Dayton Dragons Information & Dayton Dragons Links at HealthHaven.com

	Dayton Dragons; Founded in 1988; Dayton, Ohio;
; Team Logo	; Cap Insignia
	Class-level
	Single-A;
	Minor league affiliations
	Midwest League Eastern Division; ;
	Major league affiliations
	Cincinnati Reds (1999-present); Chicago Cubs (1995-1998); Kansas City Royals (1993-1994); Montreal Expos (1988-1992);
	Name
	Dayton Dragons (2000-present); Rockford Reds (1999); Rockford Cubbies (1995-1998); Rockford Royals (1993-1994); Rockford Expos (1988-1992);
	Ballpark
	Fifth Third Field (2000-present); Marinelli Field (1988-1999);
	Minor league titles
League titles	None
Division titles	1994, 1993, 1988
	Owner(s)/Operated by: Mandalay Sports Entertainment
	Manager: Todd Benzinger
	General Manager: Gary Mayse

The Dayton Dragons are a Class A minor league baseball team affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. They play in the Midwest League at Fifth Third Field.

The Dragons came to Dayton in 2000. They were previously a franchise based in Rockford, Illinois and were called the Rockford Expos (1988-1992), Rockford Royals (1993-1994), Rockford Cubbies (1995-1998), and Rockford Reds (1999).

[edit] 2008 Chiefs-Dragons Brawl

On July 24, 2008 the Dayton Dragons and Peoria Chiefs were involved in a brawl at Fifth Third Field. The game had gotten heated after multiple players were hit by pitches. Dragons' manager Donnie Scott complained to the home plate umpire. Chiefs interim manager Carmelo Martínez came out and the two managers were yelling at each other. When Martinez pushed Scott the benches cleared and then Chiefs pitcher, Julio Castillo, threw a ball toward the Dragons dugout. The ball was high and wide and hit a fan in the second row. The fan was injured and taken to the hospital. Castillo was arrested for felony assault by the Dayton City police. The brawl delayed the game 69 minutes; fifteen players and both managers were ejected. After discussions Midwest League president George Spelius reversed all the ejections. Each team would have had to place pitchers in the outfield for the remaining eight innings of play.

[edit] Fifth Third Field

The team's home park is Fifth Third Field in Dayton, Ohio.

During its first season the Dragons set a class A baseball attendance record of 581,853. That record was broken in 2003 when 590,382 fans — ranking seventh in all of minor league baseball — went through the turnstiles.

The Dragons average 8,375 fans per game, or 116% of capacity. The Dragons have been the top Class A team in attendance every year of their existence, and have set and re-broken the record for Class A attendance three times.^[1] On April 17, 2007, the Dragons enjoyed their 500th consecutive sellout, at the time the longest current streak in professional sports.^[2] Opening Day 2009, April 9, was the club's 636th consecutive sellout; all other home games for 2009 were already sold out before the season began (with a season ticket waiting list of over 9,000), guaranteeing the club of selling out all 70 home game for the 10th consecutive year (which will bring their streak to 705 games).^[3] Though the Dragons still hold the longest current sellout streak, the all-time professional record is 814 games, set by the Portland Trail Blazers from 1977-1995.^[4]

[edit] Facts

The Dragons are the first (and only) team in minor league baseball history to sell out an entire season before it began.
They have sold out nine consecutive seasons.
Voted as one of the top ten hottest tickets to get in ALL of professional sports by Sports Illustrated.^[5]

In 2008, the Dragons:^[6]

Had a total attendance of 601,531
Ranked sixth (6th) in attendance out of 160 Minor League teams
Earned the 2008 "Ongoing Excellence" Award from Ballpark Digest.

[edit] Personnel

2009 team

Some notable pros who have played for the Dayton Dragons are Austin Kearns, José Acevedo, Adam Dunn, Edwin Encarnacion, Todd Coffey, John Koronka, Stephen Smitherman, Ray Olmedo, Rob Madritsch, Brian Reith, Wily Mo Peña, Josh Hall, Howard Eugene Gallub, Samone Peters, Ryan Snare, William Bergolla, Chris Denorfia, Miguel Perez, Chris Booker, Dustin Moseley, Johnny Cueto, Jay Bruce, and Homer Bailey.

The Dragons have had five managers in their history: Freddie Benavides (2000), Donnie Scott (2001–2003, 2007–2008), Alonzo Powell (2004–2005), Billy Gardner, Jr. (2006), and Todd Benzinger (2009).

The Dragons are broadcast on ESPN Radio 1410, with Tom Nichols and Owen Serey as the broadcasters.

Dayton Dragons roster

Players

Coaches/Other

Pitchers

1 Mike Bohana
19 Andrew Bowman
26 Scott Gaffney
28 Jordan Hotchkiss
10 Ezequiel Infante
37 Mark James
40 Donnie Joseph
34 Junior Martinez †
22 Josh Ravin †
34 Hector Santana
10 Mark Serrano
33 J.C. Sulbaran
29 Justin Walker
38 Chase Ware

Catchers

14 Kevin Coddington
8 Chase Weems

Infielders

21 Kevyn Feiner
37 Michael Konstanty
5 Carlos Mendez
3 Cody Puckett
17 Miguel Rojas

Outfielders

9 Tony Brown
4 Josh Fellhauer
13 Andrew Means
7 Alexis Oliveras
15 Byron Wiley

Manager

25 Todd Benzinger

Coaches

36 Tony Fossas (pitching)
-- Ken Griffey, Sr. (hitting)

† Disabled list
* On Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster
∞ Reserve list
§ Suspended list
‡ Restricted list
# Rehab assignment
Roster updated 2009-11-14
Transactions

[edit] References

^ "Press release "Ten Hottest Tickets"". Dayton Dragons. http://daytondragons.com/pressbox/pressrelease/index.html?article_id=289. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
^ "Hottest tickets in sports". CNN-SI. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0704/gallery.hottest.tickets/content.10.html. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
^ Today’s Game To Be 636th Straight Sellout
^ Portland Trail Blazers - Hoopedia
^ "About the Dayton Dragons". http://www.daytondragons.com/fifththird/about/.
^ "About the Dayton Dragons cont.". http://www.getmidwest.com/regionOverview/arts.cfm?sectionID=ro&subNavID=7.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dayton Dragons

[fans-0] "Press release "Ten Hottest Tickets"". Dayton Dragons. http://daytondragons.com/pressbox/pressrelease/index.html?article_id=289. Retrieved 22 April 2007.

[streak-1] "Hottest tickets in sports". CNN-SI. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0704/gallery.hottest.tickets/content.10.html. Retrieved 22 April 2007.

[2] Today’s Game To Be 636th Straight Sellout

[3] Portland Trail Blazers - Hoopedia

[4] "About the Dayton Dragons". http://www.daytondragons.com/fifththird/about/.

[5] "About the Dayton Dragons cont.". http://www.getmidwest.com/regionOverview/arts.cfm?sectionID=ro&subNavID=7.

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