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Carolina Mudcats
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Carolina Mudcats | ||
|
||
| League | Southern League | |
| Division | North Division | |
| Year founded | 1991 | |
| Major League affiliation | Florida Marlins | |
| Home ballpark | Five County Stadium | |
| Previous home ballparks | Golden Park, Columbus, Georgia | |
| City | Zebulon, North Carolina | |
| Current uniform colors | black, red | |
| Previous uniform colors | ||
| Logo design | A capital "C" in red outlined in black with a mudcat swimming in the opening of the "C." | |
| Division titles | ||
| League titles | 1995, 2003 | |
| Manager | Brandon Hyde | |
| Owner | Steve Bryant | |
The Carolina Mudcats are a minor league baseball team based in the eastern suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins major-league club.
The Mudcats' origins date back to 1970 when the team, then known as the Columbus Astros, began play in historic Golden Park in Columbus, Georgia. Following the 1988 season, new owner Steve Bryant held a contest among season-ticket holders to rename the team. As a result, in 1989 the team became known as the Columbus Mudcats. In 1991, Bryant moved the club to North Carolina and renamed it the Carolina Mudcats.[1] Today, the Mudcats play in Five County Stadium in Zebulon, North Carolina. Built in 1991 and renovated in 1999, the park seats 6,500 fans. The park is located in Wake County, but it is near Nash, Johnston, Franklin and Wilson counties, hence the ballpark's name.
The team does not sell tickets to games, per se, but rather fishing licenses to see the team play.
Since becoming an affiliate of the Marlins, the Marlins have elected to bring many of their top prospects up to the major leagues directly from Carolina. (This is partially due to the geographic proximity of the Mudcats compared to the Marlins' Class AAA club in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and partially due to the Pacific Coast League's reputation as a hitter-friendly league.) Some of the players who the Marlins have brought up directly from Carolina include Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, Jason Vargas, Scott Olsen, Logan Kensing (who was brought up directly from Class A Jupiter the previous year), Chris Resop, Josh Johnson, Yorman Bazardo, Jeremy Hermida, and Robert Andino.
The Mudcats have won the Southern League championship twice, once in 1995 and again in 2003.
Many Mudcats have reached the majors. These are some of the players that have gone on to be successful:
- Bronson Arroyo (1998)
- Kris Benson (1997)
- Miguel Cabrera (2003)
- Midre Cummings (1993)
- Chone Figgins (2001)
- Freddy Garcia (1997)
- Jason Kendall (1994, 1995)
- Esteban Loaiza (1993, 1994)
- Juan Pierre (2000)
- Anibal Sanchez (2006)
- Doug Strange (1998)
- Juan Uribe (2001)
- Andy Van Slyke (1993)
- Dontrelle Willis (2003)
- Tim Wakefield (1991)
- Craig Wilson (1998)
- ^ Mudcats celebrate 15th year in Five County, Wilson Daily Times; retrieved February 2007
| Florida Marlins Franchise | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | AA | A | Rookie |
| Albuquerque Isotopes | Carolina Mudcats |
Jupiter Hammerheads Greensboro Grasshoppers Jamestown Jammers |
Gulf Coast Marlins VSL Marlins |
| Southern League | ||
| Northern Division | Southern Division | |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Mudcats | Chattanooga Lookouts | Huntsville Stars | Tennessee Smokies | West Tenn Diamond Jaxx | Birmingham Barons | Jacksonville Suns | Mississippi Braves | Mobile BayBears | Montgomery Biscuits | |