Carolina Mudcats To Join Carolina League In 2012
Wake County's Professional Baseball Franchise Returns To Its Roots With New Setup Designed To Increase Fan Experience And Ease Transportation Costs.
- Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) December 17, 2010 - The Carolina Mudcats (http://www.carolinamudcats.com), Wake County's hometown professional baseball team, has announced that it will join the Carolina League effective with the 2012 season. The sale certifying the changes will be finalized by Jan. 2, 2011. The Mudcats will retain its current affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds in the Southern League next year before the transfer takes effect.
As part of the deal, the Indians franchise in Kinston, N.C., will relocate to Five County Stadium in 2012, while the Reds franchise will relocate to a new stadium in Pensacola, Fla. The Mudcats will move from Double-A classification to Class A - Advanced.
Mudcats owner Steve Bryant said he began discussing a new arrangement for the Mudcats in September 2010 following continuing transportation difficulties the club faces as being isolated as the northernmost franchise in the Southern League due to recent restructurings. For away games that occur more than 500 miles, by league rules the Mudcats must ask for an exception when players are bused more than 500 miles. League rules call for players to have one off day under those circumstances. As only three franchises in the Southern League lie within 500 miles of Zebulon - the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Lookouts, the Tennessee Smokies in Sevierville and the Jacksonville Suns in Florida - the Mudcats have had to request for exemptions frequently, and the league has become stricter in granting them. This could cause the Mudcats to spend more money to fly players if they were to continue in the league and prevented most fans from traveling to these away games. In contrast, none of the Carolina League teams are more than 500 miles away from Zebulon, which allows for more stability for travel plans for both the team and fans.
QUOTES:
"With this new setup, the Mudcats franchise is rejoining its roots in North Carolina professional baseball, as one time all teams in the state were Class A," said Bryant. "The level of play is excellent, as typically it's at least the third professional year for the athletes. Our dedicated and much-appreciated fans and corporate sponsors will have the same great Mudcats experience as before this transition, as our stadium, with its fun special events and top amenities, and our front office all will remain the same. The Carolina League teams are close enough for our fans to be able to reach away games more easily. And given the tremendous number of top players that have come through the Indians farm system, we anticipate some great baseball to occur once our deal with Cleveland becomes a reality in the spring of 2012. The result will be that everyone will remain proud calling the Mudcats Wake County's hometown pro baseball team."
DETAILS:
- Most teams in the Carolina League are a four-hour drive or less from Zebulon. The exceptions are the Frederick Keys in Maryland and the Wilmington Blue Rocks in Delaware.
- Other teams in the Carolina League are the Lynchburg Hillcats, Potomac Nationals and Salem Red Sox in Virginia, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in South Carolina and the Winston-Salem Dash in North Carolina.
- The Mudcats stadium holds 6,500, which will make it the second-largest in capacity in the Carolina League behind the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
ABOUT THE CAROLINA MUDCATS:
The Carolina Mudcats are Wake County's hometown professional baseball team, located in Zebulon, N.C. The Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, the Mudcats play in the North Division of the Southern League at home in Five County Stadium off U.S. 264 near Franklin, Johnston, Nash and Wilson counties. The Mudcats have been an established minor-league fan favorite in Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Rocky Mount, Wilson, Smithfield, Clayton, Louisburg, and surrounding towns and communities since 1991. Offering everything from fireworks to weekly promotions and group event nights from April through September, with seating ranging from inexpensive general admission to luxury suite rentals, the Carolina Mudcats provide a fun and exciting afternoon or evening of entertainment for casual and hardcore baseball fans alike. For more information, call (919) 269-2287 or visit http://www.carolinamudcats.com.
Jake Potter
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
jake ( @ ) mmipublicrelations dot com
http://www.twitter.com/MMIPR
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com
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