Wichita Wind Surge
{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
| name = Wichita Wind Surge
| founded = 2020
| city = Wichita, Kansas
| misc =
| logo = Wichita Wind Surge logo.png
| uniformlogo =
| class level = Double-A (2021–present)
| past class level = Triple-A (2020)
| current league = Texas League (2021–present)
| conference =
| division = North Division
| past league = Pacific Coast League (2020)
| majorleague = Minnesota Twins (2021–present)
| pastmajorleague = Miami Marlins (2020)
| leaguenum = 0
| leaguechamps = None
| confnum =
| conferencechamps =
| divnum = 2
| divisionchamps = {{hlist|2021|2022}}
| secondhalfnum = 1
| secondhalfchamps = {{hlist|2022}}
| nickname = Wichita Wind Surge (2020–present)
| pastnames =
| colors = Navy blue, red, sky blue, yellow gold, white{{cite news|last=Hill|first=Benjamin|title=It's a breeze: Wind Surge blow into Wichita|url=https://www.milb.com/pacific-coast/news/wichitas-new-minor-league-team-unveils-wind-surge-name/c-311756252|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|website=PCLBaseball.com|date=November 13, 2019|access-date=November 14, 2019}}
{{color box|#002B5C}} {{color box|#E31837}} {{color box|#6CADDF}} {{color box|#FFC425}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}
| mascot =
| ballpark = Equity Bank Park
| pastparks =
| owner = Diamond Baseball Holdings
| manager = Brian Dinkelman
| website = {{URL|https://www.milb.com/wichita|milb.com/wichita}}
}}
The Wichita Wind Surge are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Wichita, Kansas, and began play in 2021 at Equity Bank Park.
The Wind Surge were supposed to begin play in 2020 as the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins in the Pacific Coast League. However, a combination of the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Major League Baseball's realignment of the minor leagues for 2021, resulted in the team dropping down to Double-A as affiliates of the Twins without having played a Triple-A game.
History
Prior to 2020, the Wind Surge were located in Metairie, Louisiana, playing for 24 seasons as the New Orleans Zephyrs before being renamed the Baby Cakes for two seasons. In 1993, the Denver Zephyrs had been forced to move due to the creation of the Colorado Rockies expansion franchise in Major League Baseball. Before 1984, they played for nearly 30 years as the Denver Bears.
In September 2018, the city of Wichita paid US$2.2 million to the Wichita Wingnuts to break their lease at Lawrence–Dumont Stadium, with plans to demolish it and build a larger ballpark to host an affiliated Minor League Baseball team.{{cite news |last1=Lefler |first1=Dion |title=Wichita OKs $81 Million for New Stadium Project, $2.2 Million for Wingnuts to Go|url=https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article218183290.html |work=The Wichita Eagle|access-date=October 6, 2018 |date=September 11, 2018}} The city later announced that a new $75 million stadium would be built to host the Triple-A New Orleans Baby Cakes, who agreed to relocate to Wichita beginning with the 2020 season.{{cite web |last=Lefler|first=Dion|title=City Hall Picks Team to Design, Build Wichita's New Minor League Baseball Park|url=https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article222951200.html|website=The Wichita Eagle|date=December 11, 2018|access-date=January 28, 2019}}
The club announced its nickname, Wind Surge, in November 2019.{{cite news |title=Wichita Wind Surge the official new team name of Wichita Baseball |url=https://www.ksn.com/news/local/watch-live-wichita-baseball-lovers-wait-for-the-new-team-name-and-logo-reveal/ |access-date=November 14, 2019 |work=KSN-TV |publisher=Nexstar Media Group |date=November 13, 2019}} The name was met with criticism from Wichita residents following the announcement.{{Cite news |url=https://www-1.kansas.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/suzanne-perez/article237354169.html |title=Wind Scourge: Wichita's New Baseball Team Name Doesn't Blow Us Away |last=Perez Tobias |first=Suzanne |date=November 14, 2019 |work=The Wichita Eagle}} Later in the day the name was announced, a Change.org petition was started to change the name.{{cite news |title=Petition Aims to Change the Name of Wichita's Baseball Team |url=http://www.kake.com/story/41321277/petition-aims-to-change-the-name-of-wichitas-baseball-team |access-date=November 14, 2019 }} In less than 24 hours, the petition had already collected over 7,400 signatures.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wind Surge were scheduled to begin their inaugural season on the road playing against the Round Rock Express on April 8, 2020,{{cite web |title=Round Rock Express 2020 Schedule |url=http://www.milb.com/images/5/4/2/310009542/Schedule_Magnet.png |website=Round Rock Express |publisher=Minor League Baseball |access-date=October 8, 2019}} and to play their first home game on April 14 against the Memphis Redbirds.{{cite web |title=2020 Home Schedule |url=http://www.milb.com/documents/0/3/4/310813034/2020_Season_Schedule_Home_No_Times_9.17.2019_2.pdf |website=Wichita Baseball |publisher=Minor League Baseball |access-date=October 7, 2019}} Initially postponed due to the pandemic, the season was ultimately cancelled on June 30.{{cite news |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=May 5, 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=July 1, 2020}} Owner Lou Schwechheimer died from complications from COVID on July 29, 2020.{{cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2020/07/29/lou-schwechheimer-wind-surge-owner-dies-at-62.html |title=Wind Surge Owner Lou Schwechheimer, 62, Dies from COVID Complications |first=Shelby |last=Reynolds |work=Wichita Business Journal |date=Jul 29, 2020 }}
In 2021, the team dropped to the Double-A classification without having played a Triple-A game due to Major League Baseball's realignment of the minor leagues after the 2020 season.{{cite news |last1=Eldridge |first1=Taylor |title=Wichita’s baseball team will drop to Double-A, source says; no MLB announcement yet |url=https://www.kansas.com/sports/mlb/article247500415.html |access-date=1 December 2020 |publisher=Wichita Eagle |date=1 December 2020}} Instead of being a Miami Marlins affiliate, the Wind Surge became affiliated with the Minnesota Twins.{{cite news |last1=E Neal III |first1=La Velle |title=Twins' new affiliates in St. Paul and Wichita will be announced this week |url=https://m.startribune.com/twins-new-affiliates-in-st-paul-and-wichita-will-be-announced-this-week/573243571/ |access-date=1 December 2020 |publisher=Minneapolis Star Tribune |date=1 December 2020}} They were placed in the Double-A Central.{{cite web|last=Mayo|first=Jonathan|title=MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|website=Major League Baseball|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 12, 2021}} Wichita began competition in the new league on May 4 with a 2–0 victory over the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field in Springfield, Missouri.{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/gameday/wind-surge-vs-cardinals/2021/05/04/646976#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=646976|title=Wind Surge vs. Cardinals Box Score 05/04/21|website=Minor League Baseball|date=May 4, 2021|access-date=May 5, 2021}} The Wind Surge won the Northern Division title by finishing the 2021 season in first place with a 69–51 record.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=40b71751 |title=2021 Double-A Central |website=Baseball-Reference |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=October 8, 2021}} They qualified for the championship playoffs by possessing the league's best record.{{cite news |first=Kelsie |last=Heneghan |url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/playoffs-return-to-minor-league-baseball |title=Playoffs Return to the Minor Leagues |website=Minor League Baseball |date=July 1, 2021 |accessdate=October 8, 2021}} In the best-of-five series, they were defeated by the second-place Northwest Arkansas Naturals, 3–2.{{cite news |last=Horrorbin |first=Jordan |url=https://www.milb.com/news/northwest-arkansas-sweeps-double-a-central-finals |title=Hicklen's Slam Powers Northwest Arkansas to Title|website=Minor League Baseball |date=September 25, 2021 |accessdate=October 8, 2021}} Wichita manager Ramon Borrego was selected as the league's Manager of the Year.{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/fans/postseason-all-stars |title=Postseason All-Stars |website=Minor League Baseball |access-date=October 8, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008130129/https://www.milb.com/fans/postseason-all-stars |archive-date=October 8, 2021}} In 2022, the Double-A Central became known as the Texas League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|title=Historical League Names to Return in 2022|website=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2022}}
In January 2025 Brian Dinkelman was named manager.
Roster
{{Wichita Wind Surge roster}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.milb.com/wichita Official website]
{{Minnesota Twins}}
{{Texas League}}
{{Diamond Baseball Holdings}}
{{Kansas Sports}}
Category:2020 establishments in Kansas
Category:Baseball teams established in 2020
Category:Defunct Pacific Coast League teams
Category:Miami Marlins minor league affiliates
Category:Minnesota Twins minor league affiliates