Their first half season began inauspiciously as they finished 33–35, placing fifth in the six-team Eastern Division.

For the season's second half, they improved to a 40–29 record, but still finished in second place in the division, 3+1⁄2 games behind the South Bend Silver Hawks.

The pitcher who would perhaps go on to the most success at the major league level, Manny Acosta, went 0–8 with a 6.64 earned run average and was released by the Yankees.

For the second half, they improved their record to 38–32, but they still finished in fourth place, two games behind, in a tight divisional race.

[4][5] In September 2004, Battle Creek announced that it had signed a two-year player development contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.