Wilmington Blue Rocks Official Site

In 1940, R.R.M. (Bob) Carpenter brought professional baseball back to the city with the original Wilmington Blue Rocks. The team was a Class B Interstate League affiliate of the Philadelphia A's. Hall-of-Famer Connie Mack owned the Blue Rocks for their first four years of existence. Another Hall-of-Famer, Chief Bender, served as the Blue Rocks first manager.

In 1943, Carpenter, who was a partner with Mack since the Blue Rocks' inception, took full ownership of the club. For their final nine years, the original Blue Rocks were a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate.

The nickname "Blue Rocks" came from 73-year-old Robert Miller in a name-the-team contest. Miller lived in the Henry Clay section of the city, famed for its blue granite found along the Brandywine River.

The Blue Rocks played in Wilmington Park, a $185,000 facility at 30th Street and Governor Printz Boulevard. At the time, it was considered one of the finest minor league parks in the country.

In Wilmington's 13 years in the Interstate League, the Blue Rocks won four Governor's Cup titles and missed the postseason only twice. Pitchers Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons and outfielder Elmer Valo were some of the notables who played for the Blue Rocks before going to the major leagues.

After setting many records for attendance, the Blue Rocks' fan support dwindled and 1952 was their final season in the Interstate League.

In 1993, the Blue Rocks returned to professional baseball as the Class-A Carolina League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The franchise, formerly known as the Peninsula Pilots, was moved from Hampton, VA.

The stadium, built by the construction company of Blue Rocks President Matt Minker, was named Legends Stadium (later changed to Judy Johnson Field at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium).

Like their forerunners, the modern Blue Rocks have enjoyed great on-field success. Since their return in 1993, Wilmington has one of best winning percentages in all of Minor League Baseball, winning eight Northern Division titles in 12 years and four Carolina League championships.

~ 1993 ~

April 8 -- The first game in modern Blue Rocks history is played at Winston-Salem's Ernie Shore Field. The Spirits defeat Wilmington, 6-3, in front of 5,731. Kevin Jarvis earns the win and John Gross suffers the loss.

April 10 -- The Blue Rocks post their first win in team history. Jon Lieber picks up the victory in a 9-2 win over Winston-Salem on Ernie Shore Field. Later that night, Darren Burton hits the first home run in team history in the second game of a doubleheader.

April 17 -- The Blue Rocks open Frawley Stadium (Legends Stadium at the time) with a dramatic 6-5 victory over Winston-Salem. Wilmington scores four times in the bottom of the ninth inning to win. The rally is capped with a two-run single by Raul Gonzalez.

June 12 -- The Blue Rocks clinch the first-half Northern Division title with a wild 12-7 win over Lynchburg.

September 6 -- The Blue Rocks complete a two-game sweep of the Frederick Keys to win the Northern Division Championship Series and advance to the Mills Cup Championship Series. Brian Harrison tosses the second of back-to-back shutouts to lead the Rocks to a 3-0 victory.

September 8 -- The Blue Rocks open the Carolina League Championship Series with a 6-5, 14-inning win over Winston-Salem. The Spirits then win three in a row to take the 1993 Carolina League title.

~ 1994 ~

June 11 -- Andy Stewart's two-out single drives home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Blue Rocks a 4-3 win, clinching the first-half Northern Division title.

July 20 -- Blue Rocks catcher Lance Jennings hits a two-out, solo homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Northern Division a 2-1 win in the Carolina League All-Star Game. A crowd of 6,893 is on hand at Frawley Stadium.

September 2 -- In Frederick, the Blue Rocks defeat the Keys, 8-2, to clinch the second-half Northern Division title. Catcher Sal Fasano's first-inning grand slam gives the Blue Rocks an early lead that they would never relinquish.

September 10 -- At Frawley, Wilmington defeats Winston-Salem, 7-3, in Game Three to capture its first Carolina League championship. Lance Jennings hits two home runs and drives in four runs to capture MVP honors.

~ 1995 ~

April 15 -- At Frawley Stadium, Jose Rosado and Pat Flury combine to toss the first no-hitter in club history in a 3-0 win over Winston-Salem.

~ 1998 ~

June 19 -- The Blue Rocks pound Frederick, 12-1, and clinch the first-half Northern Division title.

June 23 -- Frawley Stadium hosts the 1998 Carolina League All-Star Game. The Northern Division defeats the Southern Division, 5-2. Blue Rocks second baseman Emiliano Escandon is named the game's MVP after his eighth-inning, bases-loaded double drives in three runs to break a 2-2 tie. Before the game, Robin Roberts (an original Blue Rock in 1948) becomes the first inductee into the Blue Rocks Hall of Fame, and his No. 36 is retired.

July 5 -- It takes a Carolina League record 21 innings over six hours and 23 minutes, but the Blue Rocks defeat the Danville 97s, 3-2, at Frawley Stadium. The game is marked by five ejections, including Blue Rocks manager Darrell Evans and pitching coach Steve Crawford.

July 17 -- Manager Darrell Evans is fired by the Kansas City Royals. Hitting coach Kevin Long fills in on an interim basis. Brian Poldberg replaces Kevin Long six days later.

September 4 -- The Blue Rocks clinch the second-half Northern Division title with a 4-3 victory over Prince William.

September 10 -- The Blue Rocks capture their third Carolina League Championship Series crown with a 3-2 victory over the Winston-Salem Warthogs in Game Four. Paul Phillips, who was called up from Short-Season Spokane during the final week of the regular season, is named series MVP.

~ 1999 ~

April 18 -- Wilmington sets new team records for runs and hits with a 20-3 blowout in Myrtle Beach. Dee Brown leads the 23-hit assault by becoming the first Blue Rock to hit for the cycle.

June 11 -- The Blue Rocks lose at home to Myrtle Beach, but clinch the first-half Northern Division title. The loss is the beginning of a record eight-game home losing streak.

June 23 -- Vic Radcliff breaks a 6-6 tie in the 10th inning with an RBI double to lead the Carolina League All-Stars over the California League All-Stars, 7-6. Radcliff goes 2-for-2 and is named the game's MVP. Steve Medrano adds a three-run homer, also in the 10th.

August 31 -- Wilmington clinches the second-half Northern Division title with a 4-1 win over Salem.

September 13 -- Joe Caruso's dramatic three-run homer in the seventh inning helps lead Wilmington to a 7-3 victory over Myrtle Beach in Game Four of the Carolina League Championship Series. Game Five is canceled because of Hurricane Floyd and the two teams are named co-champions.

~ 2002 ~

April 16 -- Manager Jeff Garber earns his 226th win as Blue Rocks skipper and surpasses John Mizerock's 225 wins over a three-year period to take over first place in the Blue Rocks all-time wins column. Wilmington defeats Kinston, 5-2, with Wes Obermueller earning the victory out of the bullpen.

June 16 -- On the final day of the first half, Ian Ferguson picks up his 11th win of the season and 21st career win with Wilmington as the Blue Rocks clinch the first-half Northern Division title with a 9-1 win over Winston-Salem. The Rocks and Lynchburg finish the first half with identical records at 47-23 and Wilmington wins the head-to-head tiebreaker, 7-2. The first-half title is the seventh for Wilmington over 10 years.

June 18 -- The Blue Rocks and Frawley Stadium host the 2002 Carolina-California League All-Star Game. Jeff Garber manages the Carolina League All-Stars. David DeJesus, Ian Ferguson, Byron Gettis and Thomas Lora represent Wilmington in the game that ends in a 3-3 tie after 10 innings. Ferguson starts the game and goes one inning for the Carolina League.

August 31 -- Danny Tamayo becomes Wilmington's second 14-game winner all-time, allowing one unearned run on four hits over five innings in a 6-1 win over the Potomac Cannons.

September 6 -- The Lynchburg Hillcats capture the 2002 Northern Division championship with a 4-3 win over the Blue Rocks. Marco Cunningham and Byron Gettis hit back-to-back homers in the first inning against Lynchburg starter, Mike Connolly, to take a 3-1 lead. The Hillcats went ahead for good in the fourth inning on a three-run home run by Randy Meadows against losing pitcher Dusty Wrightsman. It marks the first time in club history Wilmington failed to reach the Championship Series after qualifying for the postseason.

~ 2003 ~

July 4 -- Zack Greinke and two relievers combine on a three-hit shutout win as the Blue Rocks defeat Kinston, 2-0. In his final start with Wilmington, Greinke tosses seven innings of one-hit shutout baseball. The 19-year-old retires 14 in a row before allowing a two-out single to Miguel Quintana in the fifth. He finishes up by retiring seven in a row and 21 of the 22 batters he faces over seven innings. Robbie Morrison allows a leadoff double in the ninth inning, but retires the next three hitters to preserve the shutout and register his third save.

August 6 -- Brian Bass comes within one out of a no-hitter, but it is spoiled by a Brian Becker two-out solo homer in the ninth as Wilmington defeats Winston-Salem, 6-1. Bass exits after the homer and notches his ninth win of the year. The 21-year-old goes 8.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit. He walks two, hits a batter, and fans eight. Trey Dyson goes 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in the victory.

August 29 -- Wilmington defeats the Potomac Cannons, 1-0, in front of a season-high 7,424 fans at Frawley. Kyle Middleton allows three hits and strikes out a season-high 10 over seven-shutout innings. The Rocks score the game's only run in the eighth on a run-scoring single by James Shanks. Robbie Morrison works a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure his 10th save of the year and his 25th with Wilmington, dating back to 1999.