| Bluefield Blue Jays Founded in 1946 Bluefield, Virginia |
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| League titles | 14 (1949, 1950, 1954, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1982, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2001) | ||
| Division titles | 11 (1971, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2011) | ||
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| Manager: Dennis Holmberg | |||
| General Manager: Chris Maxwell | |||
The Bluefield Blue Jays are a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. Beginning in 2011, Bluefield will be affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays.[1] The team plays their home games at Bowen Field, a historic stadium (opened in 1939) in Bluefield's city park. The park, which straddles the West Virginia–Virginia state line, is operated by the West Virginia city; however, Bowen Field lies entirely within Virginia.
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On August 28, 2010, Andy MacPhail, president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles announced that Baltimore was ending their affiliation with Bluefield and the Appalachian League, effective at the end of the 2010 Appalachian League season.[2][3] Bluefield's fifty-three season affiliation with the Orioles, which lasted from 1958 to 2010, is the oldest continuous affiliation with the same major league franchise in Minor League Baseball.[3]
The Orioles were sometimes known as the "Baby Birds" or the "Baby O's," a reference to their major league parent club. One of the best known players to have played in Bluefield is Cal Ripken, Jr., who played with Bluefield in 1978 when he was 17 years old. Another famous former Baby Bird is Boog Powell, who played there in 1959, also as a 17-year-old.
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Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager Coaches
7-day disabled list |
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| Toronto Blue Jays franchise | |||
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| Triple-A | Double-A | Class A | Rookie |
| Las Vegas 51s | New Hampshire Fisher Cats |
Dunedin Blue Jays Lansing Lugnuts Vancouver Canadians |
Bluefield Blue Jays GCL Blue Jays DSL Blue Jays |
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