There have been minor league baseball teams in the past that played in Raleigh using the name Capitals. Some of these Raleigh teams also used names such as Senators, Red Birds, Nats, Mets, Cardinals, and Pirates.
Raleigh's first professional baseball franchise dates back to 1900 in the form of the Raleigh Senators of the North Carolina Association. The Senators moved to the Virginia–North Carolina League in 1901. The team then switched leagues again to the North Carolina League and changed their name to the Raleigh Red Birds. The team folded after the 1902 season.[2]
In 1908, a new franchise was formed and began playing in the Eastern Carolina League. This franchise took up the name Red Birds. The second Red Birds franchise folded after the 1910 season.
In 1913, another franchise formed and began playing in the North Carolina State League. This team took up the name Raleigh Capitals (first Raleigh team called Capitals). The team folded after the 1917 season.
In 1920, a new franchise called the Raleigh Nats formed and began playing in the Piedmont League. The team was renamed Red Birds (third Raleigh team to be called Red Birds) in 1921 and was renamed Capitals, reusing the Capitals moniker. This team operated from 1920–1928. The team then folded after that.
The last Raleigh franchise which also was the last team to take up the Capitals name was formed in 1958 and began playing in the Carolina League as the Capitals from 1958–1962, Mets in 1963, Cardinals in 1964 and 1965, and finally Pirates in 1966 and 1967.[1] The rival Durham, North Carolina based Durham Bulls franchise who also played in the Carolina League and were a New York Mets affiliate acquired the Raleigh franchise. The Raleigh team then merged into the Durham Bulls. The result was that the Durham Bulls continued as the same franchise while maintaining their affiliation with the Mets and the Raleigh team ceased operations. Despite the Durham Bulls continued as the same franchise, the Bulls were renamed Raleigh-Durham Mets and split their home games between their home stadium Durham Athletic Park in Durham and at Devereaux Meadow in Raleigh for the 1968 season. The team then played as the Phillies as a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate in 1969 and Triangles for the 1970 and 1971 seasons and disbanded in 1972. The Durham franchise reformed in 1980 under their original name "Durham Bulls" and returned to the Carolina League as an Atlanta Braves affiliate. The Bulls now play in the International League at the Triple-A level as a Tampa Bay Rays affiliate.
Today
Despite Raleigh not having a professional baseball team since 1972, the area still has professional baseball. The Zebulon, North Carolina based Carolina Mudcats and the Durham, North Carolina based Durham Bulls are the current minor league baseball teams in the area. The Durham Bulls were one of the rival clubs that played against Raleigh baseball teams between the years of 1913–1967.
^ ab"1961 Minor League Affiliates". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved Aug 8, 2019.
^Holaday, Chris (2016). Professional Baseball in North Carolina: An Illustrated City-by-city History, 1901-1996. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. ISBN978-0786425532.
External links
Raleigh, North Carolina Minor League City Encyclopedia for Baseball
February 04, 2023
raleigh, capitals, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, march, 2. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Raleigh Capitals news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Raleigh Capitals was a name used by various minor league baseball teams that were based in Raleigh North Carolina Most of these teams played at Devereaux Meadow Raleigh Capitals 1900 1902 1908 1910 1913 1917 1921 1928 1945 1953 1958 1967 Raleigh North CarolinaMinor league affiliationsPrevious classesClass A 1963 1967 Class B 1932 1949 1962 Class C 1901 1902 1921 1931 1945 1948 Class D 1908 1920 Previous leaguesCarolina League 1945 1953 1958 1967 Piedmont League 1921 1928 North Carolina State League 1913 1917 Eastern Carolina League 1908 1910 North Carolina League 1902 Virginia North Carolina League 1901 North Carolina Association 1900 Major league affiliationsPrevious teamsPittsburgh Pirates 1966 1967 St Louis Cardinals 1964 1965 New York Mets 1963 Washington Senators 1962 Boston Red Sox 1958 1960 Boston Braves 1946 Cincinnati Reds 1945 1 Minor league titlesLeague titles4 1901 1921 1946 1947 Team dataPrevious namesRaleigh Pirates 1966 1967 Raleigh Cardinals 1964 1965 Raleigh Mets 1963 Raleigh Capitals 1913 1917 1922 1928 1931 1932 1945 1953 1958 1962 Raleigh Red Birds 1902 1908 1910 1921 Raleigh Senators 1901 BallparkDevereaux Meadow 1945 1953 1957 1967 There have been minor league baseball teams in the past that played in Raleigh using the name Capitals Some of these Raleigh teams also used names such as Senators Red Birds Nats Mets Cardinals and Pirates The last Raleigh franchise existed from 1958 1967 and played in Carolina League This team merged into the Durham North Carolina based Durham Bulls in 1968 who also played in the Carolina League now playing in the International League Contents 1 History of baseball in Raleigh 2 Today 3 Notable Raleigh alumni 4 References 5 External linksHistory of baseball in Raleigh EditRaleigh s first professional baseball franchise dates back to 1900 in the form of the Raleigh Senators of the North Carolina Association The Senators moved to the Virginia North Carolina League in 1901 The team then switched leagues again to the North Carolina League and changed their name to the Raleigh Red Birds The team folded after the 1902 season 2 In 1908 a new franchise was formed and began playing in the Eastern Carolina League This franchise took up the name Red Birds The second Red Birds franchise folded after the 1910 season In 1913 another franchise formed and began playing in the North Carolina State League This team took up the name Raleigh Capitals first Raleigh team called Capitals The team folded after the 1917 season In 1920 a new franchise called the Raleigh Nats formed and began playing in the Piedmont League The team was renamed Red Birds third Raleigh team to be called Red Birds in 1921 and was renamed Capitals reusing the Capitals moniker This team operated from 1920 1928 The team then folded after that The last Raleigh franchise which also was the last team to take up the Capitals name was formed in 1958 and began playing in the Carolina League as the Capitals from 1958 1962 Mets in 1963 Cardinals in 1964 and 1965 and finally Pirates in 1966 and 1967 1 The rival Durham North Carolina based Durham Bulls franchise who also played in the Carolina League and were a New York Mets affiliate acquired the Raleigh franchise The Raleigh team then merged into the Durham Bulls The result was that the Durham Bulls continued as the same franchise while maintaining their affiliation with the Mets and the Raleigh team ceased operations Despite the Durham Bulls continued as the same franchise the Bulls were renamed Raleigh Durham Mets and split their home games between their home stadium Durham Athletic Park in Durham and at Devereaux Meadow in Raleigh for the 1968 season The team then played as the Phillies as a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate in 1969 and Triangles for the 1970 and 1971 seasons and disbanded in 1972 The Durham franchise reformed in 1980 under their original name Durham Bulls and returned to the Carolina League as an Atlanta Braves affiliate The Bulls now play in the International League at the Triple A level as a Tampa Bay Rays affiliate Today EditDespite Raleigh not having a professional baseball team since 1972 the area still has professional baseball The Zebulon North Carolina based Carolina Mudcats and the Durham North Carolina based Durham Bulls are the current minor league baseball teams in the area The Durham Bulls were one of the rival clubs that played against Raleigh baseball teams between the years of 1913 1967 Notable Raleigh alumni Edit Hank Greenberg Ken Singleton Hall of Fame alumni Hank Greenberg 1930 Inducted 1956 Enos Slaughter 1961 MGR Inducted 1985 Carl Yastrzemski 1959 Inducted 1989Other notable alumni Jim Bibby 1968 MLB All Star Bob Boone 1969 4 x MLB All Star Gene Clines 1967 Galen Cisco 1958 1959 Crash Davis 1949 1952 Rawly Eastwick 1971 2 NL saves leader 1975 1976 Gene Garber 1966 1967 Cliff Johnson 1970 Cleon Jones 1963 MLB All Star Greg Luzinski 1969 4 x MLB All Star 1975 NL RBI leader Jon Matlack 1968 3 x MLB All Star 1972 NL Rookie of the Year Bob Moose 1966 Jerry Morales 1968 MLB All Star Al Oliver 1966 7 x MLB All Star Dick Radatz 1959 1960 2 x MLB All Star Manny Sanguillen 1966 3 x MLB All Star Ken Singleton 1968 3 x MLB All Star Mike Torrez 1965 MLB All Star Wilbur Wood 1960 3 x MLB All StarReferences Edit a b 1961 Minor League Affiliates Baseball Reference com Retrieved Aug 8 2019 Holaday Chris 2016 Professional Baseball in North Carolina An Illustrated City by city History 1901 1996 Jefferson N C McFarland ISBN 978 0786425532 External links EditRaleigh North Carolina Minor League City Encyclopedia for Baseball Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Raleigh Capitals amp oldid 1109446146, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
