Rochester, N.Y. isn’t exactly the first city that comes to mind when thinking about big market professional sports teams.

The closest city, to Rochester, with big market teams is 60-miles southwest in Buffalo, N.Y., home to the NHL Sabres and NFL Bills, and the next closest city is about 70-miles, across Lake Ontario, in Toronto.

Although, Rochester is home territory to the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills, Rochester has more professional sports teams, of its own, than any other single city in the country.

Their tie to the Sabres and Bills lie with Sabres’ owner and Rochester billionaire, Tom Golisano, and the Bills training camp is held at St. John Fisher College, home of the Cardinals, in the suburb of Fairport.

Rochester was named as the top sports market in the country, by Street & Smith’s Sport Business Journal; the No. 10 “best golf city” in America, by Golf Magazine and the best sports town in the country, by Scarborough Research.

The city holds one of six franchises in the history of North American professional sports that have been played in the same city, uninterrupted since the 1800s. This team is the Triple-A baseball, Rochester Red Wings. The other five cities’ teams include the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Among North American cities with, at least, seven professional teams, Rochester was the only city whose teams all have cumulative winning, regular season records.

Rochester doesn’t limit itself to major sport teams, thought, but also extreme snow sports.

The area has six ski resorts that are open year-round and known for western New York and southern Ontario’s finest slopes.

One of North America’s most popular ski resorts is Bristol Mountain, nestled in the heart of the Finger Lakes on top of western New York’s highest peaks. “By most measures, Bristol is North America’s largest ski area devoted to family skiing adventures,” the resort’s website said.

The 17 lifts service, more than, 50 slopes, trails and halfpipes, and natural snow is guaranteed nine months of the year with an average of about, 210 inches.

There are 19 colleges and universities in Rochester that, mostly, compete at the Division II and III level.

Monroe Community College (MCC), which competes in the NJCAA, is a dominant force in Division II athletics capturing several National Championships in men’s ice hockey and women’s soccer. MCC is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, much like Division I universities, Buffalo and Albany.

The Division I exceptions in Rochester is Hobart College that compete D-I in men’s lacrosse and RIT men’s hockey, which annually makes the NCAA tournament with Top 25 rankings. In 2010, the RIT Men's Hockey team made it to the Frozen Four in Detroit, losing to Wisconsin.

RIT hockey consistently ranks in NCAA polls’ Top 25, while walking away with four consecutive conference championships in the last five years. Recently, senior, Steve Pinizzotto, was called up with the NHL Washington Capitals, along with Dan Ringwald.

Despite ice hockey reigning as the dominant sport in Rochester, the city has deemed the titles of Baseball City, USA and Soccer Town, USA, instead.

Rapper and songwriter, Beneficial, raps:

“We got sports of all sorts

the Roc has it all,

whether it’s soccer, hockey, foot, base

or basketball.

You can check the record books for

the Royals and the Amerks,

and we got the Rhinos, Redwings, Raiders, Rattlers.”

According to the Rochester Sports Project, since 1877, 29 teams in eight professional sports have represented the city:

ICE HOCKEY

Rochester Americans “Amerks” (American Hockey League (AHL): 1935-present)

Also known as the Hornets (1936-1956) and were part of the original International Hockey League (IHL) in 1935-1936.

The Amerks are one of the oldest franchises in the AHL as they celebrated their 50^th consecutive season in 2005-2006. Their years of unbroken league membership ranks second to the Hershey Bears.

They play at the almost 12,000 seated Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial in downtown Rochester and have won six Calder Cups in their 16 championship appearances: 1957, 1960, 1965-1968, 1977, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999 and 2000.

In addition, the Amerks have won six regular season titles, 14 division champions and three conference champions.

The Americans were the farm team to both the NHL Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers, until last year, when the team halted their affiliation with the Sabres and stayed solely with the Panthers, while the Sabres took their team northeast to Portland, Maine’s AHL Pirates.

LACROSSE

Rochester Knighthawks “K-Hawks” (National Lacrosse League (NLL): 1995-present)

The K-Hawks are one of the leagues most successful franchises as they set a league record in 2006 for reaching the playoffs in each of their first 13 seasons and won two championships in 1997 and 2007.

Each season, the Knighthawks have ranked at the top of the league standings—their worst, coming in third place, next to the Boston Blazers and Philadelphia Wings in 1995.

Every year, since 1997, the ‘Hawks have managed to plug out player awards. In 1997, goaltender, Steve Dietrich was championship game MVP.

Other awards include John Grant, Jr. (2000 – Rookie of the Year), Pat O’Toole (2003 – Goaltender of the Year), Paul Day (2004 – Les Bartley Award), Andrew Turner (2005 – Defensive Player of the Year) and 2007 reigned supreme for the team in the league by awarding four players: John Grant, Jr. (Most Valuable Player and Champion’s Cup MVP), Ed Comeau (Les Bartley Award) and Steve Toll (Transition Player of the Year).

Rochester Rattlers (Major League Lacrosse (MLL): 2001-1008)

As part of the National Division in the Eastern Conference, they made the playoffs in 2001 and 2005, and in 2007 made history by being involved in the highest scoring game in MLL history in their overtime victory against the Denver Outlaws.

In 2008, the Rattlers won their first and only MLL championship in a 16-15 OT win against the Philadelphia Barrage.

Unfortunately, that same year, Rochester sold their franchise to their Canadian neighbours in Toronto.

Rochester Greywolves “The Pack” (Canadian-American League (CanAm): 2008-present)

Also known as the Rochester Iroquois from 1930-1970.

Coming back as a team, more than, 20-years later, in 2008, the Pack, previously named the Iroquois until the 1970s, became a part of the only Canadian box lacrosse league that contains teams in the United States. The CanAm League is comprised of teams, mostly, from western New York and Ontario.

The Greywolves, in their first year back since 1984, made a President’s Cup appearance, but ended with a record of 7-11 and hope for a winning season in 2009 as they see their first home opener of the year on May 1, at 8 p.m. at the ESL centre in Rochester against Buffalo.

The team serves as a talent pool for the Knighthawks.

Rochester Iroquois (North American Amateur Lacrosse Association: 1930-1984)

The Iroquois were an American box lacrosse team dating back to the 1930s as part of the North American Amateur Lacrosse Association. In 1970 the team switched leagues to CanAm and changed their name to the Greywolves.

Their franchise ended in 1984 when the team made it to the President’s Cup, but came back to Rochester more than 20-years later.

MEN’S SOCCER

Rochester Rhinos (United Soccer League First Division (USL): 1996-present)

Also known as the Raging Rhinos, in 13-year history, have never failed to make the playoffs and appeared in the championship game six times: 1996, 1998-2001 and 2006. They have been league champions three times: 1998, 2000 and 2001.

The team has also beat three Major League Soccer (MLS) teams en route to winning the U.S. Open Cup in 1999, becoming the only non-MLS team to win the cup.

From 1996-2004, the club was a league leader in attendance and named one of the top five minor league sport franchises by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal.

Their home field is at the, almost, 14,000-seated Rochester Rhinos Stadium at PAETEC Park in downtown Rochester.

Rochester Lancers (North American Soccer League (NASL): 1967-1980)

Part of the American Soccer League in 1967-1969.

After three-years competing in the American Soccer League, the Lancers were bumped up a level and won the league championship in their first year with the North American Soccer League.

A year later, in 1971, they won the division title and it wasn’t until five-years later that the team won their second division title.

The Lancers made it to the playoffs six times in their 13-year history and ended with a 135-146-13 record.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Western New York Football Club Pride (United Soccer League Women’s League (USL W-League): 2008-present)

Also known as Rochester Rhinos Women (2005-2008) and Rochester Ravens (1996-2005).

The team is the successor to the Rochester Rhinos Women and was originally founded as the Ravens in 1996, but was later sold and re-launched with a new name.

WNY FC rosters two of the worlds best soccer players with Adjoa Bayor (Ghana) and Natalie Martineau (Canada).

Bayor is the “skipper of the Black Queens,” also known as the Captain of the Ghana Women’s National Team. In April 2007, she was a member of the World All-Star’s team and won the African American Play of the Year award in 2003.

Rochester Rhinos Women (United Soccer League Women’s League (USL W-League): 2005-2008)

After switching owners from the Ravens in 2005, the Rhino’s Women saw their best year in 2004 when they ended third in the league and in 2007, despite coming in fourth place, they made it to the National Semifinals in the playoffs for the first time.

Rochester Ravens (United Soccer League Women’s League (USL W-League): 1996-2005)

As part of the W-League, the Ravens started their first few years as a juggernaut in the league, playing host to the championship in 1997. In that summer, the team played the U.S. Women’s National Team in Rochester, losing, 8-0.

BASEBALL

Rochester Red Wings (International League (Triple-A): 1899-present)

Also known as the Rochester Bronchos (1899-1907), Rochester Hustlers (1908-1920), Rochester Colts (1921) and Rochester Tribe (1922-1928).

The Red Wings are the oldest and longest running minor league franchise in the history of professional sports.

In addition, sport historian, Douglas Brei, reported that the Wings are only one of two franchises in North America to have captured a league championship in every decade of the 20^th century.

Currently, the team is the Triple-A affiliate to the Minnesota Twins that produced players like Hall of Famer, Cal Ripkin, Jr. (Baltimore Orioles) and 2006 American League MVP, Justin Morneau (Minnesota Twins).

From 1929-1960, the Wings were the farm team for the MLB St. Louis Cardinals and in 1961 began the 42-year stint to the Baltimore Orioles.

On April 18, 1981, the Red Wings, along with the Pawtucket Red Sox made baseball history when they held the record for the longest professional baseball game, lasting a total of 33 innings and eight-hours, 25-minutes over the course of three days.

The team has captured 20 league championships: 1899, 1901, 1909-1911, 1928-1931, 1939, 1940, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1988, 1990, 1997.

Rochester Tribe (International League (IL Double-A): 1922-1928)

In their six-year career, the Tribe went 534-457, making two second place rankings in the league.

Fan favourites and Hall of Famers, Rabbit Maranville and Jocko Conlan (center field), spent the 1927 season with the Tribe. Rochester native and professional golfer, Walter Hagen, owned the team.

Rochester Colts (International League (IL): 1922)

In their only season in the league, the Colts, under management of IL Hall of Famer, George Stallings, ended with a record of 100-68 and were 20 games behind the Baltimore Orioles that were in the peak of their IL dynasty.

Rochester Hustlers (International League: 1908-1920)

The Hustlers ended their career with a losing record, 642-671. Their best record came in 1913 when hey finished 92-62 and lost by four-points in the league championship game to the Newark Indians.

The next year, the team finished in third place and after that, began their downfall after switching managers from, John Ganzel.

Rochester Bronchos (Eastern League American Association: 1899-1907)

The Bronchos first season was impressive as they ended up winning the league championship and ended their career with three titles: 1899, 1910 and 1911.

The team saw their worst season in 1903, when the finished last in the league with a 34-97 record, but jumped back up in the standings the next year.

Despite their career, so-so, record, the Bronchos finished with the third best ERA in the league and produced six of the top baseball player in the country with Bob Barr, Henry Blauvelt, Sandy Griffin, Jimmy Knowles, Harry Lyons and Ted Scheffler.

(In the NY-Penn league is Rochester suburb, Batavia baseball, which is included as part of Rochester sports history).

Batavia Muckdogs (New York-Penn Minor League (NY-Penn): 1939-present)