Staten Island FerryHawks

{{Infobox baseball team

|name = Staten Island FerryHawks

|founded = 2021

|city = Staten Island, New York

|ballpark = SIUH Community Park

|logo = Staten Island FerryHawks logo.svg

|cap_logo = Staten Island FerryHawks SI monogram no-tm.png

|league = Atlantic League of Professional Baseball

|division =

|former_leagues =

|former_names =

|nicknames =

|uniform =

|retired_numbers =

|colors = Rock Gray, Carolina Blue, Ferry Orange, White, Greenbelt Green
{{color box|#303e48}} {{color box|#88b7e8}} {{color box|#e77204}} {{color box|white}} {{color box|#00827b}}

|former_ballparks =

|league_champs =

|division_champs =

|owner = Staten Island Entertainment LLC

| general_manager = Gary Perone{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Reichard |title=Perone inaugural GM for new Staten Island Atlantic League team

|url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2021/10/27/perone-inaugural-gm-for-new-staten-island-atlantic-league-team/ |access-date=October 27, 2021 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publishing |date=October 27, 2021}}

|manager = Mark Minicozzi

|media = Staten Island Advance

|website = [https://ferryhawks.com/ FerryHawks.com]

}}

The Staten Island FerryHawks are an American minor-league professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Staten Island. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball.{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Reichard |title=Indy Atlantic League designated MLB Partner League |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/09/23/indy-atlantic-league-designated-mlb-partner-league/ |access-date=July 24, 2021 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publishing |date=September 23, 2020}}{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Reichard |title=American Association, Frontier League now MLB Partner Leagues |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/09/24/american-association-frontier-league-now-mlb-partner-leagues/ |access-date=July 24, 2021 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publishing |date=September 24, 2020}} They play their home games at SIUH Community Park, the former home of the Staten Island Yankees, which is in the St. George neighborhood and overlooks the Manhattan skyline across New York Harbor.

In 2021, Staten Islanders chose the name "FerryHawks" in a team-sponsored fan ballot. The name refers to the iconic Staten Island Ferry, which connects the borough to Manhattan across the Harbor, and to the red-tailed (Buteo jamaicensis) and Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii) native to Staten Island.{{cite web | title=Introducing Your Ferryhawks!! | work=Staten Island Entertainment | url=https://ferryhawks.com/news/2021/11/17/Your_FerryHawks_2.aspx | access-date=November 18, 2021 |date=November 17, 2021}}

History

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.{{cite news |first=Pat |last=O'Conner |author-link=Pat O'Conner |title=A Message From Pat O'Conner |url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/message-from-minor-league-baseball-president-ceo-pat-o-conner-313052288 |website=Minor League Baseball |date=March 13, 2020 |access-date=November 8, 2020}}{{cite news |title=2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved |url=https://www.milb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-shelved |website=Minor League Baseball |date=June 30, 2020 |access-date=November 8, 2020}} On November 7, 2020, the New York Yankees announced that they were withdrawing from Staten Island along with abandoning their affiliation with the Trenton Thunder and moving forward with the Somerset Patriots, but they would seek to place an Atlantic League team at Richmond County Bank Ballpark in 2021.{{Cite press release |title=New York Yankees announce new Minor League affiliation structure |url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-yankees-announce-new-minor-league-affiliation-structure |access-date=July 24, 2021 |date=November 7, 2020 |website=MLB.com |language=en}} On December 3, 2020, the Staten Island Yankees announced that the club would cease operations.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Alex |title=Staten Island Yankees ceasing operations, filing lawsuits against big-league club and MLB |url=https://sny.tv/articles/staten-island-yankees-ceasing-operations-filing-lawsuits-against-big-league-club-and-mlb |work=SportsNet New York |access-date=April 25, 2022 |date=December 3, 2020}}

In 2021, the New York Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) was in talks with the Atlantic League to have an expansion team play at the stadium in 2022.{{Cite web |last=Michel |first=Clifford |date=April 13, 2021 |title=NYC Looks to Bring Staten Island Yankees' Old Baseball Stadium Back to Life Next Season |url=https://www.thecity.nyc/staten-island/2021/4/12/22381063/staten-island-yankees-baseball-stadium-new-team |access-date=April 14, 2021 |website=The City |language=en-US}}{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Reichard |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2021/04/13/atlantic-league-closes-in-on-staten-island-team/ |title=Atlantic League closes in on Staten Island team |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publishing |access-date=April 14, 2021 |date=April 13, 2021}} On June 5, 2021, Atlantic League President Rick White announced that Staten Island "is close" to getting a franchise for the 2022 season.{{cite news |first=Joe |last=D'Amodio |url=https://www.silive.com/sports/2021/06/atlantic-league-prez-says-island-will-be-given-franchise-in-2022-and-this-star-will-be-part-owner.html#:~:text=The%20Atlantic%20League%20is%20currently%20an%20eight-team%20Mid-Atlantic,will%20make%20it%20a%2010-team%20loop%20in%202022. |title=Atlantic League president says Island "is close" to getting a franchise in 2022 |newspaper=Staten Island Advance |access-date=June 8, 2021 |date=June 5, 2021}}

On July 24, 2021, Staten Island Borough President James Oddo, announced that the new franchise would be owned by Staten Island Entertainment LLC, an investment group including Yankee Global Enterprises, RedBird Capital Partners, John Catsimatidis, Dany Garcia, Eric Shuffler (a New Jersey politician), Colin Jost, Pete Davidson, and Michael Che.{{Cite news |url=https://www.silive.com/sports/2021/07/city-officially-announces-agreement-to-bring-atlantic-league-team-to-staten-island.html |title=NYC officially announces agreement to bring Atlantic League team to Staten Island |last=D'Amodio |first=Joe |date=July 24, 2021 |newspaper=Staten Island Advance |language=en-US |access-date=July 24, 2021}}{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Reichard |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2021/07/21/snl-performers-part-of-staten-island-atlantic-league-ownership/ |title=SNL performers part of Staten Island Atlantic League ownership |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publishing |access-date=July 28, 2021 |date=July 21, 2021}} On August 2, 2021, the Atlantic League board of directors approved the ownership group's application to join the league.{{Cite news |url=https://www.silive.com/news/2021/08/atlantic-league-officially-approves-new-team-coming-to-staten-island.html |title=Atlantic League officially approves new team coming to Staten Island |last=Bascome |first=Erik |date=August 2, 2021 |newspaper=Staten Island Advance |language=en-US |access-date=August 4, 2021}} On August 17, 2021, it was reported that the ballpark's lease was transferred from the Staten Island Yankees to Staten Island Entertainment.{{cite news |last1=Reichard |first1=Kevin |title=Richmond County Bank Ballpark lease transferred |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2021/08/17/richmond-county-bank-ballpark-lease-transferred/ |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications |date=August 17, 2021}}

On April 8, 2022, Kelsie Whitmore signed with the Staten Island FerryHawks.{{cite news |first=Brian |last=Murphy |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/kelsie-whitmore-signed-by-staten-island-ferryhawks|title='I'm ready': Kelsie Whitmore to play for FerryHawks|website=MLB.com|date=April 8, 2022}} She debuted with them as a pinch runner on April 22{{cite news |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports/charleston_dirty_birds/kelsie-whitmore-makes-baseball-history-for-staten-island-ferryhawks/article_7c682471-2caa-55f9-b260-1fdf187e9cab.html |title=Kelsie Whitmore makes baseball history for Staten Island FerryHawks |first=Rick |last=Farlow |website=Charleston Gazette-Mail |date=April 22, 2022}} and while with them became the first woman to start an Atlantic League game on May 1, playing as a left fielder.{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Axisa |date=May 1, 2022 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/kelsie-whitmore-becomes-first-woman-to-start-game-in-atlantic-league-of-professional-baseball/|title=Kelsie Whitmore becomes first woman to start game in Atlantic League of Professional Baseball|website=CBSSports.com}} She was hitless in three plate appearances but recorded two putouts in two chances in the field, catching fly balls hit by Gastonia Honey Hunters batters Reece Hampton (sacrifice fly) and Johnny Davis.{{cite web |title=Ferry Hawks 5, Honey Hunters 10 (Final Score) on Gameday |url=https://www.milb.com/gameday/ferry-hawks-vs-honey-hunters/2022/05/01/704041#game_state=final,game_tab=play-by-play,game=704041 |website=MiLB.com |publisher=Minor League Baseball |access-date=May 5, 2022 |date=May 1, 2022 |language=en}} On May 4, Whitmore became the first woman to pitch in an Atlantic League game when she made her first pitching appearance for Staten Island; entering the game with the bases loaded and two outs, she retired Ryan Jackson, a former major leaguer, on a fly out to end the inning.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/kelsie-whitmore-first-woman-to-pitch-in-atlantic-league|title=Kelsie Whitmore makes history pitching for FerryHawks|first=Manny |last=Randhawa|work=MLB.com|date=May 4, 2022|accessdate=May 4, 2022}}

Season-by-season record

colspan="9"\|Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto; font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
rowspan="2"\|Year	colspan="3"\|Regular season	colspan="6"\|Post-season
Record	Win %	Finish	Record	Win %	Result
2022	48–84	{{Winning percentage\|48\|84}}	5th (North)	colspan="3"\| DNQ
2023	49–75	{{Winning percentage\|49\|75}}	5th (North)	colspan="3"\| DNQ
2024	—	—	—	—	—	—
Totals	97–159	{{Winning percentage\|97\|159}}	—	—	—	—

Logos and uniforms

The Staten Island FerryHawks logo features a copper-colored hawk wearing a baseball uniform, a ballcap, and holding a bat. The "Staten Island FerryHawks" wordmark arches over the logo in navy blue and orange. The cap logo includes the interlocking letters "SI" in orange and sky blue outlined in navy blue.{{cite web | title=Introducing Your Ferryhawks!! | work=Staten Island Entertainment | url=https://ferryhawks.com/news/2021/11/17/Your_FerryHawks_2.aspx | access-date=November 18, 2021 |date=November 17, 2021}}{{cite web | title=Staten Island's baseball team finally has a name—and a sweet new logo | work= Staten Island Advance | url=https://www.silive.com/sports/2021/11/staten-islands-baseball-team-finally-has-a-name-and-a-sweet-new-logo.html | access-date=November 18, 2021 |date=November 18, 2021}}