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The Sugar Land Skeeters are an American professional baseball team based in Sugar Land, Texas. They are a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Beginning in the 2012 season, the team plays its home games at Constellation Field. The Skeeters are the first Atlantic League team to play outside of the Northeast; the team is also the first of a planned Western division to include four to six other teams. The Skeeters are also the first independent league baseball team in the Greater Houston metropolitan area since the Houston Buffaloes' final season in 1961. The team's name "Skeeters" is a Southern slang word for mosquito, and the result of a team-sponsored fan poll. Part of the reason for the naming is that mosquitoes are very common in the summer nights in Texas.〔 == History == In 2008, Sugar Land residents voted for the allocation of civic revenues toward the construction of a new baseball park. Initially, the former Omaha Royals were interested in moving to the city, but eventually declined because of the construction of Werner Park in suburban Omaha. City of Sugar Land officials contacted Opening Day Partners to build the ballpark in order to have the company's caliber of professional baseball in their region. The city knew that Major League Baseball's Houston Astros would not approve of an affiliated team in the Greater Houston area, so Sugar Land chose the independent circuit. The American Association and the United Baseball League were also considered since both organizations had teams located in Texas. The city decided on the Atlantic League mainly because Opening Day Partners' other teams were already members of that league. Sugar Land's entry in the Atlantic League was officially announced on May 18, 2010. On August 20, 2012, Matt O'Brien, the team's president, announced that they were signing former Major League pitcher Roger Clemens. O'Brien also announced that Clemens would be the starting pitcher for the Skeeters on August 25, 2012.〔Berman, Mark. (Roger Clemens to sign with the Sugar Land Skeeters ), FOX-TV Houston, August 20, 2012.〕 The Skeeters sold out the night of Clemens start, where Clemens pitched for three and one third innings and Skeeters won 1-0.〔Baldwin, Chris. (Roger Clemens takes advantage of meek minor leaguers: AARP Rocket not Majors ready, but oh the joy ), HoustonCultureMap, August 26, 2012.〕 The Sugar Land City Council approved an ownership change on October 28, 2014. The Council’s action cleared the way for Houston-area residents Bob and Marcie Zlotnik, who have been one-third minority partners since the 2012 season, to assume 100 percent ownership of SL Baseball, LLC.〔http://www.sugarlandskeeters.com/team/news/?article_id=635〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sugar Land Skeeters」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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