| Pulaski River Turtles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League | Appalachian League |
| Location | Pulaski, Virginia |
| Ballpark | Calfee Park |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Division championships | 1 (2021) |
| Former name(s) | Pulaski Yankees |
| Colors | Green, black, white, yellow, gray |
| Ownership | Calfee Park Inc. |
| General Manager | JW Martin |
| Website | Official website |
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.
Professional baseball was first played in Pulaski, Virginia, in 1942 as the Pulaski Counts. They were affiliated with eight different Major League Baseball teams and also played as an independent club for a few seasons. Their final affiliation as a rookie league professional club was with the New York Yankees. [1] The team played its home games at Calfee Park.
The Pulaski Yankees were awarded Minor League Baseball's top honor, the John H. Johnson President's Award, in 2019. The award recognizes the "complete baseball franchise—based on franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community, and promotion of the baseball industry." [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 Pulaski Yankees were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores. [3] The new team became known as the Pulaski River Turtles. [4] The nickname refers to the team's location in the New River Valley. The 2021 season will mark Pulaski's 55th season fielding teams in the Appalachian League. [5]
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.
Pulaski is a town in Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,086 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.
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 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 Burlington Royals were a minor league baseball team in Burlington, North Carolina, United States. They were a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League. The team was affiliated with the Cleveland Indians from 1986 to 2006 as the Burlington Indians. They were known as the Royals during an affiliation with the Kansas City Royals from 2007 to 2020. The Royals played their home games at Burlington Athletic Stadium. Opened in 1960, Burlington Athletic Stadium held 3,500 fans.
The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 325 Field. Opened in 1993, Legion Field held 2,588 fans. Before coming to Danville, they played at Calfee Park in Pulaski, Virginia.
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 Elizabethton Twins were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They were located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and were named for their major league affiliate. The team played its home games at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark, which opened in 1974.
Calfee Park is a stadium in Pulaski, Virginia, United States. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home ballpark of the Pulaski River Turtles in the Appalachian League, a summer collegiate baseball league. It was built in 1935 as a Works Progress Administration project, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Calfee Park was named after the mayor of Pulaski in 1935, Ernest W. Calfee. It holds approximately 3,200 people. Calfee Park is owned and operated by David Hagan and Larry Shelor, owners of Shelor Motor Mile. Calfee Park was voted the best rookie-level ballpark in America in 2019 and 2020 by a fan vote in Ballpark Digest's annual Best of the Ballparks competition.
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.
Justin Lee Pope is an American professional baseball pitcher, coach, and manager. He is currently the pitching coach of the Charleston RiverDogs of the South Atlantic League - Class A. Pope played college baseball for the University of Central Florida, where he was a First Team All-American. Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, Pope played professionally in minor league baseball for the Cardinals, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies organizations without reaching Major League Baseball. After ending his playing career, Pope served as a coach in the Yankees farm system. On January 26, 2008 Justin wed Kimberly Ann Helscel of Miami, Florida. They currently reside in Tampa, Florida.
John H. Johnson was an American baseball executive, whose most significant role was as president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues from 1979 through 1988. He was born in Staten Island, New York.
The New River Rebels were a minor league baseball team representing Narrows, Virginia and Pearisburg, Virginia. From 1946 to 1950, the New River Rebels played as a member of the Class D level Appalachian League, winning league championships in 1946 and 1947. New River hosted home minor league games at Ragsdale Field in Narrows. The New River Rebels were a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox in 1946.
The Kingsport Axmen are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Kingsport, Tennessee, and play their home games at Hunter Wright Stadium. The team was known as the Kingsport Road Warriors for a brief period late in the 2021 season.
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.
The Johnson City Doughboys are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Johnson City, Tennessee, and play their home games at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
The Elizabethton River Riders are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and play their home games at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark.
The Burlington Sock Puppets are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Burlington, North Carolina, and play their home games at Burlington Athletic Stadium, informally nicknamed "Sockville".
The Greeneville Flyboys are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Greeneville, Tennessee, and play their home games at Pioneer Park.
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.
