Niagara Falls Citizens

The Niagara Falls Citizens were a minor league baseball club, based in Niagara Falls, New York. The franchise can be traced back to 1939 when the Niagara Falls Rainbows were established and played as a charter member of the Pennsylvania–Ontario–New York League. The team was affiliated with the Cleveland Indians in 1939. However, on July 13, 1940, the team relocated to Jamestown, New York to become the Jamestown Falcons.

Niagara Falls Citizens
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
  • Class C (1946–1947, 1950–1951)
  • Class D (1939–1940)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles 1 (1951)
Team data
Previous names
  • Niagara Falls Citizens (1950–1951)
  • Niagara Falls Frontiers (1946–1947)
  • Niagara Falls Rainbows (1939–1940)
Previous parks
Sal Maglie Stadium

Niagara Falls went without a team until 1946, when the Niagara Falls Frontiers were established. The team played in the Middle Atlantic League as an affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1946 and 1947. However the team disbanded after a first-round playoff loss in 1947. Finally, the city fielded the Niagara Falls Citizens in 1950 to continue play in the Middle Atlantic League. In 1951 the Citizens won the league's final title, before disbanding.

Each of the Niagara Falls teams played their home games at Sal Maglie Stadium.

Year-by-year record

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Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
1939 44-59 5th Tim Murchison
1940 22-30 NA Joe O'Rourke & Joe Savant Team moved to Jamestown on July 13, 1940
1946 64-66 4th George Proechel & Bill Mongiello Lost League Finals
1947 68-55 2nd Steve Mizerak Lost in 1st round
1950 48-69 6th Mike Ulicny[1] & Walter Chipple
1951 74-47 2nd James Davis League Champs

Notable alumni

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  • Sal Maglie (1940) 2 x MLB All-Star; 1950 NL ERA Leader

References

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  1. ^ "Mike Ulicny Signs Manager's Pact". Fort Lauderdale News. February 27, 1950. p. 15. Retrieved July 18, 2020 – via newspapers.com.