Pulaski River Turtles
| Pulaski River Turtles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League | Appalachian League |
| Location | Pulaski, Virginia |
| Ballpark | Calfee Park |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Former name(s) | Pulaski Yankees |
| Colors | Green, black, white, yellow, gray |
| Ownership | Calfee Park Inc. |
| Website | Official website |
The Pulaski River Turtles are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Pulaski, Virginia, and play their home games at Calfee Park.
History
Previous Pulaski teams
Professional baseball was first played in Pulaski, Virginia, in 1942 as the Pulaski Counts. They were affiliated with eight different Major League Baseball teams and also played as an independent club for a few seasons. Their final affiliation as a rookie league professional club was with the New York Yankees.[1] The team played its home games at Calfee Park.
The Pulaski Yankees were awarded Minor League Baseball's top honor, the John H. Johnson President's Award, in 2019. The award recognizes the "complete baseball franchise—based on franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community, and promotion of the baseball industry."[2]
Collegiate summer team
In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Pulaski Yankees were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores.[3] The new team became known as the Pulaski River Turtles.[4] The nickname refers to the team's location in the New River Valley. The 2021 season will mark Pulaski's 55th season fielding teams in the Appalachian League.[5]
References
- ^ Gangloff, Mike (September 9, 2014). "New York Yankees to Field Farm Club in Pulaski". Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ "John H. Johnson President's Award". MiLB.com. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
- ^ "MLB, USA Baseball Announce New Format for Appalachian League". Major League Baseball. September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ McFarling, Aaron (2021-02-05). "Wood bats and hard shells: Pulaski unveils River Turtles nickname, logo". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
- ^ "New for 2021: Pulaski River Turtles". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
