Florida Complex League Pirates

The Florida Complex League Pirates are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Pirates. The team plays its home games in Bradenton, Florida, at the Pirate City complex. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball either as draftees or non-drafted free agents from the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and other countries.

Florida Complex League Pirates
Minor league affiliations
ClassRookie
LeagueFlorida Complex League
DivisionNorthwest Division
Previous leagues
Gulf Coast League (1968–2020)
Major league affiliations
TeamPittsburgh Pirates
Minor league titles
League titles (1)2012
Division titles (5)
  • 2002
  • 2003
  • 2008
  • 2013
  • 2023
Team data
NameFCL Pirates Black & Gold
Previous names
GCL Pirates (1968–2020)
BallparkPirate City complex
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Pittsburgh Pirates
ManagerMilver Reyes

History

The team was first established in 1968, and has competed continuously since then. The team won division championships in 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2013. In 2012, the team won its first league championship.[1]

In 2009, the team had nine players each from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, with the United States third at six players. There were the two highly publicized, pioneering Indian pitchers, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, who became the first Indian-born players to sign professional baseball contracts in the United States,[2] a second baseman named Henry Henry from Colombia, two players from Puerto Rico, and one each from Mexico, Panama, Australia, Canada and one of the first three players ever signed out of South Africa, Gift Ngoepe, while one of the Americans, Chris Aure, was from Alaska. "We eat together in the cafeteria, but sometimes we try each other's foods," Ngoepe says. "I listen to the Indians' music when I go past their rooms, and they listen to my music from Africa. We tell each other stories about our home countries. We do everything together." "Everybody's the same here, like family," Venezuelan infielder Elevys Gonzalez says.[3]

For the 2021 season, the team is fielding two squads in the league, differentiated as "Black" and "Gold" in reference to the team's colors.

Season-by-season
Year Record Win–loss % Manager Regular Season Finish Playoffs
196827-33.450Buddy Pritchard6th GCLNo playoffs until 1983
196928-26.519Buddy Pritchard4th GCL
197023-40.365Dick Cole8th GCL
197120-32.385Ed Napoleon6th GCL
197221-39.350Ed Napoleon7th(t) GCL
197317-37.315Woody Huyke9th GCL
197411-42.208Woody Huyke9th GCL
197523-31.426Woody Huyke4th GCL
197611-41.212Woody Huyke7th GCL
197722–32.407Woody Huyke7th GCL
197821–32.396Woody Huyke6th GCL
197920–32.385Woody Huyke6th GCL
198024–39.381Woody Huyke8th GCL
198132–28.533Woody Huyke5th GCL
198227–35.435Woody Huyke3rd GCL
198328–32.467Woody Huyke3rd GCL NorthDid not qualify
198421–42.333Woody Huyke5th GCL NorthDid not qualify
198515–47.242Woody Huyke5th GCL NorthDid not qualify
198624–39.381Woody Huyke5th GCL NorthDid not qualify
198733–30.390Woody Huyke2nd GCL NorthDid not qualify
198826–37.413Julio Garcia5th GCL SouthDid not qualify
198921–42.333Woody Huyke8th GCL SouthDid not qualify
199130–29.508Woody Huyke3rd GCL CentralDid not qualify
199223–37.383Woody Huyke4th GCL CentralDid not qualify
199321–38.356Woody Huyke7th GCL WestDid not qualify
199425–35.417Woody Huyke4th GCL WestDid not qualify
199523–36.390Woody Huyke4th GCL NorthwestDid not qualify
199628–31.475Woody Huyke3rd GCL NorthwestDid not qualify
199727–32.458Woody Huyke6th GCL NorthwestDid not qualify
199825–35.407Woody Huyke6th GCL WestDid not qualify
199924–35.407Woody Huyke5th GCL NorthDid not qualify
200034–26.567Woody Huyke2nd GCL NorthDid not qualify
200122–34.393Woody Huyke6th GCL WestDid not qualify
200237–23.617Woody Huyke1st GCL NorthLost in 1st round
vs. GCL Dodgers (1 game to 0)
200336–20.643Woody Huyke1st GCL NorthLost in Finals
vs. GCL Braves (2 games to 0)
200430–28.517Woody Huyke3rd GCL SouthDid not qualify
200528–26.519Jeff Livesey2nd GCL SouthDid not qualify
200627–26.509Turner Ward4th GCL NorthDid not qualify
200726–30.464Tom Prince4th GCL SouthDid not qualify
200837–19.661Tom Prince1st GCL SouthLost in 1st round
vs. GCL Phillies (1 game to 0)
200929–31.483Tom Prince4th GCL NorthDid not qualify
201029–30.492Tom Prince4th GCL NorthDid not qualify
201134–26.567Tom Prince2nd GCL NorthLost in 1st round
201236–24.600Tom Prince2nd GCL NorthWon GCL Championship
vs. GCL Red Sox (2 games to 0)
Won in first round
vs. GCL Cardinals (1 game to 0)
201333-27.600Milver Reyes1st GCL NorthwestLost in 1st round
vs. GCL Nationals (1 game to 0)
201420-40.333Milver Reyes3rd GCL NorthwestDid not qualify
201528-31.475Milver Reyes3rd GCL NorthwestDid not qualify
201622-34.393Edgar Varela2nd GCL NorthwestDid not qualify
201726-34.433Dave Turgeon3rd GCL NortheastDid not qualify

Rosters
Florida Complex League Pirates roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 80 Gilberto Alcala
  • 51 Cristopher Cruz
  • 63 Enmanuel De Los Santos
  • -- Ronaldo Gallo
  • 97 Jose Garces
  • 30 Roelmy Garcia
  • 85 Jackson Grounds
  • 56 Kevison Hernandez
  • 41 Tyler Kennedy
  • 49 Garrett McMillan
  • 56 Keneth Quintanilla
  • 27 Carlson Reed
  • 16 Eliecer Romero
  • 77 Jun-Seok Shim
  • 39 Andres Silvera
  • -- Austin Strickland
  • 55 Peyton Stumbo
  • 98 Joaquin Tejada
  • 50 Isaias Uribe

Catchers

  • 98 Rafael Escalante
  • 32 Eybert Escalona
  • 73 John Lopez
  • 38 Axiel Plaz
  • 45 Luke Scherrer
  • 27 Miguel Sosa

Infielders

  • 37 Kelvin Diaz
  • 17 Jhonson Pena
  •  3 Jhonny Severino
  • 13 Jeral Toledo
  •  5 Wesley Zapata

Outfielders

  • 14 Braylon Bishop
  • 50 Jauri Custodio
  • 35 Ewry Espinal
  • 79 Eddy Rodriguez
  • 10 Estuar Suero

Manager

  • 26 Jim Horner

Coaches

  •  2 Taylor Davis (assistant)
  • 62 Renny Duarte (pitching)
  • 61 Mick Fieldbinder (pitching)
  • 23 Ernesto Irizarry (development)
  • 43 Jose Mendez (bench)
  • 54 Gavi Nivar (coach)
  • 28 Curt Wilson (hitting)

60-day injured list

  • -- Darlin Diaz
  • -- Isaias Dipre
  • 18 A.J. Graham
  • 38 Solomon Maguire
  • -- Luis Rodriguez
  • 26 Jake Sweeney
  • -- Noah Takacs

7-day injured list
* On Pittsburgh Pirates 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated September 2, 2023
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • Florida Complex League
 → Pittsburgh Pirates minor league players

References
  1. Williams, Tim (August 29, 2012). "GCL Pirates Win First Gulf Coast League Championship in Franchise History".
  2. "Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh Make Pro Debuts". July 4, 2009.
  3. Kovacevic, Dejan (July 10, 2009). "The Bradenton Pirates: They are the world". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.


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