Bluefield Blue Jays

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.^[1] 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.

Bluefield Blue Jays
1937–2020 Bluefield, Virginia
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class	Advanced Rookie (1963–2020) Class D− (1957–1962) Class D (1946–1955) Class C (1942) Class D (1937–1940)
League	Appalachian League (1946–1955, 1957–2020) Mountain State League (1937–1942)
Major league affiliations
Team	Toronto Blue Jays (2011–2020) Baltimore Orioles (1958–2010) Brooklyn Dodgers (1957) Boston Red Sox (1954–1955) Washington Senators (1953) Boston Braves (1946–1951)
Minor league titles
League titles (14)	1949 1950 1954 1957 1962 1963 1967 1970 1971 1982 1992 1996 1997 2001
Division titles (12)	1971 1974 1976 1982 1992 1995 1996 1997 2001 2002 2011 2017
Team data
Name	Bluefield Blue Jays (2011–2020) Bluefield Orioles (1958–2010) Bluefield Dodgers (1957) Bluefield Blue-Grays (1937–1942, 1946–1955)
Colors	Blue, White
Ballpark	Bowen Field at Peters Park (1946–1955, 1957–2020)

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

History

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 the 2010 Appalachian League season.^[2][3] 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.^[3]

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 Toronto for the 2011 season.^[4]

Outfielder Kevin Pillar played for the Bluefield Blue Jays in 2011, and batted .347, winning the Appalachian League batting title and leading the organization in batting average.^[5][6] He holds the team's all-time records for batting average, on-base percentage (.377), and slugging percentage (.534).^[7] In August 2013, Pillar became the first Bluefield Blue Jays alumnus to play in the major leagues for Toronto.^[8]

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.^[9][10] 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^[11] in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores.^[12]

Playoffs

• 1992: Defeated Elizabethton 2–1 to win championship.
• 1995: Lost to Kingsport 2–1 in finals.
• 1996: Defeated Kingsport 2–1 to win championship.
• 1997: Defeated Pulaski 2–0 to win championship.
• 2001: Defeated Elizabethton 2–1 to win championship.
• 2002: Lost to Bristol 2–1 in finals.
• 2011: Defeated Elizabethton 2–1 in semifinals; lost to Johnson City 2–0 in finals.
• 2013: Lost to Pulaski 2–0 in semifinals.
• 2017: Lost to Pulaski 2–1 in semifinals.
• 2018: Lost to Princeton 2–1 in semifinals.

Notable alumni

Hall of Fame alumni

• Travis Jackson (MGR 1951) Inducted, 1983
• Eddie Murray (1973) Inducted, 2003
• Cal Ripken Jr. (1978) Inducted, 2007

Notable alumni

• Joe Altobelli (1966–1967, MGR) Manager: 1983 World Series Champion – Baltimore Orioles
• Bob Bailor (1970)
• Don Baylor (1967) MLB All-Star; 1979 AL Most Valuable Player
• Mark Belanger (1962) MLB All-Star; 8 x Gold Glove
• Armando Benitez (1992) 2 x MLB All-Star
• Mike Boddicker (1978) 2 x MLB All-Star; 1984 AL ERA Leader
• Zach Britton (2006) 2 x MLB All-Star; 2016 AL Saves Leader
• Don Buford (2003) MGR) MLB All-Star
• Enos Cabell (1969)
• Dean Chance (1959) 2 x MLB All-Star; 1964 AL Cy Young Award
• Storm Davis (1979) MLB All-Star
• Doug DeCinces (1970) MLB All-Star
• David Dellucci (1995)
• Duffy Dyer (1999, MGR)
• Andy Etchebarren (1993–1994,1998, MGR) 2 x MLB All-Star
• Jim Frey (1964–1965, MGR) 1984 NL Manager of the Year
• Bobby Grich (1967) 6 x MLB All-Star
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2016, 2018)
• Ricky Gutierrez (1978)
• Jerry Hairston Jr. (1997)
• Pete Harnisch (1987) MLB All-Star
• Larry Haney (1961)
• Billy Hunter (1962–1963, MGR) MLB All-Star
• Jim Johnson (2002–2003) MLB All-Star; 2012, 2013 MLB Saves Leader
• Mark Leiter (1983)
• Sparky Lyle (1964) 3 x MLB All-Star; 1977 AL Cy Young Award
• Ken McBride (1954) 3 x MLB All-Star
• Bill Monbouquette (1955) 4 x MLB All-Star
• Johnny Oates (1967) 1996 AL Manager of the Year
• Roberto Osuna (2012) MLB All-Star
• Kevin Pillar (2011)
• Sidney Ponson (1995)
• Boog Powell (1959) 4 x MLB All-Star; 1970 AL Most Valuable Player
• Arthur Rhodes (1988) MLB All-Star
• Billy Ripken (1982–1983)
• Aaron Sanchez (2011) MLB All-Star ; 2016 AL ERA Leader
• Jonathan Schoop (2010) MLB All-Star
• John Shelby (1977)
• Ron Shelton (1967) Director, screenwriter of the 1988 film Bull Durham
• Vic Sorrell (1938–1940)
• Sammy Stewart (1975)
• Noah Syndergaard (2011) MLB All-Star
• Gregg Zaun (1990)

Scott Emerson (1992 ) (Oakland Athletics Pitching Coach)

References

1. "Blue Jays fly into Bluefield to replace the Orioles". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. September 7, 2010. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
2. "Orioles leaving Bluefield". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. August 28, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
3. "Orioles out of Bluefield". Orioles Insider: Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
4. "MORNING UPDATE: Blue Jays fly into Bluefield to replace the Orioles". bdtonline.com. September 7, 2010. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
5. Eric Sondheimer (November 9, 2011). "Baseball: Ex-Chaminade player Kevin Pillar to receive honor". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
6. "2013 Prospect Watch". mlb.com. May 24, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
7. "2012 Bluefield Blue Jays Media Guide". Retrieved August 19, 2013. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
8. . Archived from the original on 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
9. "A Message From Pat O'Conner". Minor League Baseball. March 13, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
10. "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
11. "New for 2021: Bluefield Ridge Runners | Ballpark Digest". Ballpark Digest. 17 February 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
12. "MLB, USA Baseball Announce New Format for Appalachian League". Major League Baseball. September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.

External links

• Official website
• Statistics from Baseball-Reference