Bluefield Orioles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bluefield Orioles Founded in 1946 Bluefield, West Virginia | |||
| |||
| Class-Level | |||
| |||
| Minor League affiliations | |||
| |||
| Major League affiliations | |||
| |||
| Name | |||
| |||
| Ballpark | |||
| |||
| Minor League titles | |||
| League titles | 1949, 1950, 1954, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1982, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2001 | ||
| Division titles | 1971, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002 | ||
| Owner(s)/Operated by: | |||
| Manager: | |||
| General Manager: | |||
The Bluefield Orioles, a professional baseball team, are a minor league affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia and Bluefield, Virginia. The club plays in the Appalachian League, a Rookie League whose players are mostly newly-signed professionals.
Bluefield's link with the Orioles, which started in 1958, is currently the oldest continuous affiliation with the same major-league franchise in Minor League Baseball. The Orioles are celebrating their 50th season this year (2007).
The Bluefield Orioles play their home games at Bowen Field, a historic stadium (opened in 1939) in Bluefield's city park. The park, which straddles the Virginia-West Virginia state line, is operated by the West Virginia city; however, Bowen Field lies entirely within Virginia.
The team's nicknames are the "Baby Birds" or the "Baby O's." Their most famous former player is Cal Ripken, Jr., who played with the club in 1978 when he was 17 years old. Another famous former Baby Bird is John "Boog" Powell, who played in Bluefield in 1959, also as a 17 year-old.
[edit] External links
| Baltimore Orioles franchise
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | AA | A | Rookie |
| Norfolk Tides | Bowie Baysox | Frederick Keys Delmarva Shorebirds Aberdeen IronBirds | Bluefield Orioles GCL Orioles VSL Orioles |
Appalachian League | |
|---|---|
| Eastern Division | Bluefield Orioles • Burlington Royals • Danville Braves • Princeton Devil Rays • Pulaski Mariners |
| Western Division | Bristol White Sox • Elizabethton Twins • Greeneville Astros • Johnson City Cardinals • Kingsport Mets |
