Hickory Crawdads

Last updated
Hickory Crawdads
HickoryCrawdads.png HickoryCrawdadscap.png
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class High-A (2021–present)
Previous classes Class A (1993–2020)
League South Atlantic League (2022–present)
DivisionSouth Division
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Team Texas Rangers (2009–present)
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles (3)
  • 2002
  • 2004
  • 2015
Division titles (4)
  • 2002
  • 2004
  • 2015
  • 2019
First-half titles (4)
  • 2002
  • 2003
  • 2011
  • 2015
Second-half titles (5)
  • 1994
  • 2004
  • 2007
  • 2019
  • 2023
Team data
NameHickory Crawdads (1993–present)
ColorsRed, black, Crawdad blue, white
    
Ballpark L. P. Frans Stadium (1993–present)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
 Diamond Baseball Holdings
General managerDouglas Locascio
ManagerChad Comer

The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League (SAL) and the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Hickory, North Carolina, and play their home games at L. P. Frans Stadium, which opened in 1993 and has roughly 4,000 fixed seats.

Contents

Established in 1993 as members of the South Atlantic League, the Crawdads were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox through 1998. They became a farm club of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1999 and won the South Atlantic League championship in 2002 and 2004. Hickory has been affiliated with the Texas Rangers since 2009. The Crawdads won a third SAL championship in 2015. They moved to the High-A East in 2021, but this was renamed the South Atlantic League in 2022.

History

Several minor league baseball teams known as the Hickory Rebels played in Hickory, North Carolina, intermittently from 1936 to 1960. [1] Local businessman Don Beaver purchased the Gastonia Rangers and relocated them from Gastonia, North Carolina, to Hickory for the 1993 season. [2] Prior to the move, the Gastonia team had served as a minor league affiliate of both the Rangers and the Montreal Expos.

Fans were invited to submit suggestions for the team's name. Among the finalists were "Woodchucks", "River Rats", "Valley Cats", and "Hound Dogs". [3] The chosen name, "Crawdads", was selected because of the animals' strength and presence in local waterways. [3]

The Crawdads played in the South Atlantic League as the Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox in their inaugural 1993 season. The six-year affiliation regularly saw Hickory at or near the bottom of the standings, though they did qualify for the playoffs twice. On both occasions, however, they were eliminated without winning any games. The affiliation ended after the 1998 season with team accumulating a 374–464 record over that period. [1]

Hickory entered into a new affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1999. The Crawdads reached the postseason in five of ten seasons with Pittsburgh. They won two South Atlantic League championships, the first in 2002 and the second in 2004. [4] The affiliation ended after the 2008 season with Hickory going 705–677 over a span of 10 years. [1]

The Crawdads became an affiliate of the Texas Rangers in 2009. [1] Since then, they reached the SAL finals on two occasions and won the championship in 2015. [4] Following the 2017 season, the Rangers purchased the team from Beaver.

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Crawdads were organized into the High-A East. [5] In 2022, the High-A East became known as the South Atlantic League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization. [6]

Season-by-season results

SeasonRegular seasonPostseasonMLB affiliateRef.
RecordWin %LeagueDivisionGBRecordWin %Result
199352–88.37113th6th32+1⁄2——— Chicago White Sox [7]
199486–54.6142nd1st—0–2.000Won Second Half Northern Division title
Lost Northern Division title vs. Hagerstown Suns, 2–0 [8] 		Chicago White Sox [9]
199549–89.35514th7th35+1⁄2——— Chicago White Sox [10]
199655–85.39314th6th31——— Chicago White Sox [11]
199776–64.5434th2nd10–2.000Lost quarterfinals vs. Delmarva Shorebirds, 2–0 [12] Chicago White Sox [13]
199856–84.40013th6th33+1⁄2——— Chicago White Sox [14]
199970–70.5006th3rd12+1⁄23–2.600Won quarterfinals vs. Macon Braves, 2–0
Lost semifinals vs. Augusta GreenJackets, 2–1 [15] 		Pittsburgh Pirates [16]
200075–66.5324th (tie)3rd17——— Pittsburgh Pirates [17]
200167–73.47910th5th25——— Pittsburgh Pirates [18]
200283–56.5971st1st—5–2.714Won First Half Northern Division title
Won Northern Division title vs. Delmarva Shorebirds, 2–0
Won SAL championship vs. Columbus RedStixx, 3–2 [19] 		Pittsburgh Pirates [20]
200382–54.6032nd1st—1–2.333Won First Half Southern Division title
Lost Southern Division title vs. Rome Braves, 2–1 [21] 		Pittsburgh Pirates [22]
200485–55.6072nd1st—5–01.000Won Second Half Northern Division title
Won Northern Division title vs. Charleston Alley Cats, 2–0
Won SAL championship vs. Capital City Bombers, 3–0 [23] 		Pittsburgh Pirates [24]
200554–80.40315th (tie)7th (tie)24+1⁄2——— Pittsburgh Pirates [25]
200667–70.48910th5th16——— Pittsburgh Pirates [26]
200770–66.5156th2nd121–2.333Won Second Half Northern Division title
Lost Northern Division title vs. West Virginia Power, 2–1 [27] 		Pittsburgh Pirates [28]
200852–87.37415th7th27+1⁄2——— Pittsburgh Pirates [29]
200963–76.45315th7th19——— Texas Rangers [30]
201075–64.5404th (tie)2nd90–2.000Lost Northern Division title vs. Lakewood BlueClaws, 2–0 [31] Texas Rangers [32]
201179–58.5771st1st—0–2.000Won First Half Northern Division title
Lost Northern Division title vs. Greensboro Grasshoppers, 2–0 [33] 		Texas Rangers [34]
201274–65.5325th3rd9——— Texas Rangers [35]
201376–63.5475th3rd5+1⁄2——— Texas Rangers [36]
201480–59.5765th3rd6+1⁄2——— Texas Rangers [37]
201581–57.5873rd2nd5+1⁄25–1.833Won First Half Northern Division title
Won Northern Division title vs. West Virginia Power, 2–1
Won SAL championship vs. Asheville Tourists, 3–0 [38] 		Texas Rangers [39]
201674–66.5295th3rd9——— Texas Rangers [40]
201764–76.45711th6th13——— Texas Rangers [41]
201870–68.5076th (tie)4th (tie)17——— Texas Rangers [42]
201983–52.6152nd2nd5+1⁄23–3.500Won Second Half Northern Division title
Won Northern Division title vs. Delmarva Shorebirds, 2–0
Lost SAL championship vs. Lexington Legends, 3–1 [43] 		Texas Rangers [44]
2020Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) [45] Texas Rangers [46]
202146–68.40411th6th34——— Texas Rangers [47]
Totals1,944–1,913.504———23–20.5353 league titles, 4 division titles, 8 half division titles—–
Franchise totals by affiliation
AffiliationRegular seasonPostseasonComposite
RecordWin %Apps.RecordWin %RecordWin %
Chicago White Sox (1993–1999)374–464.44620–4.000374–468.444
Pittsburgh Pirates (1999–2008)705–677.510515–8.652720–685.512
Texas Rangers (2009–present)865–772.52948—8.500873–780.528
All-time1,944–1,913.5041123–20.5351,967–1,933.504

Mascot

Conrad the Crawdad has been the official mascot of the Crawdads since 1993. Conrad, along with his wife Candy, entertain fans during games. The two got engaged on Mother's Day weekend in 2018 and were married in an on-field ceremony on June 24, 2018.

Roster

Hickory Crawdads roster
PlayersCoaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 19 Dane Acker
  • 43 Robby Ahlstrom
  • 28 Reid Birlingmair
  • 39 Mitch Bratt
  • 24 Seth Clark
  • 38 Gavin Collyer
  • -- Ricky DeVito
  • 11 Jackson Kelley
  • 13 Larson Kindreich
  • 31 Yohanse Morel
  • 22 Spencer Mraz
  • 30 Andy Rodriguez
  • 44 Winston Santos
  • 27 Florencio Serrano
  • 41 Josh Stephan
  • 14 Leury Tejada
  • 40 Emiliano Teodo
  • 16 Bradford Webb

Catchers

  •  1 Cody Freeman
  • 20 Cooper Johnson
  •  4 Tucker Mitchell

Infielders

  • 23 Max Acosta
  •  5 Frainyer Chavez
  •  3 Jayce Easley
  • 17 Keyber Rodriguez

Outfielders


Manager

  • 21 Chad Comer

Coaches

  • 12 Justin Jacobs (development)
  • 33 Jose Jaimes (pitching)
  • 32 Drew Sannes (hitting)
  •  9 Jay Sullenger (development)

60-day injured list

Injury icon 2.svg 7-day injured list
* On Texas Rangers 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated June 17, 2023
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB  •  South Atlantic League
→ Texas Rangers minor league players

Awards

Jurickson Profar won the SAL Most Valuable Player Award in 2011. Jurickson Profar on April 12, 2016.jpg
Jurickson Profar won the SAL Most Valuable Player Award in 2011.

Four players and two managers have won South Atlantic League awards in recognition for their performance with the Crawdads.

AwardRecipientSeasonRef.
Most Valuable Player J. R. House 2000 [48]
Most Valuable Player Walter Young 2002 [49]
Most Valuable PlayerJorge Cortes2003 [48]
Most Valuable Player Jurickson Profar 2011 [50]
Most Outstanding Prospect Walter Young 2002 [49]
Manager of the Year Fred Kendall 1994 [51]
Manager of the Year Tony Beasley 2002 [49]

Notable alumni

Joey Gallo batting for the Crawdads in 2013 Joey Gallo 2013.jpg
Joey Gallo batting for the Crawdads in 2013

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Atlantic League</span> American sports league in Minor League Baseball

The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league temporarily operated for the 2021 season as the High-A East before reassuming its original moniker in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rome Braves</span> Minor league baseball team

The Rome Braves are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2020, the team served as Atlanta's Class A, or "Single-A," affiliate before being elevated to High-A with the restructuring of the minor league system in 2021. Rome is the longest-tenured partner club of the Atlanta Braves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisconsin Timber Rattlers</span> American Minor League baseball team

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, a town on the outskirts of Appleton in the Fox Cities, and are named for the timber rattlesnake, which is more commonly found in southwest Wisconsin. The team plays their home games at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, which opened in 1995. They previously played at Goodland Field from their founding in 1958 until the end of the 1994 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round Rock Express</span> Minor league baseball team

The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named for Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who was nicknamed "The Ryan Express." Ryan, along with son Reid Ryan and Don Sanders make up the team's ownership group, Ryan Sanders Baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacramento River Cats</span> Minor league baseball team

The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 seasons. They are based in West Sacramento, California, and play their home games at Sutter Health Park which opened in 2000 and was known as Raley Field through 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Antonio Missions</span> Minor league baseball team

The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and are named for the Spanish missions around which the city was founded. The Missions play their home games at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, which opened in 1994 and seats over 6,200 people with a total capacity of over 9,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Carolinas League</span> Former American league in minor league baseball

The Western Carolinas League was a Class D and a low Class A (1963–79) full-season league in American minor league baseball. The WCL changed its name prior to the 1980 season and has been known since as the South Atlantic League, a highly successful Class A circuit with teams up the Eastern Seaboard from Georgia to New Jersey.

The Gastonia Rangers were a class A minor league baseball team located in Gastonia, North Carolina. The team played first as the Rangers in the Western Carolinas League (1973–1974). In 1983 and 1984, they played as the Gastonia Expos, as an affiliate of the Montreal Expos. They later returned to the Rangers name in the South Atlantic League (1987–1992), and were affiliated with the Texas Rangers. Their home stadium was Sims Legion Park. After the 1992 season, the team moved to another North Carolina city, Hickory, and have been known as the Hickory Crawdads ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Dayett</span> American baseball player (born 1957)

Brian Kelly Dayett is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder who played five seasons between 1983 and 1987 for the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs. He also spent some time in Japan, playing for the Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball from 1988 until 1991.

Below are select minor league players and the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Texas Rangers:

The Gastonia Cardinals were a minor league baseball team based in Gastonia, North Carolina on two separate occasions, playing as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals in both instances. The first Gastonia Cardinals team played as members of the Class D level North Carolina State League in 1938 and the Tar Heel League in 1939 and 1940, winning the 1939 league championship. Three decades later, the second Cardinals team played from 1977 to 1982 as members of the Class A level Western Carolinas League and its 1980 successor, the South Atlantic League. The Cardinals teams hosted home games from 1938 to 1940 at the Gastonia High School Stadium and subsequently at Sims Legion Park, which is still in use today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina Mudcats</span> Minor league baseball team

The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and play their home games at Five County Stadium. "Mudcats" is Southern slang for catfish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juremi Profar</span> Dutch-Curaçaoan baseball player

Juremi Gregorius Profar is a Dutch-Curaçaoan professional baseball infielder for the Québec Capitales of the Frontier League.

Matthew Whatley is an American professional baseball catcher in the Texas Rangers organization.

Ricky Tyler Thomas is an American professional baseball pitcher in the New York Mets organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedro Payano</span> Dominican-American baseball player (born 1994)

Pedro Julio Payano is a Dominican-American professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers.

The Statesville Owls were a minor league baseball team located in Statesville, North Carolina. Statesville minor league teams played a member of the North Carolina Association (1900), Tar Heel League (1939–1940), North Carolina State League,, Tar Heel League (1953), Western Carolina League (1960–1962) and Western Carolinas League, winning three league championships.

The Gastonia Rockets were a minor league baseball team based in Gastonia, North Carolina, United States. The Rockets played as members of the Class B level Tri-State League in 1952 and 1953, winning the 1952 league pennant before the team folded following the 1953 season. The Rockets were a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and hosted home games at Sims Legion Park, which is still in use today.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Hickory, North Carolina Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Conrad & The Hickory Crawdads" (PDF). At the Yard. January 2006. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Pollack, Lisa (December 3, 1992). "Fans Cheer, Cry Foul Over Baseball Team's Name". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 "Playoff Champions". South Atlantic League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  5. ↑ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  7. ↑ "1993 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  8. ↑ "1994 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  9. ↑ "1994 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  10. ↑ "1995 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  11. ↑ "1996 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  12. ↑ "1997 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  13. ↑ "1997 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  14. ↑ "1998 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ "1999 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  16. ↑ "1999 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  17. ↑ "2000 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  18. ↑ "2001 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  19. ↑ "2002 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  20. ↑ "2002 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  21. ↑ "2003 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  22. ↑ "2003 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  23. ↑ "2004 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  24. ↑ "2004 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  25. ↑ "2005 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  26. ↑ "2006 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  27. ↑ "2007 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  28. ↑ "2007 South Atlantic League (A)". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  29. ↑ "2008 South Atlantic League (A)". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  30. ↑ "2009 South Atlantic League (A)". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  31. ↑ "2010 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  32. ↑ "2010 South Atlantic League (A)". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  33. ↑ "2011 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  34. ↑ "2011 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  35. ↑ "2012 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  36. ↑ "2013 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  37. ↑ "2014 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  38. ↑ "2015 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  39. ↑ "2015 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  40. ↑ "2016 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  41. ↑ "2017 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  42. ↑ "2018 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  43. ↑ "2019 South Atlantic League (SAL) Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  44. ↑ "2019 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  45. ↑ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  46. ↑ "2020 South Atlantic League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  47. ↑ "2021 High-A East". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  48. 1 2 Parker, Mark (June 27, 2017). "25th Anniversary All-Crawdads Team: A Look Back at Players' Success in Hickory". Hickory Record. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  49. 1 2 3 Cichalski, Dan (August 24, 2002). "Righty Floyd Left Off All-Star Team". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey. p. C5. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  50. ↑ "Profar Voted Sal MVP, 'Dads Have Three All-Stars". Hickory Crawdads. Minor League Baseball. August 30, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  51. ↑ "Crawdads Alumni Report February 4". Hickory Crawdads. Minor League Baseball. January 29, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.