Editing Akron RubberDucks (section)

==History==
The franchise began as the [[Binghamton Triplets]], a charter member of the [[New York–Pennsylvania League (1923–1937)|New York–Penn League]] in 1923. They played in [[Binghamton, New York]], at Johnson Field, winning 10 titles over their 46 seasons. After the 1968 season, [[Boston]] businessman [[John Alevizos]] acquired the franchise and moved it to [[Gill Stadium]], in [[Manchester, Massachusetts]], to become the [[Manchester Yankees]]. After 3 seasons in Manchester, the franchise then relocated to [[West Haven, Connecticut]], under new ownership, and became the [[West Haven Yankees]] playing at [[Quigley Stadium (West Haven)|Quigley Stadium]]. While in West Haven, the franchise won 4 Eastern League titles in their 8 seasons. After the 1979 season, the franchise then moved to [[Lynn, Massachusetts]], to become the [[Lynn Sailors]] playing at [[Fraser Field]]. During the 1983 season they were known as the Lynn Pirates. After the 1983 season, the franchise was moved to [[Burlington, Vermont]], and became the [[Vermont Reds]] playing at [[Centennial Field]]. As the Reds, the franchise won 3 more Eastern League titles in 5 seasons. In 1988 they were known as the Vermont Mariners. After the 1988 season, the franchise moved to [[Canton, Ohio]], and became the [[Canton-Akron Indians]] playing at [[Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium]]. After the 1996 season, the franchise moved up [[Interstate 77|I-77]] to Akron, Ohio, and became the Akron Aeros.

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:AkronAeros.PNG|thumb|left|upright=0.5|The team was known as the Akron Aeros between 1997 and 2013.]] -->
[[Opening Day]] on April 10, 1997, marked the debut of the Akron Aeros.  With 9,086 fans in attendance, the Aeros and Harrisburg Senators played the first game at Canal Park.  The Aeros went on to finish the season with a record of 51–90.  Despite the last place record, the team drew a Double-A league-leading 473,272 fans to Canal Park that season.

In the 1998 season, the Aeros put together a 30-game "worst-to-first" turnaround; after finishing the prior year 34½ games back, they proceeded to win the Southern Division that season by 8½ games.  However, after losing in the playoffs that year, it would be three more years until the Aeros found their way back to the postseason.

On September 6, 1999, the Aeros set an Eastern League attendance record for three straight seasons and once again led all Double-A teams after 522,459 fans attended Canal Park in 1999.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.akronaeros.com/aeros-history.php |title=History |website=Official Web Site of the Akron Aeros |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223072333/http://www.akronaeros.com/aeros-history.php |archive-date=December 23, 2012}}</ref>

In 2002, the team posted a 93–48 record, the third-highest win total in the Eastern League in 50 years.  They built on that success and finally won two league championships (their first since moving to Ohio) in 2003 and 2005.  In 2006, the Aeros again posted the best regular-season record in the league, but lost the playoff title to [[Portland Sea Dogs|Portland]] after taking the series to a deciding fifth game.

From 2005 to 2008, the Aeros advanced to the Eastern League Championship Series.  Although the Aeros won the ELCS in 2005, they were defeated in three consecutive trips from 2006 to 2008.

In 2009, the Aeros again advanced to the league championship and defeated the [[Connecticut Defenders]] (three games to one) capping a 95-win season and their third title in the last seven years. Jared Head was named the playoff MVP.

In their first three seasons in Canal Park, the Aeros led all of Double-A in attendance, becoming the first team at that level to draw a half-million fans in a single season.

The team was sold by Mike Agganis to [[Ken Babby]] in October 2012.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Stephanie |last1=Storm |first2=Stephanie |last2=Warsmith |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/article/20121015/NEWS/310159468?template=ampart |title=Ken Babby takes over Aeros with fan experience a priority no name changes in plan |work=Akron Beacon Journal |date=October 15, 2012 |access-date=October 21, 2012}}</ref>

===2014–present===
[[File:Eli Morgan (48362828232) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|[[Eli Morgan]] with the RubberDucks in 2019]]
On October 29, 2013, the Akron Aeros officially changed their name to the Akron RubberDucks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-63448892 |title=You're the one: Akron RubberDucks |last=Hill |first=Benjamin |date=October 29, 2013 |publisher=MiLB.com|access-date=October 29, 2013}}</ref>

The RubberDucks won their first Eastern League Championship under the new name in 2016, sweeping Trenton 3-0. Akron also hosted the 2016 Eastern League All-Star Game at Canal Park.
[[File:Nolan Jones (48362691206).jpg|thumb|right|[[Nolan Jones]] with the RubberDucks in 2019]]
In conjunction with [[Major League Baseball]]'s restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the RubberDucks were placed into the [[Double-A Northeast]].<ref name=JMayo2-12-2021>{{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}}</ref> They won the Southwest Division title with a 73–46 record.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=2f659236 |title=2021 Double-A Northeast |website=Baseball-Reference |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref> They qualified for the championship playoffs by possessing the league's best record.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Akron defeated the [[Bowie Baysox]], 3–0, in the best-of-five series to win the Double-A Northeast championship.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheehan |first=Stephanie |url=https://www.milb.com/news/naylor-s-walk-off-secures-finals-sweep-for-akron-rubberducks |title=Naylor's Walk-off Secures Finals Sweep for Akron |website=Minor League Baseball |date=September 24, 2021 |accessdate=October 8, 2021}}</ref> [[Rouglas Odor]] was selected as the league Manager of the Year.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.<ref name=ELrename>{{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}}</ref>