Longtime Norfolk Tides General Manager Dave Rosenfield, who spend his entire career in Minor League Baseball, passed away yesterday. He was 87.
“Our entire organization is devastated at this news” said Tides President Ken Young. “Dave was instrumental to the success of the Tides for over 50 years, and baseball in Hampton Roads won’t ever be the same without him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dave’s family as we mourn the passing of a Minor League Baseball icon.”
“Rosey’s passion for the game of baseball was unmatched, and that was obvious to anyone who was ever fortunate enough to cross paths with him” said Tides General Manager Joe Gregory. “His knowledge, guidance and friendship was appreciated by so many people across the baseball industry, and he will be sorely missed.”
Rosenfield began his career with the Tides in 1962 and was named general manager of the team in 1963, a position he held until 2011. Under his guidance, the Tides joined the Triple-A International League in 1969 from the Carolina League, moving into Met Park in 1970. Rosenfield then helped usher in a new era of Tides baseball in 1993, as the team moved into Harbor Park in downtown Norfolk. After concluding his 48-year run as general manager in 2011, Rosenfield was named the Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor to the President, and he continued his work in the Tides front office until his passing.
A four-time International League Executive of the Year, Rosenfield is a member of three Halls of Fame. He was an inaugural member of the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame in 2008, and he was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame that same season — the first Tide to ever receive the honor. He was also inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
Rosenfield was named the “King of Baseball” at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Anaheim, CA in December, 2004. The “King of Baseball” is a long-standing tradition in which Minor League Baseball salutes a veteran from the world of professional baseball for long-time dedication and service to the game.