Bluefield Blue Jays

Bluefield Blue Jays
Founded in 1937
Bluefield, West Virginia
Team logoCap insignia
Class-level
Current Advanced Rookie (1963–present)
Previous
  • Class D- (1957–1962)
  • Class D (1946–1955)
  • Class C (1942)
  • Class D (1937–1940)
Minor league affiliations
League Appalachian League (1946–1955, 1957–present)
Division East Division
Previous leagues
 Mountain State League (1937–1942)
Major league affiliations
Current Toronto Blue Jays (2011–present)
Previous
Minor league titles
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
Team data
Nickname Bluefield Blue Jays (2011–present)
Previous names
  • Bluefield Orioles (1958–2010)
  • Bluefield Dodgers (1957)
  • Bluefield Blue-Grays (1937–1942, 1946–1955)
Colors Blue, White
Ballpark Bowen Field (1946–1955, 1957–present)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
 Bluefield Baseball Club, Inc.
Manager Dennis Holmberg
General Manager Jeff Gray

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, 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.

History

On August 28, 2010, Andy MacPhail, then-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, had been 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.

Bluefield became an affiliate organization with Toronto for the 2011 season.

Outfielder Kevin Pillar played for the Bluefield Blue Jays in 2011, and batted .347, winning the Appalachian League batting title and leading the organization in batting average.[4][5] He holds the team's all-time records for batting average, on-base percentage (.377), and slugging percentage (.534).[6] In August 2013, Pillar became the first Bluefield Blue Jays alumnus to play in the major leagues for Toronto.[7]

Roster

Bluefield Blue Jays roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 23 Miguel Burgos
  •  9 Christian Cox
  • 16 Geno Encina
  • 17 Alberto Guzman
  • 41 Juliandry Higuera
  • 19 Grayson Huffman
  • 29 Dan Lietz
  • 18 Jackson Lowery
  • 37 Zach Rodgers
  • 22 Dalton Rodriguez
  •  8 Jordan Romano
  • 35 Luis Sanchez
  • 46 Matt Smoral
  •  6 Zak Wasilewski

Catchers

  • -- Garrett Custons (Military leave)
  •  7 Matt Morgan
  • 21 Andres Sotillo
  •  4 Brett Wellman

Infielders

  • 13 Deiferson Barreto
  • 36 Gabriel Clark
  •  2 Yeltsin Gudino
  • 28 Mattingly Romanin
  • 10 Christian Williams

Outfielders

  • -- Josh Almonte
  • 25 Jake Anderson
  • -- Alex Azor (Military leave)
  • -- Jesus Gonzalez ‡
  •  8 DJ McKnight
  •  1 Dave Pepe
  • 15 Freddy Rodriguez
  • 32 Nick Sinay
  • 45 Juan Tejada

Manager

Coaches

  • -- Aaron Matthews (hitting)
  • 11 Antonio Caceres (pitching)


7-day disabled list
* On Toronto Blue Jays 40-man roster
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporary inactive list
Roster updated November 6, 2015
Transactions
→ More MiLB rosters
→ Toronto Blue Jays minor league players

References

  1. ↑ "Blue Jays fly into Bluefield to replace the Orioles". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. September 7, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Orioles leaving Bluefield". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. August 28, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Orioles out of Bluefield". Orioles Insider: Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  4. ↑ Eric Sondheimer (November 9, 2011). "Baseball: Ex-Chaminade player Kevin Pillar to receive honor". latimes.com. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  5. ↑ "2013 Prospect Watch". mlb.com. May 24, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  6. ↑ "2012 Bluefield Blue Jays Media Guide". Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  7. ↑ http://backinblue.kc-media.net/?p=7488

External links

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