Durham Bulls

Durham Bulls Founded in 1902 Durham, North Carolina
Team Logo Cap Insignia
Class-level
Triple-A (1998-Present) Single-A (1963-1971, 1980-1997) Class B (1932-33, 1936-43, 1949-1962) Class C (1921-1931, 1945-1948) Class D (1902, 1913-1917, 1920)
Minor league affiliations
International League (1998-Present) South Division Carolina League (1945-1971, 1980-1997) Piedmont League (1920-1933, 1936-1943) North Carolina State League (1913-1917) North Carolina League (1902)
Major league affiliations
Tampa Bay Rays (1998-Present) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2007) Atlanta Braves (1980-1997) Co-op (1970-1971) Philadelphia Phillies (1969, 1932) New York Mets (1967-1968) Houston Astros (1962-66) Detroit Tigers (1948-1961) Boston Red Sox (1945-1947) Brooklyn Dodgers (1941-1943) Cincinnati Reds (1936-1940) New York Yankees (1933)
Name
Durham Bulls (1913-1917, 1920-1933, 1936-1943, 1945-1967, 1980-Present) Durham Tobacconists (1902) Raleigh-Durham Mets (1968) Raleigh-Durham Phillies (1969) Raleigh-Durham Triangles (1970-71)
Ballpark
Durham Bulls Athletic Park (1995-Present) Durham Athletic Park (1926-1933, 1936-1943, 1945-1971, 1980-1994) (known as El Toro Park from 1926-1933) Devereaux Meadow (1968-1971)
Minor league titles
Class titles	2009
League titles	1924, 1925, 1929, 1930, 1940, 1941, 1957, 1965, 1967, 2002, 2003, 2009
Division titles	1980, 1982, 1984, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Owner(s)/Operated by: Capitol Broadcasting Company
Manager: Charlie Montoyo
General Manager: Mike Birling

The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Bulls became internationally famous in 1988 following the release of the movie Bull Durham, which starred the Bulls, Kevin Costner as a veteran catcher, Tim Robbins as a talented young pitcher, and Susan Sarandon as their love interest. The Bulls have also been featured in the film The Rookie.

At the time of Bull Durham, both the real Bulls and their movie counterparts played in the High-A Carolina League, two steps below the team's current position in the Triple-A International League. The Atlanta Braves Carolina League squad which was part of the Durham Bulls franchise from 1980-1997 relocated to American Legion Field in Danville, Virginia to form a new franchise called the Danville 97s. The 97s only played in Danville, Virginia for the 1998 season only. The Danville 97s relocated to BB&T Coastal Field in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the 1999 season to become the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The team is still based in Myrtle Beach and still plays in the Carolina League. This new franchise however, was not granted as an expansion franchise. The Triple-A leagues expanded by two teams to accommodate affiliates for the Major League Baseball expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks, with the Durham Bulls moving up from High-A to Triple-A due to their popularity since they starred in the movie Bull Durham, entering the International League as an expansion franchise. The Bulls then switch affiliates from the Braves to the Devil Rays for the 1998 season. Thus, the franchise acquired the Devil Ray’s Triple-A squad. Through twelve seasons in Triple-A, the team has already won three Governors' Cups. In 2009, the Bulls won their first Triple-A National Championship. In 2002, the Bulls celebrated their 100th anniversary season. On August 2, 2011, the Durham Bulls defeated the Charlotte Knights for their 6,000th win in franchise history.

History

The Durham Bulls were founded in 1902 as the Durham Tobacconists. The Durham Tobacconists were formed on March 18, 1902, with W. G. Bramham, later President of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (Minor League Baseball), as the owner. The Tobacconists took the field for the first time on April 24 in an exhibition game against Trinity College. Their first game in the North Carolina League was at Charlotte on May 5 against the Hornets, and their first home game was against the New Bern Truckers on May 12. The league, however, folded in July, not having played a full season.^[1]

In December 1912, the Durham Tobacconists re-formed as the Durham Bulls in the North Carolina State League. Their first game was on April 24, 1913 at Hanes Field on the Trinity College campus (now the East Campus of Duke University). They defeated the Raleigh Capitals 7-4. On May 30, 1917, however, the North Carolina State League folded due to America's joining of the Allied Powers during World War I. The Bulls were declared league champions, even though the season was shortened to only 36 games.^[1]

The Bulls then joined the Piedmont League, a minor league with clubs scattered around Virginia and North Carolina, on October 31, 1919. Seven years later, in 1926, the team moved to its new home, El Toro Park. The park was dedicated on July 26 by the Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who put on a show by riding a real bull, the team mascot, onto the playing field.^[1]

Six years later, in 1932, the team became affiliated with the National League's Philadelphia Phillies, the first of ten teams that the Bulls have been affiliated with. The next year, the city of Durham purchased El Toro Park, renaming it the Durham Athletic Park after the 1933 season, but the Bulls were unable to operate for the 1934 and 1935 seasons due to the Great Depression. Then, on June 17, 1939, the Durham Athletic Park burned to the ground, hours after the Bulls had defeated Portsmouth 7-3. The groundskeeper, Walter Williams, who slept under the stands, was able to escape. In a remarkable two-week turnaround, the Durham Athletic Park was functioning again by July 2, with the old wooden grandstand replaced by concrete and steel. The stadium also included temporary bleachers and seated 1,000 people. The crowd that day saw the Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 11-4.^[1]

The stadium was completed in April 1940 in time for an exhibition game on April 7 between the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox, that attracts 5,574 fans. Only 1,587 turned out ten days later for the Bulls' first game of the season. On September 5, 1943, the last-place Bulls played their last Piedmont League game, beating Richmond 15-5. The following year, the Piedmont League became an all-Virginia league, and there was no baseball in Durham in 1944.^[2]

In 1945, a second Carolina League formed, and on April 27 the Bulls played their first game in the new league after being suspended for the 1944 season, defeating the Burlington Bees 5-0. Three years later, in September 1948, Tom Wright, a former outfielder with the Bulls, became the first Carolina League player to make the majors when he debuted with the Boston Red Sox. And three years after that, the Bulls made history when their 5-4 loss to the Danville Leafs featured the first black player in Carolina League history, Percy Miller Jr., who played for the Leafs.^[2]

The old bull from Durham Athletic Park, which was added during the filming of Bull Durham.

Football Hall of Famer Clarence Parker was the Bulls' manager from 1949-52. It would not be until April 18, 1957 that the Bulls would field African-American players. On that day, third baseman Bubba Morton and pitcher Ted Richardson took the field in a loss to Greensboro. That season also saw the first Carolina League All-Star game played in Durham.^[2]

In 1968, the Bulls acquired the Raleigh club and merged with them which formed a joint venture of baseball in both Durham and Raleigh as one baseball club. After the merge, the Bulls became known as the Raleigh-Durham Mets, an affiliate of the New York Mets, playing half of its home games in the Durham Athletic Park and half in Raleigh. The team switched affiliations from the Mets to the Philadelphia Phillies and were renamed the Raleigh-Durham Phillies for the 1969 season. The team hasn’t beem affiliated with the Phillies since the 1932 season. The team became independent and were renamed the Raleigh-Durham Triangles for the 1970 season when the Phillies abandoned the team. The team played as the Triangles from 1970-1971. The team folded before the 1972 season, and baseball would not return to Durham until 1980. For the 1980 season the Raleigh-Durham Triangles were reformed and renamed back to Durham Bulls. On June 22 of that same year, the local CBS affiliate broadcast the Bulls game locally, the first time that the Bulls had ever been broadcast on television.^[2] Ten years later, on August 30, 1990, a crowd of 6,202 made the Bulls the first Class-A team in history to pass the 300,000 mark in attendance for an entire season.^[3]

Team owner Miles Wolff began pushing for a new ballpark for the Bulls in 1988 in order to attract a Triple-A baseball, but plans for the stadium were pushed back until the new stadium opened in downtown Durham in 1995. Wolff never saw the completion of the new stadium as an owner, as the Bulls were sold in 1991 to Raleigh-based Capitol Broadcasting Company. Capitol Broadcasting Company president Jim Goodmon initially proposed building the new stadium near Raleigh-Durham International Airport, but after city leaders in Durham offered to renovate the old ballpark or help build a new stadium, the current downtown Durham site was secured.^[3]

On July 17, 1992, the Bulls unveiled their new mascot, Wool E. Bull, a moniker submitted by Durham resident Jim Vickery out of a pool of 500, inspired by the otherwise unrelated novelty song oldie, "Wooly Bully". The "E" in his name supposedly stands for "education." The next June, the Bulls retired the number 18 belonging to Joe Morgan, the only Hall of Famer ever to play for the Bulls, who was a member of the 1963 club. Morgan's number remains the only one ever retired by the club, and he attended the ceremony in which his number was retired. The Bulls also retained the snorting Bull used in the movie Bull Durham. The original bull used in the movie and at Durham Athletic Park can be seen hanging on the wall of the concourse at the Bulls' new stadium, Durham Bulls Athletic Park.^[3]

The new stadium does have a newly built snorting Bull similar to the original. Written on that snorting bull in white font is the following passage: "Hit Bull Win Steak". Beneath it reads "Hit Grass Win Salad". Whenever a Bulls player hits a home run the bull's eyes light up, its tail moves up and down and it snorts steam out of its nose. Whenever a player hits the bull with a home run that player wins a steak dinner at a local restaurant. A fan in the audience during the game will also win a free steak dinner. On April 16, 2007, high winds tore off a piece of the left side of the bull's head.^[4] The damage was fixed by that weekend.^[3] In 2008 it was announced that the second bull will be replaced by a two-sided bull. The old one will be hung in the concourse, just like its predecessor.

The 1997 season, during which the Bulls were an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves from 1980-1997, marked their last year in the Class-A Carolina League. The Carolina League squad that was part of the Durham Bulls franchise relocated to Danville, Virginia in 1998 to become a new franchise called the Danville 97s, before moving to their current home in Myrtle Beach in 1999 to become the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. In 1998 Wolff's dream of attracting Triple-A baseball came true when the Bulls became the Triple-A affiliate of the newly formed Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now Tampa Bay Rays), their parent club ever since, and began play in the International League (IL). That year saw the Bulls play their first game outside the United States when they played road games against the Ottawa Lynx, though it would be another year before they recorded their first win in Canada. The 2001 season saw the Bulls set single-game (10,916 on July 23) and full-season (505,319 set on September 1) attendance records. The Bulls celebrated their 100th anniversary season in 2002. Then, on September 12, 2002, the Bulls won their first IL championship, defeating the Buffalo Bisons 2-0 for the Governors' Cup. Next year, the team became the first in the 119-year history of the championship to sweep back-to-back final playoff series, defeating the Pawtucket Red Sox.^[3]

After missing the playoffs for the 2005 and 2006 seasons, the Durham Bulls captured the South Division title with an 80-64 regular season record. The Bulls defeated the Toledo Mud Hens in a three-game sweep during the first round of the playoffs, but were defeated three games to two in the Governors' Cup Final by the Richmond Braves.^[3] In 2008, with a record of 74-70 the Bulls would once again win the South Division. After defeating the Louisville Bats three games to one in the first round, the Bulls again lost the championship, this time in four games to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. In 2009, they would win the division for a third consecutive season with an 83-61 record. Facing the Louisville Bats in the first round again, the Bulls were victorious in the series, winning in five games. The third time was the charm for the Bulls in the Governors' Cup final. They dethroned the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, who had beaten them the previous season to win the championship. Sweeping the Yankees in three games, the Bulls won their third league championship since joining the International League. The Bulls advanced to the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game against the champions of the Pacific Coast League for the first time in the team's history, as there had been no such game that took place at the time of the Bulls' previous two Governors' Cup championships. Facing the Memphis Redbirds, the Bulls would win their first class championship, scoring the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom half of the eleventh inning.

On August 19th, 2010 the Bulls won their fourth straight division championship. Almost two weeks later the Bulls set their Triple-A wins record winning their 84th game of the 2010 season.

On August 2, 2011, the Durham Bulls defeated the Charlotte Knights, the Chicago White Sox affiliate for their 6,000th win in franchise history with a final score of 18-3.

Explorer Post 50

The Durham Bulls also created a program after they went to Triple-A status called Explorer Post 50. Explorer Post 50 is a program that is similar to Explorer Post 5 which is located at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina. Explorer Post 50 is a youth-based television production group with students who have completed middle-school and are 14 to 20 years old. Explorer Post 50 provides all of the camera work for Durham Bulls TV on RTN, replays and "fan cams" on the video board in left field, and the highlights of all of the Durham Bulls home games. Explorer teaches youth how to produce a live broadcast, including graphics, replays, graphic scores aka "Fox Box", camera work, producing, and directing. Two students from Explorer Post 50 have been hired by ESPN, one at ESPN Regional Television and another at ESPN Master Control. Starting in the 2008 season, Explorer Post 50 hands out academic scholarships to the graduating seniors of the program who are on their way to college. (http://www.durhambulls.com/team/press_release.html?id=654; http://www.durhambulls.com/community/explorer_post.html)

Titles/notable finishes

North Carolina State League

• 1917 - In first place (24-12) when league ceased play due to World War I

Piedmont League

• 1922 - Won second half of the season (69-58 overall) and defeated the High Point Furniture Makers in the play-off to take the title
• 1924 - Won pennant with a 74-46 record
• 1925 - Won first half of the season (68-58 overall) and defeated the Winston-Salem Twins in the playoff to take the title
• 1926 - Won second half of the season (73-71 overall) but lost to the Greensboro Patriots in the playoff
• 1929 - Won pennant with an 85-51 record
• 1930 - Finished second (71-68), defeated the first-place Henderson Gamecocks in a play-off
• 1936 - Finished second (79-63), lost to the first-place Norfolk Tars in the play-offs
• 1939 - Finished second (75-65), lost to the Rocky Mount Red Sox in the play-offs
• 1940 - Finished fourth (73-62) but defeated the Richmond Colts and Rocky Mount Red Sox to take play-off title
• 1941 - Won pennant (84-53), defeated the Norfolk Tars and the Greensboro Patriots to take play-off title

Carolina League

• 1946 - Finished third (80-62), lost to the Raleigh Capitals in the play-off finals
• 1951 - Finished first (84-56), lost to the Reidsville Luckies in the first round of the play-offs
• 1952 - Finished second (76-59), lost to the Reidsville Luckies in the play-off finals
• 1954 - Finished fourth (70-68), lost to the Fayetteville Highlanders in the first round of the play-offs
• 1955 - Finished fourth (69-69), lost to the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms in the first round of the play-offs
• 1956 - Finished second (84-69), lost to the Danville Leafs in the first round of the play-offs
• 1957 - Won first half of the season (79-61 overall) and defeated the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms in the playoff to take the title
• 1959 - Finished third (70-60), lost to the Wilson Tobs in the first round of the play-offs
• 1962 - Finished first (89-51), lost to the Kinston Eagles in the play-off finals
• 1963 - Finished second in the West Division (78-65), lost to the Greensboro Yankees in the first round of the play-offs
• 1965 - Finished first in the West Division (83-60), lost to the Portsmouth Tides in the play-off finals
• 1967 - Finished first in the West Division (74-64), defeated the Portsmouth Tides in the play-off finals
• 1968 - Finished first in the East Division (83-56), lost to the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms in the play-off finals
• 1969 - Finished second in the East Division (79-62), defeated the Burlington Senators in the play-off finals
• 1980 - Finished first in the NC Division (84-56), lost to the Peninsula Pilots in the play-off
• 1982 - Finished second in the South Division (80-56), lost to the Alexandria Dukes in the play-off finals
• 1989 - Finished first in the South Division (84-54), lost to the Prince William Cannons in the play-off finals
• 1994 - Won second half of season in the South Division (66-70 overall), lost to the Winston-Salem Warthogs in the play-offs

(note: the team played as the Raleigh-Durham Mets in 1968 and the Raleigh-Durham Phillies in 1969)

International League The Bulls have won the Governors' Cup (the championship of the IL) three times, and have played in the championship series seven times.

• 1998 - Lost to Buffalo
• 1999 - Lost to Charlotte
• 2002 - Defeated Buffalo
• 2003 - Defeated Pawtucket
• 2007 - South Division Champions; Lost to Richmond
• 2008 - South Division Champions; Lost to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
• 2009 - South Division Champions; Defeated Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
  • Defeated Memphis in National Championship Game
• 2010 - South Division Champions; Lost to Columbus Clippers

Current roster

Durham Bulls rosterview · talk · edit
Players				Coaches/Other
Pitchers 15 Christopher Archer * 14 Brian Baker 43 Joe Bateman 32 Jay Buente * 29 Lance Cormier 44 Dane De La Rosa * -- Richard De Los Santos 36 Rob Delaney * 34 Mike Ekstrom * 33 Matt Moore 46 Adam Russell 12 Andy Sonnanstine * 39 Matt Torra 21 Alexander Torres *		Catchers 38 Nevin Ashley * 28 Robinson Chirinos * 30 Stephen Vogt Infielders 24 Leslie Anderson 22 Tim Beckham 37 Russ Canzler  3 J. J. Furmaniak 23 Dan Johnson 26 Daniel Mayora 13 Ray Olmedo Outfielders  7 Matt Carson  9 Brandon Guyer * 17 Justin Ruggiano # *		Manager 25 Charlie Montoyo Coaches 16 Neil Allen (pitching) 31 Dave Myers (hitting) 7-day disabled list * On Tampa Bay Rays 40-man roster ∞ Reserve list § Suspended list ‡ Restricted list # Rehab assignment Roster updated August 31, 2011 Transactions → More rosters

Former Bulls

The most notable baseball player to have once played for the Bulls is Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. Morgan spent part of the 1963 season with the Bulls before earning a promotion to the Houston Colt 45s (Houston Astros). His number 18 was retired by the team on August 9, 2002, during a postgame ceremony which he attended. Danny Gans, a famous Las Vegas entertainer, once played for the Bulls and played the third baseman in Bull Durham before suffering a career ending injury.

Other famous Bulls who are currently or were once in the majors include:

Steve Avery Rocco Baldelli Grant Balfour Joe Beimel Jim Bibby Jeff Blauser Bob Boone Jorge Cantú Norm Charlton Carl Crawford Steve Cox Lawrence "Crash" Davis Elijah Dukes Julio Franco Ron Gant

Jonny Gomes José Guillén Toby Hall Jason Hammel Michel Hernandez Aubrey Huff Edwin Jackson Dan Johnson Chipper Jones Andruw Jones David Justice Ryan Klesko Wes Livengood Mickey Lolich Javier López

Greg Luzinski Kevin Millwood Joe Morgan Jim Morris Fernando Perez Johnny Pesky Shawn Riggans Juan Salas Jason Schmidt Rusty Staub Mitch Talbot Johnny Vander Meer Dan Wheeler Randy Winn Delmon Young

Current Rays who were once Bulls:

• J.P. Howell
• John Jaso
• Evan Longoria
• Jeff Niemann
• David Price
• James Shields
• Andy Sonnanstine
• B.J. Upton
• Ben Zobrist
• Reid Brignac
• Wade Davis
• Jeremy Hellickson
• Dan Johnson
• Elliot Johnson
• Sean Rodriguez
• Matt Joyce
• Matt Moore
• Jake McGee
• Jose Lobaton
• Brandon Guyer
• Dane De La Rosa
• Alex Cobb
• Brandon Gomes
• Cesar Ramos
• Alexander Torres
• Robinson Chirinos
• Kelly Shoppach
• Russ Canzler
• Casey Kotchman
• Desmond Jennings
• Justin Ruggiano

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Bulls History (1902-1939)". http://www.durhambulls.com/team/history.html?1902-1939. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Bulls History (1940-1988)". http://www.durhambulls.com/team/history.html?1940-1988. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Bulls History (1990-2007)". http://www.durhambulls.com/team/history.html?1990-2007. 
4. ^ Durham Bulls press release, 16 April 2007. The press release also includes a picture of the damage.

External links

• Durham Bulls web site