Carolina League
 Carolina League logo |
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| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1945 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country(ies) | USA |
| Most recent champion(s) | Frederick Keys |
| Official website | Official Website |
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth step between Rookie ball and the major leagues. Although Minor League Baseball, the umbrella organization for minor leagues that are affiliated with Major League Baseball, has eliminated the distinction between High-A and other full-season A leagues, most major-league teams still use such leagues as a standard promotion step. A few draftees, generally those taken in the early rounds of the draft and those with significant college experience, will be assigned to a High-A team upon signing a professional contract, but most players do not reach the High-A level until their third or fourth year of professional play.
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 for the Carolina League pennant, and most of the league's teams have represented towns and cities in North Carolina. Today, the league consists of eight teams in a region stretching from Delaware to South Carolina, and is divided into a Northern Division and a Southern Division. The division champions from the first half and second half of each season compete in a best-of-five divisional playoff, with the winners advancing to the best-of-five league championship, the winner of which receives the Mills Cup.
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[edit] 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), 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.
In 2012, the Carolina League thought of placing two new teams, most possible sites are Columbia, South Carolina and Fayetteville, North Carolina. The Kinston Indians relocated to Zebulon, North Carolina east of Raleigh next year to replace the AA level Carolina Mudcats and will adapt the "Mudcats" name.[citation needed]
[edit] Current teams
| Division | Team | MLB Affiliation | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern | Frederick Keys | Baltimore Orioles | Frederick, Maryland | Harry Grove Stadium | 5,400 |
| Lynchburg Hillcats | Atlanta Braves | Lynchburg, Virginia | Calvin Falwell Field | 4,000 | |
| Potomac Nationals | Washington Nationals | Woodbridge, Virginia | G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium | 6,000 | |
| Wilmington Blue Rocks | Kansas City Royals | Wilmington, Delaware | Daniel S. Frawley Stadium | 6,532 | |
| Southern | Carolina Mudcats | Cleveland Indians | Zebulon, North Carolina (Raleigh Area) | Five County Stadium | 6,500 |
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | Texas Rangers | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | BB&T Coastal Field | 4,875 | |
| Salem Red Sox | Boston Red Sox | Salem, Virginia (Roanoke area) | Lewis-Gale Field | 4,968 (expandable to 6,300) | |
| Winston-Salem Dash | Chicago White Sox | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | BB&T Ballpark | 6,000 |
[edit] Current team rosters
[edit] Carolina League champions
(1) Series tied 2-2 when canceled because of Hurricane Floyd. Teams declared co-champions.
[edit] Complete team list (1945-present)
[edit] Composite standings
(through 62 years)
| Team | Years | W | L | Pct. | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Blue Rocks | 14 | 1070 | 879 | .549 | 4 |
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 8 | 590 | 524 | .530 | 2 |
| Kinston Indians | 43 | 3137 | 2809 | .528 | 6 |
| Winston-Salem Dash | 62 | 4373 | 4265 | .506 | 11 |
| Lynchburg Hillcats | 41 | 2861 | 2812 | .504 | 6 |
| Frederick Keys | 26 | 1780 | 1818 | .495 | 3 |
| Salem Red Sox | 39 | 2599 | 2810 | .480 | 4 |
| Potomac Nationals | 29 | 1899 | 2118 | .473 | 4 |
[edit] External links
- Carolina League Official site
- Carolina League Champions
- Carolina League at the Open Directory Project
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