSL championships during its 31 years of existence.

The team was formed when the Yankees moved their spring training base from St. Petersburg, Florida, to Fort Lauderdale Stadium after the season. Its last championship team, in 1987, was managed by Buck Showalter and featured future Major Leaguers Jim Leyritz, Kevin Maas and Dave Eiland.

When the Yankees left Fort Lauderdale for their new spring training home in Tampa, Florida, in 1993, the parent club maintained its other High-A affiliate, the Prince William Yankees of the Carolina League, and left the FSL for one season — returning in 1994 with the Tampa Yankees. The Boston Red Sox transferred their Winter Haven club to Fort Lauderdale Stadium for 1993 as the Fort Lauderdale Red Sox.

When the spring training relationship with Winter Haven ended, Boston tried to move its FSL franchise to its new spring training stadium, Fort Myers' City of Palms Park, but the shift was blocked by the established Fort Myers Miracle, a Minnesota Twins FSL affiliate that played in nearby Hammond Stadium. While the Red Sox and the Miracle ownership tried to resolve the impasse, Boston needed a 1993 venue for its displaced Winter Haven franchise. Fort Lauderdale Stadium was available.

As events turned out, the Red Sox/Miracle territorial dispute never permitted Boston to place its FSL team in Fort Myers. Instead, Boston moved the Fort Lauderdale Red Sox to Sarasota, Florida in and operated the Sarasota Red Sox there for eleven seasons before departing the Florida State League in 2005. The Red Sox' parent company, Fenway Sports Group, eventually owned and operated its own High Class A farm club, the Salem Red Sox, in the Carolina League.

The Red Sox' one year in Fort Lauderdale was an athletic and economic disappointment. The team, managed by DeMarlo Hale (later the Red Sox' bench coach), compiled the worst record in the FSL at 46–85 (.351), games out of first place. It drew 28,000 fans, second last in the league and almost 73,000 fans fewer than the 1992 Fort Lauderdale Yankees team. (It still out-paced the 1992 Winter Haven Red Sox entry, which attracted only 16,000 fans in its lame-duck season).Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, eds., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3d edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007 Of the 40-plus players who suited up for the Fort Lauderdale Red Sox, only Shayne Bennett, Alex Delgado, Peter Hoy, Ryan McGuire and Lou Merloni would see Major League service.

Fort Lauderdale has not been represented in the Florida State League since 1993. Although the Baltimore Orioles eventually replaced the Yankees as Fort Lauderdale's spring training tenants, they never placed an FSL franchise in the city.

The Ballpark

For the duration of their existence, the Yankees played their home games at Fort Lauderdale Stadium located at 1401 NW 55th Street. The stadium doubled as the spring training home of the parent New York Yankees. Fort Lauderdale Stadium was demolished in 2019.

Notable alumni

Hall of Fame Alumni Bobby Cox (1971, MGR) Inducted, 2014 Rickey Henderson (1985) Inducted, 2009 Mariano Rivera (1992) Inducted, 2019

Notable alumni Steve Balboni (1979) Jay Buhner (1985) Carl Everett (1992) Cesar Geronimo (1968) Ron Guidry (1972, 1988) 1978 AL Cy Young Award LaMarr Hoyt (1975) 1983 AL Cy Young Award Scott McGregor (1972) Willie McGee (1978) 2 × NL Batting Champion (1985, 1990) Bobby Murcer (1985) Buck Showalter (1977, 1987) Bob Tewksbury (1982) José Rijo (1983) Scott Norris (1975) Deion Sanders (1988) Bernie Williams (1987)

Year-by-year record Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs 1962 71–50 1st Bob Bauer League Champs 1963 60–60 4th Pinky May (22–19) / Steve Souchock (7–13) / Cloyd Boyer (31–28) 1964 81–59 2nd Frank Verdi League Champs 1965 87–51 1st Jack Reed League Champs 1966 63–75 7th Lamar North 1967 69–69 4th Billy Shantz 1968 62–75 7th Billy Shantz 1969 68–55 4th Billy Shantz 1970 59–76 10th Lamar North 1971 71–70 6th (t) Bobby Cox 1972 64–65 7th Pete Ward 1973 67–72 7th Pete Ward 1974 82–49 1st Pete Ward Lost League Finals 1975 61–75 5th (t) Leo Posada 1976 77–62 3rd Mike Ferraro Lost in 1st round 1977 53–80 9th Ed Napoleon 1978 74–68 5th Doug Holmquist 1979 92–51 1st Doug Holmquist Lost League Finals 1980 83–54 2nd Doug Holmquist League Champs 1981 81–53 1st Doug Holmquist Lost in 1st round 1982 82–50 1st Stump Merrill League Champs 1983 77–54 2nd Stump Merrill 1984 74–68 5th Barry Foote League Champs 1985 77–63 4th Bucky Dent Lost League Finals 1986 80–59 5th Bucky Dent 1987 85–53 1st Buck Showalter League Champs 1988 69–65 9th Buck Showalter 1989 61–77 11th Clete Boyer 1990 62–75 9th Mike Hart 1991 59–69 11th Glenn Sherlock 1992 59–76 10th Brian Butterfield 1993 46-85 4th DeMarlo Hale

References

External links Baseball Reference