Wilmington Blue Rocks

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For the 1940–1952 Interstate League Wilmington Blue Rocks, see Wilmington Blue Rocks (1940–52).
Wilmington Blue Rocks
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassAdvanced-A
LeagueCarolina League
DivisionNorthern Division
Major league affiliations
TeamKansas City Royals (1993–2004, 2007–present)
Previous teamsBoston Red Sox (2005–2006)
Minor league titles
League titles (4)
  • 1994
  • 1996
  • 1998
  • 1999
Division titles (5)
  • 1993
  • 1995
  • 2001
  • 2004
  • 2015
Team data
NameWilmington Blue Rocks (1993–present)
BallparkDaniel S. Frawley Stadium (1993–present)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Clark Minker, Main Street Baseball
General managerChris Kemple
ManagerJamie Quirk

The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team located in Wilmington, Delaware. The Blue Rocks play in the Northern Division of the Carolina League.

Franchise history

Frawley Stadium
Rocky Bluewinkle, mascot of the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

The Blue Rocks play in the Carolina League, an advanced Single-A league in minor league baseball. The name "Blue Rocks" was chosen because of the blue granite found along the Brandywine River in Wilmington. The Blue Rocks play at Judy Johnson Field at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium in Wilmington's growing Riverfront district and was instrumental in bringing commerce and public attention to the once ignored and dilapidated area of the city.

The Blue Rocks played their first season in 1993 when the Peninsula Pilots were purchased and relocated to the riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware. Principal owner Frank Boulton and co-owner Bud Harrelson bought the franchise in 1992, moved the team from Hampton, Virginia, and changed their affiliation from the Seattle Mariners' farm system to the Kansas City Royals'.[1] When the franchise moved to Wilmington in 1993, the ballpark was known as Legends Stadium, after the sports legends of Delaware. After Frawley, the Wilmington mayor who played a major role in the creation of the team, died while playing a recreational basketball game, the stadium was renamed Daniel S. Frawley Stadium in his honor.

The Blue Rocks have always been a Kansas City farm team, except for the 2005 and 2006 seasons when the team was affiliated with the Boston Red Sox.

In 2005, the Blue Rocks were featured in SportsCenter's 50 States in 50 Days. Matt Winer reported from a set in left field where Sportscenter did stories on the many mascots of the Blue Rocks. The Aug. 19 game featuring SportsCenter drew the Blue Rocks' largest crowd in team history.

The Blue Rocks have three mascots. One is Rocky Bluewinkle, a blue moose. Another is Mr. Celery, a stalk of celery that comes out to "Song 2" by Blur when Wilmington scores a run, and dances and tosses stalks of celery into the crowd whenever a Blue Rocks player hits a home run. Finally, there is Rubble, a giant blue rock.

Roster

The Wilmington Blue Rocks' alternate logo
Wilmington Blue Rocks roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

Catchers

  • 15 Caleb Farmer
  • 13 Matt Suggs
  • 16 Steven Williams

Infielders

  • 20 Branden Boissiere
  • 5 Will Frizzell
  • 29 Sammy Infante
  • 11 Cortland Lawson
  • 19 Kevin Made
  • 7 Viandel Pena

Outfielders


Manager

Coaches


7-day injured list
* On Washington Nationals 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated February 12, 2024
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • South Atlantic League
 → Washington Nationals minor league players

Playoffs

  • 1993 season: Defeated Frederick 2-0 in semifinals; lost to Winston-Salem 3-1 in championship.
  • 1994 season: Defeated Winston-Salem 3-0 to win championship.
  • 1995 season: Defeated Prince William 2-0 in semifinals; lost to Kinston 3-0 in championship.
  • 1996 season: Defeated Kinston 3-1 to win championship.
  • 1998 season: Defeated Winston-Salem 3-1 to win championship.
  • 1999 season: Tied Myrtle Beach 2-2 for co-championship.
  • 2001 season: Defeated Frederick 2-0 in semifinals; lost to Salem 3-2 in championship.
  • 2002 season: Lost to Lynchburg 2-1 in semifinals.
  • 2003 season: Lost to Lynchburg 2-0 in semifinals.
  • 2004 season: Defeated Potomac 2-1 in semifinals; lost to Kinston 3-2 in championship.
  • 2006 season: Lost to Frederick 2-1 in semifinals.
  • 2007 season: Lost to Frederick 2-0 in semifinals.
  • 2008 season: Lost to Potomac 3-0 in semifinals.
  • 2009 season: Lost to Lynchburg 3-2 in semifinals.
  • 2012 season: Lost to Lynchburg 2-1 in semifinals.
  • 2015 season: Defeated Lynchburg 2-0 in semifinals; lost to Myrtle Beach 3-0 in championship.

Players of note

More than 130 Blue Rocks have gone on to the major leagues, including All-Stars Carlos Beltrán, Lance Carter, Johnny Damon, Zack Greinke, Jon Lieber, José Rosado, and Mike Sweeney. Other former Blue Rock players of note include:

Mike Moustakas during his tenure with the Wilmington Blue Rocks in 2009

Retired numbers

See also

References

  1. ^ "Delaware Gets Carolina League Team". Roanoke Times. 2009-10-30. p. B9.
  2. ^ http://m.milb.com/news/article/201005069844624

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilmington Blue Rocks.
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