Thursday, January 17, 2002
NILES -- Assuming Major League Baseball reaches an agreement with the players union, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers will open their fourth season on June 18 at Auburn, N.Y., against the Doubledays.
The Cleveland Indians' Class A short-season team who will be managed by Chris Bando will open the home season at Cafaro Field on June 21 against the Batavia Muckdogs.
Scrappers officials say the 14-team New York-Penn League has been restructured into a three-division format -- the Eastern, Northern and Western. The divisions will be renamed to Pinckney, Stedler and McNamara.
The Scrappers will be part of the four-team Western Division with Batavia (Philadelphia Phillies), Auburn (Toronto Blue Jays) and Jamestown Jammers (Atlanta Braves).
The new playoff format will include the three division winners plus a wild-card team (the next best overall record).
Also, the former Pittsfield (Mass.) Astros have relocated to Troy, N.Y., and will called the Tri-City Valley Cats of the Houston Astros organization.
Game times will be announced later.
The Scrappers' 2002 schedule:
June
18-19-20 -- at Auburn.
21-22-23 -- Batavia.
24-25 -- at Jamestown.
26-27-28 -- Hudson Valley.
29-30 -- at Brooklyn.
July
1 -- at Brooklyn.
2-3 -- Batavia.
4-5 -- at Batavia.
6-7-8 -- at Jamestown.
10-11-12 -- Vermont.
13-14-15 -- Batavia.
16-17-18 -- at Batavia.
19-20-21 -- at Staten Island.
22-23-24 -- Auburn.
25-26 -- Jamestown.
27-28-29 -- at Williamsport.
31 -- Utica.
August
1-2 -- Utica.
3-4-5 -- at Jamestown.
6-7 -- Auburn.
8-9-10 -- Tri-City.
11-12 -- Auburn.
13-14-15 -- Jamestown.
16-17 -- at Auburn.
18-19-20 -- at Lowell.
22-23-24 -- New Jersey.
25-26 -- at Batavia.
27-28-29 -- at Auburn.
30-31 -- at Oneonta.
September
1 -- at Oneonta.
2-3-4 -- Jamestown.