| Bluefield Ridge Runners | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League | Appalachian League |
| Location | Bluefield, West Virginia |
| Ballpark | Bowen Field at Peters Park |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Colors | Black, blue, light blue, white |
| Ownership | Bluefield Baseball Club |
| Manager | Joe Oliver |
| General Manager | Rocky Malamisura |
| Website | www |
The Bluefield Ridge Runners are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Bluefield, West Virginia, and play their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park.
Professional baseball was first played in Bluefield, West Virginia, in 1937 by the Bluefield Grays. They were affiliated with six different Major League Baseball teams and also played as an independent club for a few seasons. As the Bluefield Orioles, they were affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles, but the team ended their affiliation with Bluefield and the Appalachian League at the end of the 2010 season. [1] [2] Bluefield's 53-season affiliation with the Orioles, which lasted from 1958 to 2010, had been the oldest continuous affiliation with the same major league franchise in Minor League Baseball. [2] The Bluefield Blue Jays became an affiliate organization with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011. [3]
In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Bluefield Blue Jays were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores. [4] The new team became known as the Bluefield Ridge Runners. [5] The moniker is in reference to the city's railroading heritage. Their namesake has been a local tourist attraction since 1964. The Ridge Runner passenger train traverses a loop throughout Lottio Park beyond the right field wall at Bowen Field, the team's home ballpark. [5] [6]
The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wooden bats, its season runs from June through August. The league is part of Major League Baseball and USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline.
The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal Expos (1993–2002), Baltimore Orioles (2003–2006), and Philadelphia Phillies (2007). At the time, it was the only IL franchise in Canada.
The Richmond Braves were an American minor league baseball club based in Richmond, Virginia, the Triple-A International League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves from 1966 to 2008. Owned by the parent Atlanta club and colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they played their home games at a stadium called The Diamond on Richmond's Northside built for them in 1985, and before then Parker Field on the same site. The franchise moved to Gwinnett County, Georgia in 2009 to play in the newly built Coolray Field as the Gwinnett Braves.
Bluefield is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States, located along the Bluestone River. The population was 5,096 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 106,363 in 2020.
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 9,658 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Bluefield micropolitan area extending into Virginia, which had a population of 106,363 in 2020.
The Bluefield Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. The team played their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park, a historic stadium in Bluefield's city park. The park, which straddles the West Virginia–Virginia state line, was operated by the West Virginia city; however, Bowen Field lies entirely within Virginia.
The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Fort Myers, Florida, and play their home games at the Lee County Sports Complex at Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500 and opened in 1991. The park is also used as the Minnesota Twins' spring training facility.
The Pulaski Yankees were a minor league baseball team based in Pulaski, Virginia, United States. They were an Advanced Rookie League team in the Appalachian League. The team played its home games at Calfee Park. They were affiliated with several Major League Baseball teams, including the New York Yankees in their final season.
The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for the "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team mascot "Frank Key", short for Francis Scott Key, joined the current mascot, a coyote named Keyote, at the beginning of the 2011 baseball season. The Keys were purchased from Maryland Baseball Holding, LLC by Attain Sports and Entertainment in January 2022. Home games are played at Harry Grove Stadium.
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and play their home games at LoanMart Field.
The Princeton Rays were a Minor League Baseball team in Princeton, West Virginia, operating as an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League. The team was affiliated with several Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises, primarily the Tampa Bay Rays.
Bowen Field at Peters Park is a stadium in Bluefield, Virginia, United States. Primarily used for baseball, it is the home field for Bluefield Ridge Runners of the summer collegiate Appalachian League and the Bluefield University Rams baseball team. It previously hosted the Bluefield Orioles and the Bluefield Blue Jays of Minor League Baseball from 1939 to 2020. It was built in 1939 during the Great Depression as a WPA project, and it was rebuilt in 1975 after a fire. It holds 3,000 people. Seats are from the Anaheim Stadium and were installed in 1990s.
James Urban Hoey is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins between 2006 and 2011.
David Michael Trembley is an American professional baseball executive who served as the director of player development of the Atlanta Braves in 2015. Trembley has been the bench coach for the Houston Astros and a manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Before managing the Orioles, Trembley was a minor league manager for twenty seasons, compiling a 1,369–1,413 record. He won two league titles and earned Manager of the Year awards in three leagues. In December 2001, Baseball America selected him as one of minor league baseball's top five managers of the previous 20 years. He served as a coach in the inaugural Futures Game in 1999 and also served as manager for the Southern League and Double-A All-Star Games that season. Trembley has worked for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves.
The Covington Red Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Covington, Virginia. In 1966, the Covington Red Sox played as members of the Rookie level Appalachian League, placing fourth in their only season of play, while hosting home games at Casey Field. The Red Sox were succeeded in Covington minor league baseball by the 1967 Covington Astros.
Robert Dale Dickerson is an American professional baseball player and coach. Dickerson played for the Yankees' and Orioles' minor league affiliates from 1987 through 1993. He is the infield coach for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB).
The Hagerstown Suns Minor League Baseball team was established in Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1981. The Suns remained in the Carolina League through 1988. In 1989, team ownership purchased the Williamsport Bills franchise of the Double-A Eastern League (EL) and relocated the team to Hagerstown. The Double-A Suns carried on the history of the Class A team that preceded it. After just four seasons, the Eastern League franchise left. The Myrtle Beach Hurricanes franchise of the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL) relocated to Hagerstown for the 1993 season where they became the Suns and continued the previous Suns teams' history.
The Pulaski River Turtles are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Pulaski, Virginia, and play their home games at Calfee Park.
The Princeton WhistlePigs were a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They were located in Princeton, West Virginia, and played their home games at H. P. Hunnicutt Field. "Whistle pig" is an alternate name for a groundhog.
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