The Wytheville Cubs were a minor league baseball team located in Wytheville, Virginia, between 1948 and 1989 that played under several monikers. An affiliate of the Chicago Cubs from 1985 to 1989, the Wytheville Cubs were members of the Rookie level Appalachian League. Previous Wytheville teams played as members of the Blue Ridge League (1948–1949) and Appalachian League (1953–1955, 1957–1965, 1967, 1969, 1971–1973).
| Wytheville Cubs | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes |
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| Division | North Division (1985-1989) |
Previous leagues |
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| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (1) | 1960 |
| Team data | |
Previous names |
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History
editThe Wytheville Cubs finished with their best record in their first year, when they went 39–31, finishing third in the 1985 Appalachian League.
Previously, Wytheville was home of the Wytheville Braves (1971-1973), Wytheville Senators (1960, 1965, 1969), Wytheville Reds (1967), Wytheville A's (1964), Wytheville Twins (1961-1963), Wytheville Cardinals (1957-1959), Wytheville Statesman (1949, 1953–1955) and Wytheville Pioneers (1948). Wytheville was an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1985–1989), Atlanta Braves (1971-1973), Washington Senators II (1965, 1969), Cincinnati Reds (1967), Kansas City A's (1964), Minnesota Twins (1961-1963), Washington Senators I (1960), St. Louis Cardinals (1957-1959), Baltimore Orioles (1954), and St. Louis Browns (1953).[1]
Alumni include Jerome Walton, Tony Oliva, Reggie Smith, Joe Rudi, and Jeff Burroughs.
After the 1989 season, the Wytheville Cubs moved to Huntington, West Virginia to become the Huntington Cubs.
The 1960 Wytheville Senators captured the Appalachian League Championship.
The ballpark
editWytheville teams played at Withers Field. Constructed in 1948, the ballpark hosted all Wytheville minor league teams during its existence. The ballpark was repurposed in 1993 to become a public park, renamed Withers Park. Its grandstand and brick exterior are still in existence today within the park and a plaque recognizes the home plate location. The address is 300 North 4th Street, Wytheville, Virginia, 24382.[2][3]
Year-by-year Cubs record
edit| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 39-31 | 3rd | Ramon Conde | None |
| 1986 | 22-46 | 7th | Tony Franklin | None |
| 1987 | 32-38 | 5th | Brad Mills | None |
| 1988 | 28-40 | 9th | Steve Roadcap | None |
| 1989 | 34-35 | 4th | Steve Roadcap | None |
Notable franchise alumni
edit- Alex Arias (1987)
- Jeff Burroughs (1969) 2x MLB All-Star; 1974 AL Most Valuable Player
- Frank Castillo (1987)
- Matt Franco (1987-1988)
- Julio Gotay (1957)
- Jack Hamilton (1957)
- Pete Mackanin (1969)
- Charlie Manuel (1963) Manager: 2008 World Series Champion-Philadelphia Phillies
- Derrick May (1986)
- Tony Oliva 3x MLB All-Star; 1964 AL Rookie of the Year; 3x AL Batting Title (1964, 1965, 1971)
- Biff Pocoroba MLB All-Star
- Joe Rudi 3x MLB All-Star
- Ellie Rodríguez (1964) 2x MLB All-Star
- Reggie Smith 7x MLB All-Star
- Dave Tomlin (1967)
- Jerome Walton (1986) 1989 NL Rookie of the Year
References
edit- ^ "Wytheville, Virginia Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Withers Field - Wytheville, VA". www.baseballpilgrimages.com.
- ^ "Withers Field - Wytheville, Virginia". ballparkreviews.com.