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Bluefield Blue Jays

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Template:Infobox Minor League Baseball The Bluefield Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia.<ref name="jays">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The team played their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park, a historic stadium (opened in 1939) in Bluefield's city park. The park, which straddles the West Virginia–Virginia state line, was operated by the West Virginia city; however, Bowen Field lies entirely within Virginia.

Upon the minor league reorganization in 2020, the team's partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays ended and they were reorganized as the Bluefield Ridge Runners.

HistoryEdit

On August 28, 2010, Andy MacPhail, then-president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles announced that Baltimore was ending their affiliation with Bluefield and the Appalachian League, effective at the end of that season.<ref name="bdt28Aug2010">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="bsunblog">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bluefield's 53-season affiliation with the Orioles, which lasted from 1958 to 2010, had been the oldest continuous affiliation with the same major league franchise in Minor League Baseball.<ref name="bsunblog" />

The Orioles were sometimes known as the "Baby Birds" or the "Baby O's", a reference to their major league parent club. One of the best known players to have played in Bluefield is Cal Ripken Jr., who played with Bluefield in 1978 when he was 17 years old. Another famous former Baby Bird is Boog Powell, who played there in 1959, also as a 17 year old.

Bluefield became an affiliate organization with the Toronto Blue Jays for the 2011 season.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Outfielder Kevin Pillar played for Bluefield that season, batted .347, won the Appalachian League batting title, and led the Blue Jays minor leaguers in batting average.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He holds Bluefield's all-time records for batting average, on-base percentage (.377), and slugging percentage (.534).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In August 2013, Pillar became the first Bluefield Blue Jays alumnus to play for Toronto.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="2020can">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 Blue Jays were replaced by a new franchise known as the Ridge Runners<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

PlayoffsEdit

Notable alumniEdit

Template:Div col Hall of Fame alumni

Notable alumni

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See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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