Winston-Salem Dash
Winston-Salem Dash Founded in 1945 Winston-Salem, North Carolina | |||||
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Class-level | |||||
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Current | A-Advanced | ||||
Minor league affiliations | |||||
League | Carolina League | ||||
Division | Southern Division | ||||
Major league affiliations | |||||
Current |
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Minor league titles | |||||
League titles (9) |
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Team data | |||||
Nickname | Winston-Salem Dash (2009–present) | ||||
Previous names |
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Ballpark | BB&T Ballpark (2010–present) | ||||
Previous parks |
Ernie Shore Field (1956–2009) South Side Park (1945–1955) | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) |
Billy Prim / Sports Menagerie | ||||
Manager | Willie Harris | ||||
General Manager | Geoff Lassiter |
The Winston-Salem Dash is a minor league baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. They are a Class A-Advanced team in the Carolina League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. The Dash began playing their home games at the new BB&T Ballpark beginning in 2010 after having Ernie Shore Field (now known as Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park) as their home from 1956 to 2009.
History
Previous baseball clubs in Winston-Salem had typically been called the "Twins", in reference to the long-since-merged "Twin Cities" of Winston and Salem since 1905. The Twins played in the Virginia-North Carolina League in 1905, the Carolina Baseball Association from 1908 to 1917 and the Piedmont League from 1920 to 1933 and again from 1937 to 1942.
The current franchise joined the Carolina League in 1945, and is the oldest continuously operating team in that circuit. Originally a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate, it retained the Twins name until 1953, when it became the Winston-Salem Cardinals.
After a brief period (1957–60) as the Winston-Salem Red Birds, the team switched affiliation in 1961 to the Boston Red Sox. It remained with the Red Sox for 22 years, and was known until 1983 as the Winston-Salem Red Sox. In 1984, the team changed affiliates again, this time contracting with the Chicago Cubs, and changed its name to the Winston-Salem Spirits.
The team initially retained the Spirits name after becoming the Cincinnati Reds A-level affiliate in 1993, winning the Carolina League championship in that same year. After the 1994 season, the club decided to change its name and sponsored a contest through the local newspaper, the Winston-Salem Journal, to come up with a new name. The winning entry, the Warthogs, became the official team name in 1995. In addition to being alliterative, it also referred to the somewhat-celebrated acquisition of some warthogs at the state zoo around that time. As the Warthogs, they were the league champion in 2003.
On December 4, 2008, the team publicly announced that they would be called the Winston-Salem Dash from 2009 onward. The Dash name is rumored to be a reference to a nickname for the city of Winston-Salem, "The Dash", a reference to the dash (-) symbol used in the middle of the city's name, despite the fact that it is actually a hyphen.
As the Warthogs, the team's mascot was Wally Warthog. With the new nickname, the Dash held a name-the-mascot contest for Wally's replacement. In keeping with the image of speed implied by "The Dash", the new mascot is a lightning-themed character named Bolt.[1]
Ballparks
The club originally played at South Side Park, south of the downtown area. When that park burned, a new park was built on the north side, near the Wake Forest campus and the RJR plant, and named Ernie Shore Field in honor of the former major leaguer who had led the fund drive for the new ballpark. Opened in 1956, Ernie Shore Field seats 6,000 fans. BB&T Ballpark was hoped to be completed for the 2009 season, or sometime within the season, but construction came to a halt due to a lack of funding. Meanwhile, Ernie Shore Field had been sold to Wake Forest and renamed as Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park, compelling the Dash to lease the ballpark back for the 2009 season. On June 2, 2009, the Dash announced a new scheduled opening for the 2010 season.[2]
On February 24, 2010, the Dash announced BB&T Ballpark's official name.[3]
The Dash finally opened the new BB&T Ballpark on April 13, 2010.[4]
Year-by-year record
(Compiled from[5])
Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs | League/Notes |
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1905 | 10–14 | 3rd | J.C. "Con" Strothers / Earle Holt | League disbanded August 19 | Virginia-North Carolina League, Salisbury-Spencer (24–28) moved to Winston-Salem July 17 |
1908 | 41–48 | 4th | Robert Carter | none | Carolina Baseball Association, Known as "Twins" |
1909 | 54–52 | 4th | Robert Carter | none | |
1910 | 51–57 | 4th | James McKivett | none | |
1911 | 72–37 | 1st | Charles Clancy | none League Champs | |
1912 | 63–47 | 2nd | Charles Clancy | none | |
1913 | 66–49 | 1st | Charles Clancy | none League Champs | |
1914 | 70–47 | 1st | Charles Clancy | none League Champs | |
1915 | 53–69 | 5th | Charles Clancy | none | |
1916 | 63–48 | 2nd | Charles Clancy | none | |
1917 | 17–20 | 4th | Charles Clancy | League ceased operations May 30 | |
1920 | 56–65 | 4th | Bill Shumaker / Eddie Brennan / Jim Kelly | Piedmont League | |
921 | 62–58 | 4th | Charles Clancy | ||
1922 | 66–59 | 3rd | Charles Clancy | ||
1923 | 59–63 | 4th | Bill Leard / Mike Fahey | ||
1924 | 59–62 | 4th | Bill Jackson | none | |
1925 | 77–49 | 1st | Charles Carroll | Lost League Finals | |
1926 | 64–81 | 5th | Cy Chisolm / Red Irby / Walt Christensen / Art Bourg | ||
1927 | 79–64 | 3rd | Charles McMillan | ||
1928 | 82–51 | 1st | Bunny Hearn | League Champs | |
1929 | 77–63 | 3rd | George Whiteman | ||
1930 | 70–71 | 4th | Hal Weafer / Claude Joyner / Charles Carroll / [Johnny Brock | ||
1931 | 55–79 | 6th | Bunny Hearn / Bob "Stuffy" McCrone | ||
1932 | 18–28 | — | Harry Wilke | Winston-Salem moved to [High Point (50-38) August 20 | |
1933 | 42–99 | 6th | Jim Poole / Art Bourg | none | |
1937 | 35–105 | 8th | Alvin Crowder / Pepper Rhea / Phil Lundeen / Walt VanGrofski | ||
1938 | 46–92 | 8th | Walt VanGrofski / Joe Prerost | ||
1939 | 54–84 | 8th | Charles Clancy | ||
1940 | 45–85 | 8th | Eddie Moore / Ray Brubaker | ||
1941 | 54–82 | 8th | Jake Atz | ||
1942 | 52–81 | 8th | Jack Tighe / Al Unser | ||
1945 | 61–76 | 6th | George Smith / George Ferrell | Carolina League Known as "Cardinals" | |
1946 | 68–72 | 5th | Zip Payne | ||
1947 | 85–57 | 2nd | Zip Payne | Lost in 1st round | |
1948 | 76–65 | 5th | Zip Payne | ||
1949 | 84–61 | 2nd | Willie Duke / George Ferrell / Roland LeBlanc | Lost in 1st round | |
1950 | 106–47 | 1st | George Kissell | League Champs | |
1951 | 81–58 | 2nd | Harold Olt | League Champs | |
1952 | 74–63 | 3rd | Harold Olt / Jimmy Brown | Lost in 1st round | |
1953 | 69–70 | 6th | Jimmy Brown | ||
1954 | 44–94 | 8th | Ralph Hodgin / Herb Brett | Known as "Twins" | |
1955 | 65–73 | 7th | Ken Silvestri / Aaron Robinson | ||
1956 | 59–91 | 8th | George Hausmann / Lee "Pete" Peterson | ||
1957 | 72–68 | 4th | George Kissell | Known as "Red Birds" | |
1958 | 69–68 | 5th | Vern Benson | ||
1959 | 67–62 | 4th | Al Unser | Lost in 1st round | |
1960 | 61–76 | 5th | Chase Riddle | ||
1961 | 68–72 | 4th | Elmer Yoter (33-37) / Walt Novick (35–35) | none | Known as "Red Sox" |
1962 | 76–64 | 3rd | Eddie Popowski / Mace Brown | Lost in 1st round | |
1963 | 67–76 | 7th | Matt Sczesny / Bill Slack | ||
1964 | 82–57 | 1st | Bill Slack | League Champs | |
1965 | 65–79 | 7th | Bill Slack | ||
1966 | 82–58 | 1st | Bill Slack | Lost in League Finals | |
1967 | 69–68 | 6th (t) | Bill Slack | ||
1968 | 56–81 | 9th | Bill Slack | ||
1969 | 77–67 | 4th | Matt Sczesny | Lost in 1st round | |
1970 | 79–58 | 1st | Bill Slack | League Champs | |
1971 | 67–67 | 4th | Don Lock | ||
1972 | 65–74 | 5th | Rac Slider | ||
1973 | 77–62 | 2nd | Bill Slack | League Champs | |
1974 | 76–61 | 3rd | Bill Slack | none | |
1975 | 81–62 | 2nd | John Kennedy | none | |
1976 | 80–57 | 1st | Tony Torchia | none League Champs | |
1977 | 61–77 | 4th | Tony Torchia | ||
1978 | 55–77 | 6th | Bill Slack | ||
1979 | 85–55 | 1st | Bill Slack | none League Champs | |
1980 | 76–64 | 4th | Buddy Hunter | ||
1981 | 72–67 | 2nd | Buddy Hunter | ||
1982 | 45–93 | 7th | Rac Slider | ||
1983 | 74–66 | 3rd | Bill Slack | Lost in League Finals | |
1984 | 58–82 | 8th | Bill Slack | Known as "Spirits" | |
1985 | 58–81 | 8th | Cal Emery | ||
1986 | 82–56 | 2nd | Jim Essian | League Champs | |
1987 | 72–68 | 3rd (t) | Jay Loviglio | Lost in 1st round | |
1988 | 73–67 | 5th | [ay Loviglio | ||
1989 | 64–71 | 6th | Jay Loviglio | ||
1990 | 86–54 | 2nd | Brad Mills | ||
1991 | 83–57 | 2nd | Brad Mills | ||
1992 | 66–73 | 7th | Bill Hayes | ||
1993 | 72–68 | 3rd (t) | Mark Berry | League Champs | |
1994 | 67–70 | 4th | Mark Berry | Lost in League Finals | |
1995 | 69–68 | 3rd | Mark Berry | Known as "Warthogs" | |
1996 | 74–65 | 3rd | Phillip Wellman | ||
1997 | 63–77 | 7th | Mike Heath (38-53) / Mark Haley (25-24) | ||
1998 | 79–60 | 2nd | Chris Cron | Lost in League Finals | |
1999 | 63–75 | 7th | Jerry Terrell | ||
2000 | 68–71 | 4th | Brian Dayett | ||
2001 | 54–86 | 8th | Wally Backman | ||
2002 | 50–90 | 7th | Razor Shines | ||
2003 | 71–67 | 5th | Razor Shines | League Champs | |
2004 | 74–66 | 4th | Ken Dominguez / Nick Leyva | Lost in 1st round | |
2005 | 77–64 | 3rd | Chris Cron | Lost in 1st round | |
2006 | 66–72 | 5th | Rafael Santana | ||
2007 | 64–74 | 5th | Tim Blackwell | ||
2008 | 71–68 | 4th | Tim Blackwell | Lost in semi-finals | |
2009 | 73–65 | 3rd | Joe McEwing | Lost in 1st round | Known as "Dash" |
2010 | 81–58 | 1st | Joe McEwing | Lost in League Finals | |
2011 | 69–71 | 4th | Julio Vinas | ||
2012 | 87–51 | 1st | Tommy Thompson | Lost in League Finals | |
2013 | 71–69 | 3rd | Ryan Newman |
Roster
Winston-Salem Dash roster | ||||
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Players | Coaches/Other | |||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager Coaches
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References
- ↑ http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/fans/page.jsp?ymd=20090216&content_id=510944&vkey=fans_t580&fext=.jsp&sid=t580
- ↑ http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090602&content_id=5102340&vkey=pr_t580&fext=.jsp&sid=t580
- ↑ http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090602&content_id=5102340&vkey=pr_t580&fext=.jsp&sid=t580
- ↑ http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100414&content_id=9285344&vkey=news_t580&fext=.jsp&sid=t580
- ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/
External links
Media related to Winston-Salem Dash at Wikimedia Commons