A well-deserved honor: Bluefield Blue Jays President George McGonagle, who has been with the rookie Appalachian League club for more than 50 years, was named 2012 “King of Baseball” tonight at the annual Baseball Winter Meetings Banquet. The “King of Baseball” is a long-standing tradition in which Minor League Baseball salutes a veteran from the […]
Tag Archives | appalachian league
White Sox commit to Bristol for two more years
The Chicago White Sox will be back in the rookie Appalachian League after signing a two-year management deal with Bristol Baseball, Inc. (BBI). The agreement ensures that professional baseball will remain alive in the Twin Cities for the forty-fifth and forty-sixth consecutive summers, with BBI operating the Bristol White Sox team competing in the Appy […]
Front-office changes in Bluefield, Bridgeport
Some front-office changes to report today: Jeff Gray is the new GM of the Bluefield Blue Jays (rookie; Appalachian League), while Ken Shepard is new GM of the Bridgeport Bluefish (independent; Atlantic League). Gray has front-office experience with the Dunedin Blue Jays (High Class A; Florida State League) and was associate general manager of the U.S. […]
Seattle renews PDCs with four affiliates
The Seattle Mariners renewed player-development contracts with four teams: Jackson Generals (Class AA; Southern League), High Desert Mavericks (High Class A; Cal League), Clinton LumberKings (Low Class A; Midwest League) and Pulaski Mariners (rookie; Appalachian League). “We are happy to continue our relationship with the great group of people associated with the each of our […]
Royals extend PDCs with Idaho Falls, Burlington
The Kansas City Royals have extended their player-development contracts with the Idaho Falls Chukars (rookie; Pioneer League) and Burlington Royals (rookie; Appalachian League) through 2014. Idaho Falls has been affiliated with the Royals organization since the 2004 campaign while Burlington, who has already clinched the East Division of the Appalachian League, has been a part […]
In Lynchburg, sadness over potential loss of Hillcats
While Wilmington (N.C.) is giddy over the potential arrival of a team, fans of the Lynchburg Hillcats (High Class A; Carolina League) are dreading the team’s potential departure. It’s the flip side to the happy story when a new team arrives in a new market: the market losing the team, creating a loss for local […]
Atlanta Braves have tentative deal to buy Hillcats
As many expected: the Atlanta Braves have a conditional deal to buy the Lynchburg Hillcats (High Class A; Carolina League), in anticipation of moving the team to Wilmington, N.C. The sale was announced today by GM Paul Sunwall. The deal is conditional on a new ballpark being built in Wilmington, N.C., as part of a […]
Baby Blue Jays unveil new logo, unis
The Bluefield Blue Jays (rookie; Appalachian League) unveiled a new logo and new uniforms to match the new look of parent Toronto Blue Jays. The logo was introduced by General Manager Chris Maxwell at a press conference held at the Bluefield Chamber of Commerce. New uniforms and cap design were unveiled as well. “We are […]
Baby Blue Jays set to fly tomorrow
Baseball didn’t change much in Bluefield up to now, but 2011 sees some huge changes at Bowen Field: the Bluefield Blue Jays (rookie; Appalachian League) are now in town after 53 seasons of the Bluefield Orioles occupying the ballpark. The Orioles maintained an Appy League team in Bluefield from 1957 to 2010 before pulling out […]
Maxwell new GM in Bluefield
Chris Maxwell, the former general manger of the Casper Ghosts (rookie; Pioneer League) is moving southeast: he’s the new general manager of the Bluefield Bue Jays (rookie; Appalachian League), overseeing the first season for Toronto as parent of a Bluefield team. The city had been home to the Baltimore Orioles for 53 years prior to […]
Kansas City, Omaha extend for four more years
The Kansas City Royals and Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) will remain partners for four more years, as the pair agreed on an extension to their player-development contract (PDC). The Royals also announced PDC extensions with The Royals also announced new two-year extensions of existing PDCs with the Wilmington Blue Rocks, Idaho Falls […]
Kingport may turn away K-Mets
The city of Kingport may decide to walk away from a Kingsport Mets (rookie; Appalachian League) lease because it wants more control over Hunter Wright Stadium. The K-Mets have been one of the more successful franchises in the Appy League over the years, regularly in the top half of the circuit in attendance. The city, […]
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League has deep roots as a Class D league before and after World War II; it was one of the few minor leagues to keep playing during wartime. The modern Appalachian League launched in 1957 and moved to a rookie classification in 1963. Class D / 1911-1914, 1921-1925, 1937-1955, 1957-1962 Rookie / 1963-present […]