The
South Bend Silver Hawks are a
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Class A
minor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses, and many are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues...
team, affiliated with the
Arizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, that plays in the
Midwest LeagueThe Midwest League is a Class A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort Cardinals – began operating...
.
South Bend, IndianaSouth Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total of 107,789 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
was awarded a Midwest League franchise in 1988. Originally affiliated with the
Chicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and bearing the name of the parent club, the team was renamed in 1994. The name "Silver Hawks" was chosen to as an homage to the
Studebaker Silver HawkThe Studebaker Silver Hawk was an automobile produced between 1957 and 1959 by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. The Hawk was also produced in 1956. There were four versions, pillared Flight Hawk and Power Hawk, and hardtop Sky Hawk and Golden Hawk. The Silver Hawk model was not...
, which was once manufactured in South Bend. In 1997 the team switched affiliations to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Their most notable players are
Brandon WebbBrandon Tyler Webb , is a National Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks and was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner....
and
Justin UptonJustin Irvin Upton is an American Major League Baseball right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks...
, who was the #1 overall draft pick in 2005.
The team's home park is
Coveleski StadiumStanley Coveleski Regional Stadium is home to the South Bend Silver Hawks, the minor league baseball team of South Bend, Indiana. The stadium opened in 1987, and its open concourse is considered the template for many later minor league ball parks built in the 1990s. It has a capacity of 5,000.The...
, built in 1987 and named for
Stan CoveleskiStanley Anthony Coveleski was a Major League Baseball player during the 1910s and 1920s...
, the Hall of Fame pitcher who once resided in South Bend. The franchise attendance record of 258,424 was set in 1994.
Despite playing through rumors of sale and relocation in the near future to
Marion, IllinoisMarion is a small city in Southern Illinois and serves the rural area as one of the region's largest retail trade centers. It is located at the intersection of Illinois Route 13 and Interstate 57...
, the Silver Hawks managed a championship season in 2005, beating the
Wisconsin Timber RattlersThe Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a minor league baseball team of the Midwest League, and is the low Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in , and are named for timber rattlesnakes. The team plays their home games at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium...
three games to two to win the 2005 Midwest League Championship. The team also won league titles in 1989 and 1993.
Former Indiana Governor (and former South Bend Mayor)
Joe KernanJoseph "Joe" Eugene Kernan is an American politician who became the Governor of Indiana on September 13, 2003 upon the death of Frank O'Bannon. He was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1946. Kernan is a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to becoming the governor, he served as the mayor of South...
recently bought the team, thus keeping the team in South Bend.
The team has one mascot, Swoop. Professional wrestler
Brian CostelloBrian Costello is a musician, live talk show host and writer living in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Born in Florida, he moved to Chicago in 1997 to pursue his interest in music...
often MCs various contests between innings.
External links