Hickory Crawdads
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Hickory Crawdads Founded in 1993 Hickory, North Carolina | |||||
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| Class-level | |||||
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| Current | Single-A | ||||
| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| League | South Atlantic League | ||||
| Division | Northern Division | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Current | Texas Rangers (2009–present) | ||||
| Previous |
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| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles (3) |
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| Division titles (10) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Nickname | Hickory Crawdads (1993–present) | ||||
Previous names |
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| Colors |
Red, Black, Crawdad Blue, White | ||||
| Ballpark | L. P. Frans Stadium (1993–present) | ||||
Previous parks | Sims Legion Park (1977–1992) | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Hickory Baseball, Inc. | ||||
| Manager | Steve Mintz | ||||
| General Manager | Mark Seaman | ||||
The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball team in Hickory, North Carolina. They are a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2009. From 1999–2008, they were a Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and from their inception in 1993 until 1998 they were a Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The Crawdads play home games at L. P. Frans Stadium. Opened in 1993, L.P. Frans Stadium seats 5,092 fans. The Crawdads won the South Atlantic League Championship in 2002, 2004, and 2015. The team has appeared in the SAL finals three times, and the SAL playoffs ten times.
Notable alumni
- José Bautista
- Joe Beimel
- Matt Capps
- Joe Crede
- Rajai Davis
- Zach Duke
- Jerad Eickhoff
- Joey Gallo
- John Grabow
- Odubel Herrera
- Carlos Lee
- Nomar Mazara
- Andrew McCutchen
- Nate McLouth
- Nyjer Morgan
- Rougned Odor
- Magglio Ordóñez
- Steve Pearce
- Jurickson Profar
- Aaron Rowand
- Neil Walker
- Chris Young
Roster
| Hickory Crawdads roster | ||||
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| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
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Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Mascot
Conrad the Crawdad (established in 1993) is the official mascot of the Crawdads. Conrad, along with his partner Candy Crawdad entertain fans of the team.
Upon purchasing a minor league baseball team from Gastonia, North Carolina, Don Beaver moved the team to his hometown of Hickory, North Carolina. Todd Teague named the team "Hickory Crawdads." Shortly after, Beaver launched a contest requesting the community to assist him in naming the team's mascot. Ryan Windam, a native of Hickory, won the contest with the name "Conrad." Thus, Conrad the Crawdad was born. Standing at approximately six feet tall, Conrad has not missed a single pitch since the team's inception in 1993.[1]
