Akron RubberDucks

Opening Day on April 10, 1997 marked the debut of the Akron Aeros. With 9,086 fans in attendance, the Aeros and Harrisburg Senators played the first game at Canal Park. The Aeros went on to finish the season with a record of 51–90. Despite the last place record, the team drew a Double-A league-leading 473,272 fans to Canal Park that season.

In the 1998 season, the Aeros put together a 30-game "worst-to-first" turnaround; after finishing the prior year 34½ games back, they proceeded to win the Southern Division that season by 8½ games. However, after losing in the playoffs that year, it would be three more years until the Aeros found their way back to the postseason.

On September 6, 1999, the Aeros set an Eastern League attendance record for three straight seasons and once again led all Double-A teams after 522,459 fans attended Canal Park in 1999.[2]

In 2002, the team posted a 93–48 record, the third-highest win total in the Eastern League in 50 years. They built on that success and finally won two league championships (their first since moving to Ohio) in 2003 and 2005. In 2006, the Aeros again posted the best regular-season record in the league, but lost the playoff title to Portland after taking the series to a deciding fifth game.

From 2005 to 2008, the Aeros advanced to the Eastern League Championship Series. Although the Aeros won the ELCS in 2005, they were defeated in three consecutive trips from 2006 to 2008.

In 2009, the Aeros again advanced to the league championship and defeated the Connecticut Defenders (three games to one) capping a 95-win season and their third title in the last seven years. Jared Head was named the playoff MVP.

In their first three seasons in Canal Park, the Aeros led all of Double-A in attendance, becoming the first team at that level to draw a half-million fans in a single season.

The team was sold by Mike Agganis to Ken Babby in October 2012.[3]

• 1997: 51–90 (5th), manager Jeff Datz
• 1998: 81–60 (1st), manager Joel Skinner • Lost to Harrisburg 3–1 in first round of playoffs
• 1999: 69–71 (5th), manager Joel Skinner
• 2000: 75–68 (3rd), manager Eric Wedge
• 2001: 68–74 (3rd), manager Chris Bando
• 2002: 93–48 (1st), manager Brad Komminsk • Lost to Harrisburg 3–2 in first round of playoffs
• 2003: 88–53 (1st), manager Brad Komminsk • Defeated Altoona 3–1 in first round of playoffs; defeated New Haven 3–0 in ELCS
• 2004: 63–78 (5th), manager Brad Komminsk
• 2005: 84–58 (1st), manager Torey Lovullo • Defeated Altoona 3–2 in first round of playoffs; defeated Portland 3–1 in ELCS
• 2006: 87–55 (1st), manager Tim Bogar • Defeated Altoona 3–2 in first round of playoffs; lost to Portland 3–2 in ELCS
• 2007: 80–61 (2nd), manager Tim Bogar • Defeated Erie 3–1 in first round of playoffs; lost to Trenton 3–1 in ELCS
• 2008: 80–62 (2nd), manager Mike Sarbaugh • Defeated Bowie 3–1 in first round of playoffs; lost to Trenton 3–1 in ELCS
• 2009: 89–53 (1st), manager Mike Sarbaugh • Defeated Reading 3–0 in first round of playoffs; defeated Connecticut 3–1 in ELCS
• 2010: 71–71 (4th), manager Joel Skinner
• 2011: 73–69 (4th), manager Chris Tremie
• 2012: 82-59 (1st), manager Chris Tremie • Defeated Baysox 3–2 in first round of playoffs; defeated Trenton 3–1 in ELCS
• 2013: 68-73 (5th), manager Edwin Rodriguez
• 2014: 73-69 (2nd), manager Dave Wallace
• 2015: 73-69 (4th), manager Dave Wallace
• 2016: 77-64 (1st), manager Dave Wallace • Defeated Altoona 3–1 in first round of playoffs; defeated Trenton 3-0 in ELCS
• 2017: 69-71 (3rd), manager Mark Budzinski
• 2018: 78-62 (2nd), manager Tony Mansolino • Defeated Altoona 3–1 in first round of playoffs; lost to New Hampshire 3–0 in ELCS

Note: Place indicates finish in Eastern League's Northern Division from 1980 to 1982; in divisionless Eastern League from 1983 to 1993; in Eastern League's Southern Division from 1994 to 2009; in Eastern League's Western Division since 2010.

Over the off-season between the 2010–2011 season, the Aeros received national attention after introducing a number of new promotions as well as menu items at Canal Park. The team was featured in a segment titled "Back in Black" during The Daily Show performed by comedian Lewis Black. In the segment, Black talks about several of the menu items including The "Three Dog Night" consisting of a hot dog in a Bratwurst in a Kielbasa, and "The Nice to Meat You Burger". The food was also covered by CNBC Sports Financial Analyst Darren Rovell.

For the 2016 season, several different promotions were announced, including (but not limited to) Thirsty Thursdays, Star Wars Night on May 4, Shooter McGavin Bobblehead Night, and An action-filled two days for the Eastern League All-Star Game.

Several outlets throughout Northeast Ohio cover the RubberDucks including SportsTime Ohio, as do all four Cleveland television stations. In print, the RubberDucks are covered by Akron News Now (a website run by radio group, Rubber City Radio), and longtime standard The Akron Beacon Journal

Games are broadcast over WARF Fox Sports 1350. Jim Clark, in his 25th year in 2017, as well as Minnesota-native broadcaster Marco LaNave call play by play.

On August 12, 2017, the RubberDucks reported their highest single-game attendance since rebranding of 8,396 fans.[5]

• List of Akron Aeros managers
• Canton–Akron Indians

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Akron RubberDucks.

• Official website
• Statistics from Baseball-Reference
• Statistics from The Baseball Cube