Mobile BayBears
Encyclopedia
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team based in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The team, which plays in the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, is the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
club. The BayBears play in Hank Aaron Stadium
Hank Aaron Stadium
Hank Aaron Stadium is a baseball park in Mobile, Alabama. It hosts the Mobile BayBears, a minor-league professional team in the Southern League. The stadium opened in 1997 and has a capacity of 6,000. The ballpark was named after Major League Baseball's home run king and Mobile native Hank Aaron...
, named after baseball's former all-time home run king and Mobile native Hank Aaron. Opened in 1997, the park seats 6,000 spectators.
The BayBears franchise was located in Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
from 1995 to 1996 under the name of the Port City Roosters
Port City Roosters
The Port City Roosters were a minor league baseball team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. The team, which played in the Southern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners major-league club. The Roosters played in Brooks Field on the campus of the University of North Carolina,...
. From 1993 to 1994, they were the Nashville Xpress
Nashville Xpress
The Nashville Xpress were a minor league baseball team of the Southern League from 1993 to 1994. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee and played home games at Herschel Greer Stadium, which opened in 1978...
located in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, after relocating from Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
where they were the first incarnation of the Charlotte Knights
Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a minor league baseball team representing Charlotte, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox of the American League...
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From 1997 to 2006, the BayBears were the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
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History
The name of the team was announced in July 1996. The name was chosen from a name-the-team contest. Mobile mayor Mike Dow announced the name at that year's Mobile Fourth of July fireworks display. In September 1996, the BayBears signed an affiliation agreement with the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
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Bay Bears Hall of Famers
- Dusty AllenDusty AllenDusty Allen , is a retired Major League Baseball player who played infielder in . He would play for the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres.-External links:...
- Ben DavisBen Davis (baseball)Mark Christopher "Ben" Davis is a former Major League Baseball catcher. Davis began his career as a promising catcher, but converted to a pitcher in...
- Buddy CarlyleBuddy CarlyleEarl Lester "Buddy" Carlyle is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent...
- Matt ClementMatt ClementMatthew Paul Clement is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Clement played for the San Diego Padres , Florida Marlins , Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox . While on the Red Sox active roster, he was injured all of the 2007 season...
- Kevin Nicholson
- Brian TollbergBrian TollbergBrian Tollberg , is a retired Major League Baseball player who played pitcher from -. He played for the San Diego Padres....
- Wiki GonzalezWiki GonzálezWiklenman Vicente "Wiki" González is a former Major League Baseball player. González's MLB career was with the San Diego Padres , the Seattle Mariners , and the Washington Nationals ....
- Jake PeavyJake PeavyJacob Edward Peavy is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Chicago White Sox. He bats and throws right-handed...