Carolina Mudcats

The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the Low Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and play their home games at Five County Stadium. "Mudcats" is Southern slang for catfish.

Carolina Mudcats
Founded in 1991
Zebulon, North Carolina
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassLow Single-A (from 2021)
Previous classes
LeagueSouth Atlantic League (from 2021)
DivisionNorthern Division
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
TeamMilwaukee Brewers (2017–present)
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles
  • 1995
  • 2003
Division titles
  • 1994
  • 1995
  • 2003
  • 2008
First half titles
  • 1994
  • 1995
  • 2002
  • 2003
Second half titles
  • 1995
  • 2003
  • 2008
Team data
NameCarolina Mudcats (1991–present)
ColorsRed, black, white, gray
       
MascotMuddy the Mudcat, Mini Muddy
BallparkFive County Stadium (1991–present)
Previous parks
Fleming Stadium (1991)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Milwaukee Brewers[1]
General ManagerJoe Kremer[1]
ManagerJoe Ayrault

The team began play in 1991 after the Columbus Mudcats relocated from Columbus, Georgia. They were members of the Double-A Southern League through 2011. The Mudcats were replaced by a Class A-Advanced team of the Carolina League in 2012. This team carried on as an extension of the previous club. Carolina will transfer to the Low Single-A South Atlantic League in 2021.

The Mudcats won the Southern League championship in 1995 as the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and in 2003 as the Double-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins.

History

Before Carolina

The Mudcats came to Zebulon, North Carolina, by way of Columbus, Georgia. From 1969 to 1990, Columbus was home to the Double-A Southern League's Columbus Mudcats.[2] Following the 1990 season, team owner Steve Byrant relocated the club to the Raleigh suburb of Zebulon, where it continued in the Southern League as the Carolina Mudcats.[3] The team would play at Five County Stadium, which was named for its location near the convergence of five counties: Wake, Nash, Johnston, Franklin, and Wilson.[4]

Pittsburgh Pirates (1991–1998)

As the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates,[5] the Carolina Mudcats played their first game on April 11, 1991, on the road against the Greenville Braves at Greenville Municipal Stadium in Greenville, South Carolina, losing, 1–0.[6] They earned their first win the next evening, defeating Greenville, 7–3.[7] While work on Five County Stadium continued, the Mudcats opened their home schedule at Fleming Stadium in Wilson on April 19.[8] They won their home opener over Greenville, 5–1, before 4,357 people.[8] Initially delayed because of rain, the game was called in the eighth inning with Mudcats starting pitcher Tim Wakefield earning the win after allowing only one run on four hits over seven innings.[8] Their first game at Five County Stadium was played on July 3. A standing-room-only crowd of 7,333 witnessed a 6–1 defeat by the Braves.[9]

Five County Stadium, home of the Carolina Mudcats

The Southern League used a split-season schedule wherein the division winners from each half qualified for the postseason championship playoffs.[10] Carolina did not win either half of their inaugural season.[11] Overall, the Mudcats finished their first season with a 66–76 win–loss record.[12] The team posted a franchise-low 52–92 record in 1992.[13] After their first winning campaign in 1993,[13] the 1994 Mudcats won the First Half Eastern Division title and then beat Greenville, 3–2, to claim the Eastern Division title and a place in the league championship series.[14] They were defeated in the finals by the Western Division champion Huntsville Stars, 3–1.[14] First baseman Mark Johnson, who led the circuit with 23 home runs.[15] was selected as the Southern League Most Valuable Player (MVP).[16]

Managed by Trent Jewett,[17] Carolina won both halves of the 1995 season, sending them back to the playoffs with a franchise-best 89–55 campaign.[13][18] They won the Eastern Division title versus the Orlando Cubs, 3–2, before winning their first Southern League championship over the Chattanooga Lookouts, 3–2.[18] Catcher Jason Kendall was selected for the league MVP Award.[16] The Mudcats qualified for the 1996 playoffs via a wild card berth but were eliminated in the Eastern Division series by the Jacksonville Suns, 3–2.[19] The next two Carolina teams finished with sub-.500 records.[13] The Mudcats' affiliation with the Pirates ended after the 1998 season.[20] Over eight years with Pittsburgh, Carolina held a regular season record of 539–587.[13]

Colorado Rockies (1999–2002)

Carolina became the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies in 1999.[20] The team incurred losing records in each of the first three seasons of the partnership.[13] In 2002, the Mudcats won the First Half Eastern Division title, but they lost the Eastern Division crown to Jacksonville, 3–2.[21] The affiliation ended after four years with Carolina going 251–302 in the regular season over that stretch.[13][22]

Florida Marlins (2003–2008)

The Mudcats joined the Florida Marlins organization in 2003 as their Double-A affiliate.[22] In the first season of the partnership, manager Tracy Woodson led Carolina to win both halves of the season and the Eastern Division title versus the Tennessee Smokies, 3–1.[23][24] The Mudcats then won their second Southern League championship over Huntsville, 3–2.[24] The team returned to the playoffs with a wild card berth in 2005, but they were swept out of the division series, 3–0, by the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx.[25]

Carolina won the Second Half Northern Division title in 2008 and defeated West Tenn in a three-game sweep to advance to the Southern League finals.[26] In a full five-game series, the Mudcats lost the league championship to the Mississippi Braves, 3–2.[26] Gaby Sánchez, a Carolina first and third baseman who led the league with 42 doubles,[27] was selected as the Southern League MVP.[16] The six-year affiliation with Florida came to an end after the 2008 campaign.[28] Carolina's record over that time was 431–400.[13]

Cincinnati Reds (2009–2011)

A Mudcats game at Five County Stadium

The Mudcats became the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds in 2009.[28] With losing records, the team missed out on playoff spots in each of their three seasons with the Reds.[13] Two players, however, were selected for league year-end awards. Pitcher Travis Wood received the Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award in 2009.[16] Center fielder Dave Sappelt, who had a league-leading .361 batting average, won the MVP Award in 2010.[16][29] Over three years with Cincinnati, the Mudcats went 176–239.[13]

In December 2010, team owner Steve Bryant sold his Southern League franchise to businessman Quint Studer and his wife, Rishy, who planned to relocate the team to Pensacola, Florida, as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in 2012.[30] In a corresponding move, the Studers facilitated Bryant's purchase of the Kinston Indians of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League.[31] As the Southern League franchise departed for Pensacola after the 2011 season, the Carolina League franchise moved to Zebulon and continued as the Mudcats at Class A-Advanced.[31][32]

Cleveland Indians (2012–2014)

Upon joining the Carolina League in 2012, the Mudcats became the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Cleveland Indians in a continuation of their previous relationship with Kinston.[32] Their new league used the same split-season format as the Southern League.[33] Carolina posted losing records in each season of the three-year run with Cleveland without qualifying for the playoffs.[34][35] They went 182–234 over this period.[34] In 2013, pitcher Cody Anderson, who led the league with a 2.34 earned run average, won the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year Award and the league's Community Service Award.[36]

Atlanta Braves (2015–2016)

The Mudcats' next affiliate was the Atlanta Braves.[35] The partnership began in 2015 with the team experiencing its first winning season (71–68) since 2008.[34] They finished 35 games under .500 in 2016, the last year of the affiliation, giving them a cumulative two-year record of 123–155.[34]

Milwaukee Brewers (2017–present)

The Mudcats became the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2017.[37] The team narrowly missed the playoffs in their first year with the Brewers with a 73–65 record.[34] In October 2017, team owner Steve Bryant sold his majority interest in the Mudcats to the Brewers.[38] In 2019, catcher Mario Feliciano won the Carolina League Most Valuable Player Award; he led the league with 19 home runs, 78 RBI, and a .476 slugging percentage at the time of the award.[39] Starter Noah Zavolas won the Pitcher of the Year Award; he held a league-best 1.14 WHIP at the time.[39]

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being cancelled on June 30.[40][41] Along with Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minors after the 2020 season, the Brewers' Class A affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League, were moved up to Class A-Advanced. Consequently, the Mudcats were lowered to the Low Single-A classification as members of the South Atlantic League. Carolina will continue its affiliation with Milwaukee in the new league in 2021.[42] Over three seasons of competition as a Brewers farm club, the Mudcats hold a 203–212 record.[34]

Season-by-season records

Table key
League The team's final position in the league standings
Division The team's final position in the divisional standings
GB Games behind the team that finished in first place in the division that season
League champions
* Division champions
^ Postseason berth
Season-by-season records
Season League Regular season Postseason MLB affiliate Ref.
Record Win % League Division GB Record Win % Result
1991 SL 66–76 .465 7th (tie) 5th 21 Pittsburgh Pirates [12]
1992 SL 52–92 .361 10th 5th 48 12 Pittsburgh Pirates [43]
1993 SL 74–67 .525 3rd 2nd 12 Pittsburgh Pirates [44]
1994
^ *
SL 74–66 .529 4th (tie) 2nd 1 4–5 .444 Won First Half Eastern Division title
Won Eastern Division title vs. Greenville Braves, 3–2
Lost SL championship vs. Huntsville Stars, 3–1[14]
Pittsburgh Pirates [45]
1995
^ *
SL 89–55 .618 1st 1st 6–4 .600 Won First and Second Half Eastern Division titles
Won Eastern Division title vs. Orlando Cubs, 3–2
Won SL championship vs. Chattanooga Lookouts, 3–2[18]
Pittsburgh Pirates [46]
1996
^
SL 70–69 .504 6th 2nd 5 12 2–3 .400 Lost Eastern Division title vs. Jacksonville Suns, 3–2[19] Pittsburgh Pirates [47]
1997 SL 55–82 .401 10th 5th 19 12 Pittsburgh Pirates [48]
1998 SL 59–80 .424 9th 5th 26 12 Pittsburgh Pirates [49]
1999 SL 60–80 .429 9th 4th 14 12 Colorado Rockies [50]
2000 SL 64–75 .460 9th (tie) 5th 6 12 Colorado Rockies [51]
2001 SL 62–76 .449 7th 3rd 20 12 Colorado Rockies [52]
2002
^
SL 65–71 .478 8th 4th 10 12 2–3 .400 Won First Half Eastern Division title
Lost Eastern Division title vs. Jacksonville Suns, 3–2[21]
Colorado Rockies [53]
2003
^ *
SL 80–58 .580 1st 1st 6–3 .667 Won First and Second Half Eastern Division titles
Won Eastern Division title vs. Tennessee Smokies, 3–1
Won SL championship vs. Huntsville Stars, 3–2[24]
Florida Marlins [54]
2004 SL 73–66 .525 2nd (tie) 2nd 13 12 Florida Marlins [55]
2005
^
SL 77–57 .575 3rd 2nd 3 12 0–3 .000 Lost Northern Division title vs. West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, 3–0[25] Florida Marlins [56]
2006 SL 61–79 .436 8th 5th 20 Florida Marlins [57]
2007 SL 60–80 .429 10th 5th 16 12 Florida Marlins [58]
2008
^ *
SL 80–60 .571 1st 1st 5–3 .625 Won Second Half Northern Division title
Won Northern Division title vs. West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, 3–0
Lost SL championship vs. Mississippi Braves, 3–2
Florida Marlins [26]
2009 SL 65–74 .468 6th (tie) 2nd (tie) 5 12 Cincinnati Reds [59]
2010 SL 58–79 .423 9th 5th 27 Cincinnati Reds [60]
2011 SL 53–86 .381 10th 5th 29 12 Cincinnati Reds [61]
2012 CL 63–77 .450 7th 4th 25 Cleveland Indians [62]
2013 CL 57–83 .407 8th 4th 20 12 Cleveland Indians [63]
2014 CL 62–74 .456 7th 3rd 19 Cleveland Indians [64]
2015 CL 71–68 .511 4th 3rd 10 12 Atlanta Braves [65]
2016 CL 52–87 .374 8th 4th 35 Atlanta Braves [66]
2017 CL 73–65 .529 3rd 2nd 12 Milwaukee Brewers [67]
2018 CL 65–73 .471 7th 3rd 19 Milwaukee Brewers [68]
2019 CL 65–74 .468 7th 4th 22 Milwaukee Brewers [69]
2020 Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)[41] Milwaukee Brewers [70]
Totals 1,905–2,129 .472 25–24 .510
Franchise totals by affiliation
Affiliation Regular season Postseason Composite
Record Win % Apps. Record Win % Record Win %
Pittsburgh Pirates (1991–1998) 539–587.479312–12.500551–599.479
Colorado Rockies (1999–2002) 251–302.45412–3.400253–305.453
Florida Marlins (2003–2008) 431–400.519311–9.550442–409.519
Cincinnati Reds (2009–2011) 176–239.4240176–239.424
Cleveland Indians (2012–2014) 182–234.4380182–234.438
Atlanta Braves (2015–2016) 123–155.4420123–155.442
Milwaukee Brewers (2017–present) 203–212.4890203–212.489
All-time 1,905–2,129.472725–24.5101,930–2,153.473

Roster

Carolina Mudcats roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

Catchers

  • -- Thomas Dillard
  • -- David Fry

Infielders

  • None listed

Outfielders

Manager

Coaches


7-day injured list
* On Milwaukee Brewers 40-man roster
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporary inactive list
Roster updated January 28, 2021
Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB  Carolina League
Milwaukee Brewers minor league players

Awards

Eight players and one executive have won league awards in recognition for their performance with the Mudcats.

Cody Anderson won the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year Award and its Community Service Award in 2013.
Southern League Awards
Award Recipient Season Ref.
Most Valuable Player Mark Johnson 1994[16]
Most Valuable Player Jason Kendall 1995[16]
Most Valuable Player Gaby Sánchez 2008[16]
Most Valuable Player Dave Sappelt 2010[16]
Most Outstanding Pitcher Travis Wood 2009[16]
Executive of the Year Joe Kremer 1993[16]
Executive of the Year Joe Kremer 1995[16]
Executive of the Year Joe Kremer 2005[16]
Executive of the Year Joe Kremer 2008[16]
Carolina League Awards
Award Recipient Season Ref.
Most Valuable Player Mario Feliciano 2019[71]
Pitcher of the Year Cody Anderson 2013[71]
Pitcher of the Year Noah Zavolas 2019[71]
Community Service Award Cody Anderson 2013[71]
Executive of the Year Joe Kremer 2018[71]

References

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  2. "Columbus, Georgia Register History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
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  8. Woodward, Bill (April 20, 1991). "Mudcats Debut is Wet, but it's Successful". The News and Observer. Raleigh. p. 1C via Newspapers.com.
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