A baseball team nicknamed the Mud Hens has played in Toledo for most seasons since 1896, including a 50-year history as a member of the now defunct American Association.

[4] During the 1914 season, a Class C Mud Hens team played in the Southern Michigan League.

In 1965, the Richmond Virginians franchise of the International League moved to Toledo and became the current incarnation of the Mud Hens.

The local ownership group led by Ned Skeldon signed with the New York Yankees to be its top farm team.

The next year, the team won a record 83 games and the league pennant, but failed to repeat as Cup winners.

The Mud Hens resumed their affiliation with the Tigers in 1987, and have remained in the Detroit organization since then.

[7] Toledo won the Midwestern Division title by ending the season in first place with a 69–51 record.

[8] No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner.

[10] In 2022, the Triple-A East became known as the International League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.

The Clippers are an affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, who compete against the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central, adding another layer to the rivalry.

The following season, they faced each other in a play-in game—the winner would win the IL West Division and clinch a spot in the 2006 Governor's Cup playoffs—which the Mud Hens won, 4–0.