Governors' Cup

From BR Bullpen

The Governors' Cup trophy is awarded to the winner of the International League's championship. It was first handed out in 1933, the when the league expanded its playoff format under the Shaughnessy Playoffs to four teams from two.

[edit] Governors' Cup History

The Governors' Cup began in 1933 after Frank Shaughnessy, general manager of the Montréal Royals, introduced a new playoff system to the league's President Charles Knappe. The "Shaughnessy Playoffs" increased the number of playoff teams from two to four and the Governors' Cup Series was born.

In response to the new playoff format, the Governors of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York and the Lieutenant Governors of Québec and Ontario, representing the states and provinces with International League teams, sponsored a trophy to be awarded annually to the winner of the new playoffs. The trophy was created by the Supervisor of International League Umpires W.B. Carruth out of solid silver and has been appraised at over $3,000.

In 1988, International League President Harold Cooper donated the trophy to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, where it went on permanent display. A replacement trophy was minted in its place and has continued to be presented annually to the winner of the Governors' Cup Series. Also since that year the International League has recognized the league's champion as the winner of the Governors’ Cup Series.

[edit] Governors' Cup Format

Since 1998 when the International League went to a three division format the divisional winners qualify for the Cup as does the remaining team with the best record.

[edit] Governors' Cup Results

BOLD indicates league champion

Year	Champion Manager	Results	Runner-up	Other Teams
1933	Buffalo Bisons Ray Schalk	4 - 2	Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles Newark Bears
1934	Toronto Maple Leafs Ike Boone	4 - 1	Rochester Red Wings	Albany Senators Newark Bears
1935	Syracuse Chiefs Nemo Leibold	4 - 3	Montreal Royals	Buffalo Bisons Newark Bears
1936	Buffalo Bisons Ray Schalk	4 - 2	Baltimore Orioles	Newark Bears Rochester Red Wings
1937	Newark Bears Ossie Vitt	4 - 0	Baltimore Orioles	Montreal Royals Syracuse Chiefs
1938	Newark Bears Johnny Neun	4 - 1	Buffalo Bisons	Rochester Red Wings Syracuse Chiefs
1939	Rochester Red Wings Billy Southworth	4 - 3	Newark Bears	Buffalo Bisons Jersey City Giants
1940	Newark Bears Johnny Neun	4 - 3	Baltimore Orioles	Jersey City Giants Rochester Red Wings
1941	Montreal Royals Clyde Sukeforth	4 - 3	Newark Bears	Buffalo Bisons Rochester Red Wings
1942	Syracuse Chiefs Jewel Ens	4 - 0	Jersey City Giants	Montreal Royals Newark Bears
1943	Syracuse Chiefs Jewel Ens	4 - 2	Toronto Maple Leafs	Montreal Royals Newark Bears
1944	Baltimore Orioles Tommy Thomas	4 - 3	Newark Bears	Buffalo Bisons Toronto Maple Leafs
1945	Newark Bears Billy Meyer	4 - 3	Montreal Royals	Baltimore Orioles Toronto Maple Leafs
1946	Montreal Royals Clay Hopper	4 - 1	Syracuse Chiefs	Baltimore Orioles Newark Bears
1947	Syracuse Chiefs Jewel Ens	4 - 3	Buffalo Bisons	Jersey City Giants Montreal Royals
1948	Montreal Royals Clay Hopper	4 - 1	Syracuse Chiefs	Newark Bears Rochester Red Wings
1949	Montreal Royals Clay Hopper	4 - 1	Buffalo Bisons	Jersey City Giants Rochester Red Wings
1950	Baltimore Orioles Nick Cullop	4 - 2	Rochester Red Wings	Jersey City Giants Montreal Royals
1951	Montreal Royals Walter Alston	4 - 1	Syracuse Chiefs	Buffalo Bisons Rochester Red Wings
1952	Rochester Red Wings Harry Walker	4 - 2	Montreal Royals	Syracuse Chiefs Toronto Maple Leafs
1953	Montreal Royals Walter Alston	4 - 0	Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles Buffalo Bisons
1954	Syracuse Chiefs Skeeter Newsome	4 - 3	Montreal Royals	Rochester Red Wings Toronto Maple Leafs
1955	Rochester Red Wings Dixie Walker	4 - 0	Toronto Maple Leafs	Havana Sugar Kings Montreal Royals
1956	Rochester Red Wings Dixie Walker	4 - 3	Toronto Maple Leafs	Miami Marlins Montreal Royals
1957	Buffalo Bisons Phil Cavarretta	4 - 1	Miami Marlins	Richmond Virginians Toronto Maple Leafs
1958	Montreal Royals Clay Bryant	4 - 1	Toronto Maple Leafs	Columbus Jets Rochester Red Wings
1959	Havana Sugar Kings Preston Gomez	4 - 2	Richmond Virginians	Buffalo Bisons Columbus Jets
1960	Toronto Maple Leafs Mel McGaha	4 - 1	Rochester Red Wings	Buffalo Bisons Richmond Virginians
1961	Buffalo Bisons Kerby Farrell	4 - 1	Rochester Red Wings	Columbus Jets San Juan/Charleston Marlins
1962	Atlanta Crackers Joe Schultz	4 - 3	Jacksonville Suns	Rochester Red Wings Toronto Maple Leafs
1963	Indianapolis Indians Rollie Hemsley	4 - 2	Atlanta Crackers	Syracuse Chiefs Toronto Maple Leafs
1964	Rochester Red Wings Darrell Johnson	4 - 2	Syracuse Chiefs	Buffalo Bisons Jacksonville Suns
1965	Toronto Maple Leafs Dick Williams	4 - 1	Columbus Jets	Atlanta Crackers Syracuse Chiefs
1966	Toronto Maple Leafs Dick Williams	4 - 1	Richmond Braves	Columbus Jets Rochester Red Wings
1967	Toledo Mud Hens Jack Tighe	4 - 1	Columbus Jets	Richmond Braves Rochester Red Wings
1968	Jacksonville Suns Clyde McCullough	4 - 0	Columbus Jets	Rochester Red Wings Toledo Mud Hens
1969	Syracuse Chiefs Frank Verdi	4 - 1	Columbus Jets	Louisville Colonels Tidewater Tides
1970	Syracuse Chiefs Frank Verdi	3 - 1	Columbus Jets	Rochester Red Wings Tidewater Tides
1971	Rochester Red Wings Joe Altobelli	3 - 2	Tidewater Tides	Charleston Charlies Syracuse Chiefs
1972	Tidewater Tides Hank Bauer	3 - 2	Louisville Colonels	Charleston Charlies Rochester Red Wings
1973	Pawtucket Red Sox Darrell Johnson	3 - 2	Charleston Charlies	Rochester Red Wings Tidewater Tides
1974	Rochester Red Wings Joe Altobelli	4 - 3	Syracuse Chiefs	Memphis Blues Richmond Braves
1975	Tidewater Tides Joe Frazier	3 - 1	Syracuse Chiefs	Charleston Charlies Rochester Red Wings
1976	Syracuse Chiefs Bobby Cox	3 - 1	Richmond Braves	Memphis Blues Rochester Red Wings
1977	Charleston Charlies Jim Beauchamp	4 - 0	Pawtucket Red Sox	Richmond Braves Tidewater Tides
1978	Richmond Braves Tommie Aaron	4 - 3	Pawtucket Red Sox	Charleston Charlies Toledo Mud Hens
1979	Columbus Clippers Gene Michael	4 - 3	Syracuse Chiefs	Richmond Braves Tidewater Tides
1980	Columbus Clippers Joe Altobelli	4 - 1	Toledo Mud Hens	Richmond Braves Rochester Red Wings
1981	Columbus Clippers Frank Verdi	2 - 1 See note	Richmond Braves	Rochester Red Wings Tidewater Tides
1982	Tidewater Tides Jack Aker	3 - 0	Rochester Red Wings	Columbus Clippers Richmond Braves
1983	Tidewater Tides Dave Johnson	3 - 1	Richmond Braves	Charleston Charlies Columbus Clippers
1984	Pawtucket Red Sox Tony Torchia	3 - 2	Maine Guides	Columbus Clippers Toledo Mud Hens
1985	Tidewater Tides Bob Schafer	3 - 1	Columbus Clippers	Maine Guides Syracuse Chiefs
1986	Richmond Braves Roy Majtyka	3 - 0	Rochester Red Wings	Pawtucket Red Sox Tidewater Tides
1987	Columbus Clippers Bucky Dent	3 - 2	Tidewater Tides	Pawtucket Red Sox Rochester Red Wings
1988	Rochester Red Wings Johnny Oates	3 - 1	Tidewater Tides
1989	Richmond Braves Jim Beauchamp	3 - 1	Syracuse Chiefs
1990	Rochester Red Wings Greg Biagini	3 - 2	Columbus Clippers
1991	Columbus Clippers Rick Down	3 - 0	Pawtucket Red Sox
1992	Columbus Clippers Rick Down	3 - 2	Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons	Pawtucket Red Sox Richmond Braves
1993	Charlotte Knights Charlie Manuel	3 - 2	Rochester Red Wings	Ottawa Lynx Richmond Braves
1994	Richmond Braves Grady Little	3 - 0	Syracuse Chiefs	Charlotte Knights Pawtucket Red Sox
1995	Ottawa Lynx Pete Mackanin	3 - 1	Norfolk Tides	Richmond Braves Rochester Red Wings
1996	Columbus Clippers Stump Merrill	3 - 0	Rochester Red Wings	Norfolk Tides Pawtucket Red Sox
1997	Rochester Red Wings Marv Foley	3 - 2	Columbus Clippers	Charlotte Knights Pawtucket Red Sox
1998	Buffalo Bisons Jeff Datz	3 - 2	Durham Bulls	Louisville Redbirds Syracuse SkyChiefs
1999	Charlotte Knights Tom Spencer	3 - 1	Durham Bulls	Columbus Clippers Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
2000	Indianapolis Indians Steve Smith	3 - 2	Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons	Buffalo Bisons Durham Bulls
2001	Louisville RiverBats Dave Miley	1 - 0 See note	Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons	Buffalo Bisons Norfolk Tides
2002	Durham Bulls Bill Evers	3 - 1	Buffalo Bisons	Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Toledo Mud Hens
2003	Durham Bulls Bill Evers	3 - 0	Pawtucket Red Sox	Louisville Bats Ottawa Lynx
2004	Buffalo Bisons Marty Brown	3 - 1	Richmond Braves	Columbus Clippers Durham Bulls
2005	Toledo Mud Hens Larry Parrish	3 - 0	Indianapolis Indians	Buffalo Bisons Norfolk Tides
2006	'

Notes

• The final two games of the 1981 Governor' Cup Series were cancelled due to weather-related problems. The Columbus Clippers are declared champions over the Richmond Braves 2 games to 1.
• The remaining games of the 2001 Championship Series were cancelled on September 12, 2001 due to the attacks on the United States occuring on the previous day. Due to its 2-1 win in the only game played at the time, the Louisville RiverBats were crowned champion.