Bristol Pirates | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
Minor league affiliations | |||||
Class | Rookie (1969–2020) | ||||
League | Appalachian League (1969–2020) | ||||
Major league affiliations | |||||
Team |
| ||||
Minor league titles | |||||
League titles (6) |
| ||||
Division titles (3) |
| ||||
Team data | |||||
Name |
| ||||
Ballpark | Boyce Cox Field at DeVault Memorial Stadium (1969–2020) |
The Bristol Pirates were a Minor League Baseball team in Bristol, Virginia, United States. They were a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League.
The team played home games at DeVault Memorial Stadium. Opened in 1969, Devault Memorial Stadium held 2,000 fans. The team was previously affiliated with the Detroit Tigers, and a previous manager was retired Tigers manager Jim Leyland. They were a farm team of the Chicago White Sox from 1995 to 2013 as the Bristol White Sox.
The team was operated by a non-profit organization, Bristol Baseball, Incorporated (BBI). BBI had no full-time paid staff, instead relying on a volunteer board and general manager to keep and promote professional baseball in Bristol.
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. [1] [2] 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 Pirates were replaced by a new franchise, the Bristol State Liners, in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores. [3]
Bristol Tigers (Appalachian League) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | ||||||||
Record | Win % | Finish* | Manager | Playoffs | ||||
1969 | 34-34 | .500 | 3rd South | Bill Lajoie | none | |||
1970 | 26-31 | .464 | 5th AL | Al Lakeman | none | |||
1971 | 31-35 | .470 | 3rd South | Jim Leyland | none | |||
1972 | 40-28 | .588 | 1st AL | Joe Lewis | League Champs No playoffs | |||
1973 | 24-45 | .348 | 7th AL | Joe Lewis | none | |||
1974 | 52-17 | .754 | 1st North | Joe Lewis | League Champs No playoffs | |||
1975 | 37-31 | .544 | 3rd South | Joe Lewis | none | |||
1976 | 35-32 | .522 | 2nd South | Joe Lewis | none | |||
1977 | 43-26 | .614 | 2nd AL | Joe Lewis | League Champs No playoffs | |||
1978 | 35-34 | .507 | 3rd AL | Joe Lewis | none | |||
1979 | 19-50 | .275 | 6th AL | Joe Lewis | none | |||
1980 | 36-33 | .522 | 2nd AL | Tom Kotchman | none | |||
1981 | 29-41 | .414 | 5th AL | Joe Lewis | none | |||
1982 | 28-36 | .438 | 3rd South | Boots Day | none | |||
1983 | 34-38 | .472 | 3rd AL | Boots Day | none | |||
1984 | 37-33 | .529 | 2nd South | Hal Dyer | none | |||
1985 | 44-25 | .638 | 1st AL | Tom Burgess | League Champs No playoffs | |||
1986 | 35-34 | .507 | 3rd South | Tom Gamboa | ||||
1987 | 20-49 | .290 | 4th South | Rick Magnante | ||||
1988 | 46-27 | .630 | 2nd South | Rick Magnante | Lost 1 game playoff | |||
1989 | 28-39 | .418 | 5th South | Rubén Amaro, Sr. | ||||
1990 | 22-46 | .324 | 10th AL | Ken Cunningham | ||||
1991 | 22-44 | .333 | 5th South | Juan Lopez | ||||
1992 | 33-35 | .485 | 3rd South | Mark Wagner | ||||
1993 | 28-39 | .418 | 4th South | Ruben Amaro, Sr. | ||||
1994 | 27-36 | .429 | 4th South | Kevin Bradshaw | ||||
Bristol White Sox (Appalachian League) | ||||||||
1995 | 28-39 | .418 | 4th South | Chris Cron | ||||
1996 | 17-51 | .450 | 4th South | Nick Capra | ||||
1997 | 30-38 | .441 | 4th West | Nick Capra | ||||
1998 | 42-24 | .636 | 1st West | Nick Capra | League Champs | |||
1999 | 45-24 | .652 | 2nd West | Gary Pellant | ||||
2000 | 34-33 | .507 | 4th South | R.J. Reynolds | ||||
2001 | 38-26 | .594 | 2nd South | John Orton | ||||
2002 | 43-25 | .632 | 1st South | Nick Leyva | League Champs | |||
2003 | 33-33 | .500 | 6th AL | Jerry Hairston, Sr. | ||||
2004 | 27-38 | .415 | 5th West | Jerry Hairston, Sr. | ||||
2005 | 30-36 | .455 | 2nd West | Jerry Hairston, Sr. | ||||
2006 | 22-42 | .344 | 5th West | Nick Leyva | ||||
2007 | 25-43 | .368 | 4th West | Bobby Thigpen | ||||
2008 | 34-30 | .531 | 3rd West | Bobby Thigpen | ||||
2009 | 27-39 | .409 | 4th West | Ryan Newman | ||||
2010 | 32-36 | .471 | 3rd West | Ryan Newman | ||||
2011 | 24-44 | .353 | 5th West | Pete Rose Jr. | ||||
2012 | 19-46 | .292 | 5th West | Pete Rose Jr. | ||||
2013 | 20-45 | .308 | 5th West | Mike Gellinger | ||||
Bristol Pirates (Appalachian League) | ||||||||
2014 | 22-46 | .324 | 5th West | Edgar Varela | ||||
2015 | 29-36 | .446 | 4th West | Edgar Varela | ||||
2016 | 25-43 | .368 | 5th West | Kory DeHaan | ||||
2017 | 17-49 | .258 | 5th West | Miguel Perez |
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 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 Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, one of the Quad Cities.
Several different minor league baseball teams have called the city of Orlando, Florida home from 1919–2003. Most have played in the Florida State League.
The Lakeland Flying Tigers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Lakeland, Florida, and play their home games at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina.
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 Kingsport Mets were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League from 1921 to 2020. They were located in Kingsport, Tennessee, and were last named for the team's major league affiliate, the New York Mets. The team played its home games at Hunter Wright Stadium which opened in 1995. The Mets previously played at Dobyns-Bennett High School. In 1983, while Dobyns-Bennett's field was being renovated, the team temporarily moved to Sarasota, Florida, and played in the Gulf Coast League as the Gulf Coast League Mets.
The Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels and, during 1919, the Seattle Purple Sox, were a Minor League Baseball team in Seattle, Washington, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 to 1906 and 1919 to 1968. They were initially named for the indigenous Native American population of the Pacific Northwest, and changed their name after being acquired by the Rainier Brewing Company, which was in turn named for nearby Mount Rainier.
The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are members of the South Atlantic League and are the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their home games at First National Bank Field, which opened in 2005 and seats 7,499 fans.
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.
The Beaumont Exporters was the predominant name of a minor league baseball team located in Beaumont, Texas that played between 1920 and 1957 in the Texas League and the Big State League. Beaumont rejoined the Class AA Texas League (1983-1986) and evolved into today's Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
The Johnson City Cardinals were a Minor League Baseball team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The team was affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization from 1975 through 2020 and played in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. The team won 10 league championships, most recently in 2019. They played their home games at TVA Credit Union Ballpark. Before 1975, the team operated under several other names and affiliations.
The Reno Silver Sox were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1947 to 1992. The team name is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". There was another baseball team known as the Reno Silver Sox who played in the Golden Baseball League. From part of the 1955 season to 1992, they played their home games at Moana Stadium. The 1961 Silver Sox were recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.
Several minor league baseball teams have been based in Salinas, California and played in the California League.
The Wisconsin Rapids Twins were a Class A Minor League Baseball team that existed from 1963 to 1983, playing in the Midwest League. Affiliated with the Washington Senators (1963) and the Minnesota Twins (1964-1983), they were located in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, United States. They played their home games at Witter Field. The franchise evolved from the Wisconsin Rapids White Sox of the Wisconsin State League. For the 1984 season, the franchise became the Kenosha Twins, moving to Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Williamsport Red Sox were a minor league baseball team, based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The team began in 1964 as the Williamsport Mets a class-AA affiliate of the New York Mets, in the Eastern League, from 1964 through 1967. The club played all of its games at Williamsport's Bowman Stadium. Among the future major leaguers who played for the Williamsport Mets are: Jerry Koosman, Ken Boswell, Kevin Collins, Nolan Ryan and Jim Bethke.
Minor league baseball teams have operated in the city of Dubuque, Iowa under a variety of names in various leagues, playing in 52 seasons between 1879 and 1976. Dubuque teams were an affiliate of the Houston Astros (1975–1976), Kansas City Royals (1968), Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians (1961–1966), Pittsburgh Pirates (1959–1960) and Chicago White Sox (1954–1958).
The Arizona Complex League White Sox are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball either as draftees or non-drafted free agents from the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and other countries.
The Bristol State Liners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bristol, Virginia. It is a member of the Appalachian League, a collegiate summer league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. The team is operated by a non-profit organization, Bristol Baseball, Incorporated (BBI). BBI had no full-time paid staff, instead relying on a volunteer board and general manager to keep and promote professional baseball in Bristol.