Appalachian League

Appalachian League

Appalachian League logo
Sport Baseball
Founded 1937
No. of teams 10
Country USA
Most recent champion(s) Johnson City Cardinals
Official website Official Website

The Appalachian League of Professional Baseball is a Rookie-class minor league baseball team that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee. The league's season starts in June, after major league teams have signed players that they selected in the annual amateur draft, and ends in September.

Along with the Pioneer League, it forms the second-lowest rung on the minor league ladder. Although classified as a Rookie league, the level of play is slightly higher than that of the two "complex" Rookie leagues, the Gulf Coast League and Arizona League. Unlike these two leagues, Appalachian League games charge admission and sell concessions.

Earlier incarnations of the league operated, more centrally around Tennessee, from 1911 to 1914 and 1921 to 1925 at the Class D level.

History

The original Appalachian League only existed for four seasons from 1911-1914 and all teams were independent with no MLB affiliation. The teams that were a part of this were: Asheville Moonshiners, Bristol Boosters, Cleveland Counts, Johnson City Soldiers, Knoxville Appalachians, and Morristown Jobbers.[1]

The second Appalachian League existed for five seasons from 1921-1925, and again only had independent teams. These teams were the Bristol State-Liners, the Cleveland Manufacturers, the Greeneville Burley Cats, the second iteration of the Johnson City Soldiers, the Kingsport Indians, and the Knoxville Pioneers. 1921 was the first appearance of 2 locations which have present-day teams in the Appalachian League – Kingsport, Tennessee, with the present-day Kingsport Mets; and Greeneville, North Carolina, with the present-day Greeneville Astros.[2]

The third Appalachian league was shifted to D-level minor league, the lowest level in the pre - 1963 MLB. It started in 1937 and had four teams - the Elizabethton Betsy Red Sox, the third iteration of the Johnson City Soldiers, the Newport Canners, and the Pennington Gap Lee Bears.[3]

Attendance

The Appalachian League is one of two rookie class leagues that have their attendance measured, and are also considered to be an Advanced Rookie League. The other League is the Pioneer League.

According to the Official Site of the Rookie Appalachian League,[4] these are the 2013 Attendance Statistics:

Team Total Openings Average
Bluefield Blue Jays 28,232 33 856
Bristol White Sox 20,309 29 700
Burlington Royals 32,200 26 1,238
Danville Braves 25,152 28 898
Elizabethton Twins 24,725 31 798
Greeneville Astros 45,261 33 1,372
Johnson City Cardinals 25,612 31 826
Kingsport Mets 23,476 31 757
Princeton Rays 24,610 33 746
Pulaski Mariners 25,842 33 783

Current teams

Division Team MLB Affiliation City Stadium Capacity
East Bluefield Blue Jays Toronto Blue Jays Bluefield, West Virginia and
Bluefield, Virginia		 Bowen Field 3,000
Burlington Royals Kansas City Royals Burlington, North Carolina Burlington Athletic Stadium 3,500
Danville Braves Atlanta Braves Danville, Virginia American Legion Field 2,588
Princeton Rays Tampa Bay Rays Princeton, West Virginia H. P. Hunnicutt Field 3,000
Pulaski Yankees New York Yankees[5] Pulaski, Virginia Calfee Park 2,500
West Bristol Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates Bristol, Virginia Boyce Cox Field at DeVault Memorial Stadium 2,000
Elizabethton Twins Minnesota Twins Elizabethton, Tennessee Joe O'Brien Field 2,000
Greeneville Astros Houston Astros Greeneville, Tennessee Pioneer Park 4,000
Johnson City Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals Johnson City, Tennessee Howard Johnson Field 3,800
Kingsport Mets New York Mets Kingsport, Tennessee Hunter Wright Stadium 2,000

Current team rosters

Complete team list (1911-14)

  • Harriman Boosters (1911–14, as Bristol Boosters in 1911-13)
  • Johnson City Soldiers (1911–13)
  • Knoxville Reds (1911–14, as Knoxville Appalachians in 1911)
  • Middlesboro Colonels (1911–14, as Asheville Moonshiners in 1911-12)
  • Morristown Jobbers (1913–14, as Cleveland Counts in 1911-13; moved to Morristown during 1913 season)
  • Rome Romans (1911–13, as Morristown Jobbers in 1911-12)

Complete team list (1921-25)

  • Bristol State Liners (1921–25)
  • Greeneville Burley Cubs (1921–25)
  • Johnson City Soldiers (1921–24)
  • Kingsport Indians (1921–25)
  • Knoxville Pioneers (1921–24)
  • Morristown Roosters (1923–25, as Cleveland Manufacturers in 1921-22)

Complete team list (1937-55, 1956-present)

  • Bluefield Blue Jays (Bluefield Blue-Grays in 1946-55; as Bluefield Dodgers in 1957; 1957-2010 as Bluefield Orioles)
  • Bristol Twins (1940–55)
  • Bristol Pirates (2014–present, as Bristol Tigers from 1969–94, as Bristol White Sox from 1995-2013)
  • Burlington Royals (1969–84, 1986–present, as Pulaski Phillies in 1969-77; as Paintsville Highlanders in 1978; as Paintsville Yankees in 1979-82; as Paintsville Brewers in 1983-84; suspended operations in 1985; as Burlington Indians in 1986-2006)
  • Covington Astros (1965–76, as Harlan Red Sox in 1965; as Covington Red Sox in 1966)
  • Danville Braves (1982–present, as Pulaski Braves in 1982-92)
  • Elizabethton Twins (1969, 1971–present, as Wytheville Senators in 1969; suspended operations in 1970; as Wytheville Braves in 1971-73)
  • Erwin Mountaineers (1940)
  • Greeneville Burley Cubs (1938–42)
  • Greeneville Astros (1988–present, as Martinsville Phillies in 1988-98; as Martinsville Astros 1999-2003)
  • Johnson City Cardinals (1937–55, 1957–61, as Johnson City Soldiers in 1937-38; as Johnson City Cardinals in 1939-55; as Johnson City Phillies from 1957–60)
  • Johnson City Cardinals (1961–present, as Harlan Smokies in 1961-62; as Harlan Yankees in 1963; as Johnson City Yankees in 1964-74)
  • Kingsport Pirates (1955, 1957, 1959–63, as Kingsport Cherokees in 1955; as Kingsport Orioles in 1957; suspended operations in 1958; as Kingsport Senators in 1959)
  • Kingsport Mets (1969–82, 1984–present, as Kingsport Royals in 1969-73; as Kingsport Braves in 1974-79; suspended operations in 1983)
  • Lynchburg Senators (1959)
  • Marion A's (1946–55, as Welch Miners in 1946-55; moved to Marion during 1955 season)
  • Marion Mets (1965–76)
  • Martinsville Phillies (1988-1998)
  • Middlesboro Cubsox (1961–63, as Middlesboro Senators in 1961-62)
  • Morristown Cubs (1937–55, 1957–60, as Elizabethton Betsy Red Sox in 1937-42; as Erwin Aces in 1943; as Erwin Cubs in 1944; as Elizabethton Betsy Cubs in 1945-48; as Elizabethton Betsy Local in 1949-50; as Elizabethton Phils in 1951; as Pulaski Phillies in 1952-55; as Pulaski Cubs in 1957-58)
  • New River Rebels (1946–50)
  • Newport Canners (1937–42)
  • Pennington Gap Miners (1937–40, as Pennington Gap Lee Bears in 1937-38; as Pennington Gap Bears in 1939)
  • Princeton Rays (1988–present, as Princeton Pirates in 1988-89; as Princeton Patriots in 1990; as Princeton Reds in 1991-96, as Princeton Devil Rays in 1997-2008)
  • Pulaski Counts (1946–50)
  • Pulaski Mariners (1982–95, 1997-2006, 2008-present as Pikeville Brewers in 1982; as Pikeville Cubs in 1983-84; as Wytheville Cubs 1985-89; as Huntington Cubs in 1990-94; as River City Rumblers in 1995; suspended operations in 1996; as Pulaski Rangers in 1997-2002; as Pulaski Blue Jays in 2003-2006; suspended operations in 2007)
  • Salem Rebels (1955, 1957–67)
  • Wytheville Reds (1938–55, 1957–65, 1967, as Kingsport Cherokees in 1938-41; as Kingsport Dodgers in 1942; as Kingsport Cherokees in 1943-52; as Wytheville Statesmen in 1953-55; as Wytheville Cardinals in 1957-59; as Wytheville Senators in 1960; as Wytheville Twins in 1961-63; as Wytheville A's in 1964; as Wytheville Senators in 1965; suspended operations in 1966)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Minor League Baseball: the Appalachian League (Advanced-Rookie Classification)". Billssportsmaps.com. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Minor League Baseball: the Appalachian League (Advanced-Rookie Classification)". Billssportsmaps.com. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Minor League Baseball: the Appalachian League (Advanced-Rookie Classification)". Billssportsmaps.com. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  4. ↑ The Official Site of the Rookie Appalachian League http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?y=2013&t=l_att&lid=120&sid=l120. Retrieved 1 August 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140909&content_id=93875220&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_l120&sid=l120

External links