Princeton Rays

The Princeton Rays were a Minor League Baseball team in Princeton, West Virginia, United States. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League. The Princeton franchise began play in the Appalachian League in 1988 and was affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1988–1989), was a co-op team known as the Princeton Patriots (1990), and then affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds (1991–1996) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (1997–2020).

Princeton Rays
1988–2020
Princeton, West Virginia
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassAdvanced Rookie (1988–2020)
LeagueAppalachian League (1988–2020)
Major league affiliations
Team
Minor league titles
League titles (1)1994
Division titles (3)
  • 1994
  • 1998
  • 2018
Team data
Name
  • Princeton Rays (2008–2020)
  • Princeton Devil Rays (1997–2007)
  • Princeton Reds (1991–1996)
  • Princeton Patriots (1990)
  • Princeton Pirates (1988–1989)
BallparkH.P. Hunnicutt Field (1988–2020)

The Princeton Rays played their home games at H.P. Hunnicutt Field, which originally opened in 1988 (and was completely rebuilt in 2000 on the same site) and held 1,950 fans. The team played an annual 68-game schedule that traditionally extended from mid-June through the end of August. Through the completion of the 2012 season, the franchise has seen 57 former players move on to play regular season major league baseball that at one time wore the Princeton uniform. This list of players includes big names such as Brandon Backe, Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford, Jonny Gomes, Josh Hamilton, Seth McClung, Pokey Reese, Matt Moore, Wade Davis, Desmond Jennings, Jeremy Hellickson, Jason Hammel, and Jared Sandberg. NFL quarterback Doug Johnson (1997 P-Rays) and current NBA referee David Guthrie (1995 Princeton Reds) also played professional baseball for Princeton teams. The team was operated on a not-for-profit basis.

Previously known as the Princeton Devil Rays, the P-Rays announced on December 2, 2008 that they would update their name, logo, colors, and uniforms as their parent club had done the previous year.[1]

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.[2][3] In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Rays were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores.[4]

Playoffs

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Princeton Rays Announce New Team Colors, Ballcaps, and Logo". OurSports Central. December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  2. "A Message From Pat O'Conner". Minor League Baseball. March 13, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  3. "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  4. "MLB, USA Baseball Announce New Format for Appalachian League". Major League Baseball. September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
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