The Pulaski Yankees were a
minor league baseball
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
team based in
Pulaski, Virginia, United States. They were an
Advanced Rookie League team in the
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Collegiate summer baseball, collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wooden ...
. The team played its home games at
Calfee Park. They were affiliated with several
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
teams, including the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
in their final season.
The Pulaski Yankees were awarded Minor League Baseball's top honor, the
John H. Johnson President's Award, in 2019. The award recognizes the "complete baseball franchise—based on franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community, and promotion of the baseball industry."
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.
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 Yankees were replaced by a new franchise, the
Pulaski River Turtles, in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores.
Pulaski baseball history
* Pulaski Counts, , –
* Pulaski Phillies, –, –
* Pulaski Cubs, –
* Pulaski Braves, –
* Pulaski Rangers, –
* Pulaski Blue Jays, –
* Pulaski Mariners, –
* Pulaski Yankees, –
Pulaski's teams won the
Appalachian League's championship in , , , and .
Pulaski was the 2010 Appalachian League Eastern Division Champion.
Ballpark
The Pulaski Yankees played at
Calfee Park. Calfee Park opened in 1935 and had a capacity of 3,200 fans. A number of houses that surround the park had good views of games.
The park had major renovations prior to the season, with a new grandstand behind the plate and along the first-base side as well as "open-air suites" (railed-in areas with picnic tables) farther down on the first-base line. A new scoreboard was also installed.
Since the Shelor Automotive Group purchased Calfee Park from the Town of Pulaski in 2015, ownership has completed numerous upgrades including a renovated home team clubhouse; a new visiting team clubhouse, concession stand, press box, and souvenir store; the addition of two VIP Towers, upgrading seating, and a 35’ x 22’ JumboTron; a Bermuda grass playing field and new irrigation system; construction of new home offices for ballpark employees; and the expansion of the upper concourse.
Most recently prior to the 2019 season, a three-tiered party deck and new boxes were added along the third base line, increasing the ballpark's capacity to 3,200. Additional upgrades including 800 new seats behind the party deck and new concessions points of sale were planned for 2020 before being put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Calfee Park was voted the best rookie-level ballpark in America in 2019 and 2020 by a fan vote in Ballpark Digest's annual Best of the Ballparks competition.
Playoffs
*2019: Lost to
Burlington 2–1 in semifinals.
*2017: Defeated
Bluefield 2–1 in semifinals; lost to
Elizabethton 2–0 in finals.
*2015: Lost to
Princeton 2–1 in semifinals.
*2013: Defeated
Bluefield 2–0 in semifinals; defeated
Greeneville 2–0 to win championship.
*2010: Lost to
Elizabethton 2–0 in semifinals.
*2008: Lost to
Elizabethton 2–0 in finals.
*1999: Lost to
Martinsville 2–0 in finals.
*1997: Lost to
Bluefield 2–0 in finals.
*1991: Defeated
Burlington 2–0 to win championship.
*1989: Lost to
Elizabethton 2–0 in finals.
*1986: Defeated
Johnson City 2–1 to win championship.
*1984: Lost to
Elizabethton 1–0 in finals.
Notable Pulaski alumni
*
Steve Avery (1988) MLB All-Star
*
Jeff Blauser (1984) 2 x MLB All-Star
*
Don Cardwell (1954)
*
Larry Christenson (1972)
*
Mark Clear (1974) 2 x MLB All-Star
*
Julio Cruz (MGR, 1997)
*
David Elder (1997)
*
Jim Essian (1970)
*
Tony Graffanino (1990)
*
Dallas Green (1970, MGR) Manager: 1980 World Series Champion - Philadelphia Phillies
*
Aaron Harang (1999)
*
David Justice (1985) 3 x MLB All-Star; 1990 NL Rookie of the Year
*
Mike Lamb (1997)
*
Kameron Loe (2002)
*
Colby Lewis (1999)
*
Grady Little (MGR, 1986–1987)
*
Javy López (1989) 3 x MLB All-Star
*
Jerry Martin (1971)
*
Kevin Mench (1999)
*
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is an American Sports commentator, sportscaster and former college football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green F ...
(1983) College Football Coach
*
Travis Snider, Pulaski Blue Jays
*
Jason Schmidt (1992) 3 x MLB All-Star
*
Mike Stanton (1987) MLB All-Star
*
Eugenio Vélez, Pulaski Blue Jays
*
Turk Wendell (1988)
*
C. J. Wilson (2001) 2 x MLB All-Star
*
Mark Wohlers (1988-1989) MLB All-Star
*
Zack Littell (2014)
*
Anthony Volpe (2019) New York Yankees
References
* Avallone, Michael
"Minor League Baseball returns to Pulaski."MiLB.com. December 21, 2007.
External links
* {{Official website, https://www.appyleague.com/pulaski
Statistics from Baseball-Reference
Baseball teams established in 1982
Baseball teams disestablished in 2020
Defunct Appalachian League teams
Professional baseball teams in Virginia
Yankees
New York Yankees minor league affiliates
Toronto Blue Jays minor league affiliates
Texas Rangers minor league affiliates
Atlanta Braves minor league affiliates
Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates
Brooklyn Dodgers minor league affiliates
1982 establishments in Virginia
2020 disestablishments in Virginia