Somerset Patriots
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The Somerset Patriots are a minor league baseball team which plays in Bridgewater, New Jersey. They are a member of the Atlantic League and are affiliated with no Major League Baseball team.
The Patriots won the league championship in 2001, setting a league record of 83 wins and 43 losses. They again earned the league title in 2003.
The team plays in Commerce Bank Park, which opened in 1999 as Somerset Ballpark after the Patriots spent the 1998 season as a road team. In their first six seasons, the Patriots drew over two million fans, for an average over 5,000 per game, filling an entertainment niche in central New Jersey.
Season Records
| Season | Manager | First Half Record | Second Half Record |
| 1998 | Sparky Lyle | 21-28, 4th place | 19-32, 5th place |
| 1999 | Sparky Lyle | 24-36, 6th place | 36-24, 1st place |
| 2000 | Sparky Lyle | 38-32, 1st place South | 36-34, 1st place South |
| 2001 | Sparky Lyle | 39-24, 1st place South | 44-19, 1st place South |
| 2002 | Sparky Lyle | 36-27, 1st place South (tie) | 29-33, 4th place South |
| 2003 | Sparky Lyle | 30-33, 3rd place South (tie) | 37-26, 1st place South (tie) |
| 2004 | Sparky Lyle | 33-30, 3rd place South | 35-28, 3rd place South |
Note: In 2002, Newark Bears were declared first-half champion on criteria (head-to-head record) and Patriots did not qualify for playoffs.
Post-Season Records
- 1999: Lost to Bridgeport Bluefish, 3 games to 0, in championship round
- 2000: Received first-round bye; lost to Nashua Pride, 3 games to 0, in championship round
- 2001: Received first-round bye; defeated Newark Bears, 3 games to 2, for league championship
- 2003: Defeated Camden Riversharks, 2 games to 0; defeated Nashua Pride, 3 games to 2, for league championship
External link
Somerset Patriots (official site (http://www.somersetpatriots.com)