The Salem Red Sox are a Minor League Baseball team in Salem, Virginia, an independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia. It is a team in the Class A-Advanced Carolina League and a farm team of the Boston Red Sox. The team, known from 1995 through 2008 as the Salem Avalanche, was previously affiliated with the Houston Astros from 2003 to 2008 and the Colorado Rockies from 1995 to 2002. Prior to 1995, the franchise played under several different names and affiliations. The Red Sox play home games at Haley Toyota Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark, a 6,300 seat facility opened in 1995 that hosted the Carolina/California League All Star Game in 2006.
The franchise was owned from 1986 until 2006 by Kelvin Bowles, a local resident and major league baseball scout. Bowles (who, coincidentally, scouted for the Boston Red Sox from 2002â€"05) bought the team when it was in danger of moving from Salem. In 2006, the team was sold to a pair of businessmen from Atlanta who also owned the Fort Wayne Wizards. In December 2007, this group sold the team to Fenway Sports Group, a subsidiary of the Boston Red Sox ownership group, preparing the team for an affiliation change after its Player Development Contract with the Astros ended in 2008.
Notable former players
Club records
Home attendance: 1968â€"present
Total attendance â€" 6,640,978
Playoffs
- 1968 season: Lost to Lynchburg 1-0 in quarterfinals.
- 1969 season: Defeated High Point-Thomasville 2-0 in quarterfinals; lost to Burlington 2-0 in semifinals.
- 1972 season: Defeated Burlington 2-1 to win championship.
- 1974 season: Won both halves, making a playoff unnecessary.
- 1987 season: Defeated Hagerstown 2-0 in semifinals; defeated Kinston in championship.
- 1988 season: Lost to Lynchburg 2-1 in semifinals.
- 2001 season: Defeated Kinston 2-1 in semifinals; defeated Wilmington 3-2 in championship.
- 2006 season: Lost to Kinston 2-0 in semifinals.
- 2007 season: Defeated Kinston 2-1 in semifinals; lost to Frederick 3-1 in championship.
- 2009 season: Defeated Winston-Salem 3-0 in semifinals; lost to Lynchburg 3-0 in championship.
- 2013 season: Defeated Myrtle Beach 2-0 in semifinals; defeated Potomac 3-0 in championship.
- 2014 season: Lost to Myrtle Beach 2-1 in semifinals.
- 2016 season: Lost to Myrtle Beach 2-1 in semifinals.
Media information
- Media Relations Manager: Ben Gellman
- Flagship radio station: The Salem Red Sox Broadcast
- Radio announcers: Ben Gellman
- Number of games broadcast: All
- Newspapers covering the Red Sox: The Roanoke Times, Salem Times-Register
- Official scorer: Billy Wells
- Public Address: Elijah Wilhelm
Team mascots
Mugsy A St. Bernard mascot who made his rookie debut in professional baseball in 1997 with the Avalanche. According to the team's website, Mugsy descended from the passing Hale-Bopp comet that raced across the Roanoke Valley sky on April 4, 1997.
Misty Misty is a female saint bernard mascot who joined the team in 2005.
Lefty and Righty Coming to Salem all the way from Boston. Lefty and Righty are the new mascots. They're two red sox, both wearing Boston Red Sox hats, they also have an L on one's back and an R on the other.
Big Mo The Salem Avalanche's Kid's Club mascot, Big Mo is a giant abominable snowman.
The Baseball Nut The Avalanche's first mascot was this distinctive character, which resembled an almond. While the idea was original, the Baseball Nut proved to be unpopular. Lacking a cute or friendly appearance, the mascot intimidated children and was an object of derision by adult fans. Mugsy was developed as a replacement.
Roster
External links
- Salem Red Sox Official Site
- Salem Red Sox Booster Club