This article is about a baseball league currently in operation. For the independent baseball league that operated between 1936 and 1938, see
Carolina League (1936–1938).
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which operates along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. It is classified as a Class A-Advanced league.
The organization that later became the Carolina League formed in 1945, just as World War II was ending, and consisted of only two teams based in southern Virginia. Historically, however, as many as 12 teams in a given year have competed in the Carolina League. Today, the league consists of 10 teams in a region stretching from Delaware to South Carolina, and is divided into a Northern Division and a Southern Division.
History
The league originated in the vicinity of Raleigh, North Carolina, and has since branched out.
A few of the many Carolina League players who have gone on to star in the Major Leagues are: Johnny Bench (Peninsula, 1966), Wade Boggs (Winston-Salem, 1977), Barry Bonds (Prince William, 1985), Rod Carew (Wilson, 1966), Dock Ellis (Kinston, 1965), Dwight Evans (Winston-Salem, 1971), Dwight Gooden (Lynchburg, 1983), Zack Greinke (Wilmington, 2003), Andruw Jones (Durham, 1996), Chipper Jones (Durham, 1992), Willie McCovey (Danville, 1956), Joe Morgan (Durham, 1963), Dave Parker (Salem, 1972), Tony Pérez (Rocky Mount, 1962), Andy Pettitte (Prince William, 1993), Jorge Posada (Prince William, 1993), Darryl Strawberry (Lynchburg, 1981), Bernie Williams (Prince William, 1988), and Carl Yastrzemski (Raleigh, 1959).
Director and screenwriter Ron Shelton's 1988 film Bull Durham, starring Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon, depicted a fictionalized account of the Durham Bulls, at that time a Carolina League team (they have since become a Class AAA team in the International League). Before he began making films, Shelton had a five-year minor league career in the Baltimore Orioles' organization, which included a stint in the Carolina League.
On August 22, 2016, it was announced that the Carolina League would add two expansion teams for the 2017 season to fill two vacant spots at the High-A level previously occupied by the California League's Bakersfield Blaze and High Desert Mavericks franchises, which ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season. The Down East Wood Ducks play in Kinston, North Carolina, as an affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The Buies Creek Astros play in Buies Creek, North Carolina, in 2017 and 2018, until a new stadium in nearby Fayetteville is built for the 2019 season.[2]
Current teams
Current team locations
| Division |
Team |
MLB Affiliation |
City |
Stadium |
Capacity |
| Northern |
Frederick Keys |
Baltimore Orioles (since 1982) |
Frederick, Maryland |
Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium |
5,400 |
| Lynchburg Hillcats |
Cleveland Indians (since 2015) |
Lynchburg, Virginia |
Calvin Falwell Field |
4,281 |
| Potomac Nationals |
Washington Nationals (since 2005) |
Woodbridge, Virginia |
G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium |
6,000 |
| Salem Red Sox |
Boston Red Sox (since 2009) |
Salem, Virginia |
Haley Toyota Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark |
6,300 |
| Wilmington Blue Rocks |
Kansas City Royals (since 2007) |
Wilmington, Delaware |
Daniel S. Frawley Stadium |
6,404 |
| Southern |
Buies Creek Astros |
Houston Astros (since 2017) |
Buies Creek, North Carolina |
Jim Perry Stadium |
1,000 |
| Carolina Mudcats |
Milwaukee Brewers (since 2017) |
Zebulon, North Carolina |
Five County Stadium |
6,500 |
| Down East Wood Ducks |
Texas Rangers (since 2017) |
Kinston, North Carolina |
Grainger Stadium |
4,100 |
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans |
Chicago Cubs (since 2015) |
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark |
6,599 |
| Winston-Salem Dash |
Chicago White Sox (since 1997) |
Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
BB&T Ballpark |
5,500 |
Current team rosters
Past champions
Awards
For league awards, go to the league website, click on "History" and then click on "Carolina League Award Winners."
See also: Baseball awards#Carolina League.
All-time teams (1945–present)
All teams that have competed in the Carolina League from its founding in 1945. Teams in bold are currently active.[3]
- Alamance Indians (1958–64, became the Burlington Senators)
- Alexandria Dukes (1978, became the Alexandria Mariners)
- Alexandria Dukes (1980–83, became the Prince William Pirates)
- Alexandria Mariners (1979, became the Alexandria Dukes)
- Asheville Tourists (1967, moved to Southern League)
- Buies Creek Astros (since 2017; scheduled to move to Fayetteville, NC in 2019)
- Burlington Bees (1945–51, became the Burlington-Graham Pirates)
- Burlington Rangers (1972, folded)
- Burlington Senators (1965–71, became the Burlington Rangers)
- Burlington-Graham Pirates (1952–55, folded)
- Carolina Mudcats (2012–present)
- Danville 97s (1998, became the Myrtle Beach Pelicans)
- Danville Leafs (1945–58, folded)
- Down East Wood Ducks (since 2017; playing in Kinston, NC)
- Durham Bulls (1945–67, merged with the Raleigh Pirates and became the Raleigh-Durham Mets)
- Durham Bulls (1980–97, became the Danville 97s)
- Fayetteville Athletics (1950–52, became the Fayetteville Highlanders)
- Fayetteville Highlanders (1953–56, folded)
- Frederick Keys (1989–present)
- Greensboro Patriots (1945–57, became the Greensboro Yankees)
- Greensboro Patriots (1968, folded)
- Greensboro Yankees (1958–67, became the Greensboro Patriots)
- Hagerstown Suns (1981–88, became the Frederick Keys)
- High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms (1954–58, folded)
- High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms (1968, became the High Point-Thomasville Royals)
- High Point-Thomasville Royals (1969, folded)
- Kinston Blue Jays (1982–85, became the Kinston Eagles)
- Kinston Eagles (1956–57, merged with the Wilson Tobs)
- Kinston Eagles (1962–73, became the Kinston Expos)
- Kinston Eagles (1978–81, became the Kinston Blue Jays)
- Kinston Eagles (1986, became the Kinston Indians)
- Kinston Expos (1974, folded)
- Kinston Indians (1987–2011, became the Carolina Mudcats)
- Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets (1945–47, moved to the Blue Ridge League)
- Lynchburg Hillcats (1995–present)
- Lynchburg Mets (1976–87, became the Lynchburg Red Sox)
- Lynchburg Rangers (1975, became the Lynchburg Mets)
- Lynchburg Red Sox (1988–94, became the Lynchburg Hillcats)
- Lynchburg Twins (1970–74, became the Lynchburg Rangers)
- Lynchburg White Sox (1966–69, became the Lynchburg Twins)
- Martinsville Athletics (1945–49, folded)
- Myrtle Beach Pelicans (1999–present)
- Peninsula Astros (1969–70, became the Peninsula Phillies)
- Peninsula Grays (1964–68, became the Peninsula Astros)
- Peninsula Pennants (1974, folded)
- Peninsula Phillies (1971, folded)
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- Peninsula Pilots (1976–85, became the Peninsula White Sox)
- Peninsula Pilots (1989–92, became the Wilmington Blue Rocks)
- Peninsula Senators (1963, became the Peninsula Grays)
- Peninsula White Sox (1986–87, became the Virginia Generals)
- Potomac Cannons (1999–04, became the Potomac Nationals)
- Potomac Nationals (2005–present)
- Prince William Cannons (1990–98, became the Potomac Cannons)
- Prince William Pirates (1984–86, became the Prince William Yankees)
- Prince William Yankees (1987–89, became the Prince William Cannons)
- Raleigh Capitals (1957–62, became the Raleigh Mets)
- Raleigh Capitals (1945–53, folded)
- Raleigh Cardinals (1964–65, became the Raleigh Pirates)
- Raleigh Mets (1963, became the Raleigh Cardinals)
- Raleigh Pirates (1966–67, merged with the Durham Bulls and became the Raleigh-Durham Mets)
- Raleigh-Durham Mets (1968, became the Raleigh-Durham Phillies)
- Raleigh-Durham Phillies (1969, became the Raleigh-Durham Triangles)
- Raleigh-Durham Triangles (1970–71, folded)
- Red Springs Twins (1969, folded)
- Reidsville Luckies (1948–54, became the Reidsville Phillies)
- Reidsville Phillies (1955, folded)
- Rocky Mount Leafs (1962–63, became the Rocky Mount Senators)
- Rocky Mount Leafs (1965–72, became the Rocky Mount Phillies)
- Rocky Mount Phillies (1973–75, folded)
- Rocky Mount Pines (1980, became the Hagerstown Suns)
- Rocky Mount Senators (1964, became the Rocky Mount Leafs)
- Salem Avalanche (1995–08, became the Salem Red Sox)
- Salem Buccaneers (1987–94, became the Salem Avalanche)
- Salem Pirates (1972–79, became the Salem Redbirds)
- Salem Rebels (1968–71, became the Salem Pirates)
- Salem Red Sox (2009–present)
- Salem Redbirds (1980–86, became the Salem Buccaneers)
- Tidewater Tides (1963–68, moved to the International League)
- Virginia Generals (1988, became the Peninsula Pilots)
- Wilmington Blue Rocks (1993–present)
- Wilson Pennants (1973, folded)
- Wilson Tobs (1956–68, folded)
- Winston-Salem Cardinals (1945–53, became the Winston-Salem Twins)
- Winston-Salem Dash (2009–present)
- Winston-Salem Red Birds (1957–60, became the Winston-Salem Red Sox)
- Winston-Salem Red Sox (1961–83, became the Winston-Salem Spirits)
- Winston-Salem Spirits (1984–94, became the Winston-Salem Warthogs)
- Winston-Salem Twins (1954–56, became the Winston-Salem Red Birds)
- Winston-Salem Warthogs (1995–08, became the Winston-Salem Dash)
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References
External links
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Americas | | Major | |
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Class A Advanced | |
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Class A | |
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Defunct
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Asia | | China | |
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Independent | |
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Women's | |
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Europe | | Euro | |
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Inter-league and Professional National Team Championships | |
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