Myrtle Beach Pelicans

• Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
• League: Carolina League 1999-2019; Low-A East 2021; Carolina League 2022-
• Affiliation: Atlanta Braves 1999-2010, Texas Rangers 2011-2014, Chicago Cubs 2015-Present
• Ballpark: TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark

Team History

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans, of the Single-A Carolina League and briefly in Low-A East, have the actual franchise that was portrayed in Bull Durham (1988). The Chicago Cubs farmhands play their home games at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, SC.

The film - released nearly halfway into the 1988 campaign - helped hike the Durham Bulls' attendance 25% between the bookending seasons, followed in 1990 by Class A's first 300,000 one-season attendance. That led Durham, NC, to build a bigger ballpark, which drew 390,486 in its first season and helped land the Triple-A team that bumped the Carolina League franchise in 1998. The former Bulls played one season in Danville, VA, as the Danville 97s while Myrtle Beach, SC, built the stadium that has been their home ever since.

The team was league co-champion in its inaugural season, 1999, and captured another title in 2000. An Atlanta Braves affiliate from 1980 - during its "Durham Bulls" days - through 2010, its roster included many future Braves including Marcus Giles, Rafael Furcal, Adam LaRoche, Jeff Francoeur and Joey Devine.

Pelicans owner Chuck Greenberg and pitching great Nolan Ryan led a group that bought the Pels' then-parent Texas Rangers in August 2010, but Greenberg sold out the following March; at their next chance to change affiliations, the Pelicans dropped the Rangers for the Cubs. MLB's 2021 Minor League Reorganization lowered the Pels one level and kept them in the Cubs' system.

The Pels' home, formerly Coastal Federal Field, is considered perhaps the top pitchers' park in affiliated baseball.

The Pelicans play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Pelícanos de Myrtle Beach, a straightforward translation of their name.

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs	Hitting coach	Pitching coach	Coach
1999	79-60	2nd	Brian Snitker	Co-Champs *	Dan Norman	Bruce Dal Canton
2000	88-52	1st	Brian Snitker	League Champs	Sixto Lezcano	Bruce Dal Canton
2001	71-67	3rd	Brian Snitker		Tommy Gregg	Bruce Dal Canton
2002	79-61	3rd	Randy Ingle	Lost in 1st round	Jack Maloof	Bruce Dal Canton
2003	56-82	8th	Randy Ingle		Jack Maloof	Bruce Dal Canton	Edinson Renteria
2004	75-63	3rd	Randy Ingle		Jack Maloof	Bruce Dal Canton
2005	61-79	7th	Randy Ingle		Franklin Stubbs	Bruce Dal Canton
2006	72-68	3rd	Rocket Wheeler		Franklin Stubbs	Bruce Dal Canton
2007	59-80	7th	Rocket Wheeler		Rick Albert	Bruce Dal Canton
2008	89-51	1st	Rocket Wheeler	Lost League Finals	Rick Albert	Bruce Dal Canton, Mike Alvarez
2009	53-84	8th	Rocket Wheeler		Rick Albert	Guy Hansen
2010	58-82	8th	Rocket Wheeler		Rick Albert	Kent Willis
2011	72-67	3rd	Jason Wood	Lost in 1st round	Julio Garcia	Brad Holman
2012	74-65	2nd	Jason Wood	Lost in 1st round	Julio Garcia	Brad Holman	Kenny Holmberg
2013	77-62	2nd	Jason Wood	Lost in 1st round	Josue Perez	Steve Mintz
2014	82-56	1st	Joe Mikulik	Lost League Finals	Josue Perez	Steve Mintz
2015	81-57	1st	Mark Johnson	League Champs	Mariano Duncan	David Rosario	Chris Gutierrez
2016	82-57	3rd	Buddy Bailey	League Champs	Mariano Duncan	Anderson Tavares	Juan Cabreja
2017	73-67	5th	Buddy Bailey	Lost in 1st round	Guillermo Martinez	Anderson Tavares	Ty Wright
2018	61-78	9th	Buddy Bailey		Ty Wright	Anderson Tavares	Carlos E. Rojas
2019	55-81	9th	Steve Lerud		Ty Wright	Brian Lawrence	Osmin Melendez
2020	Season cancelled
2021	59-61	6th	Buddy Bailey		Dan Puente	Clayton Mortensen	Ben Martinez
2022	78-53	2nd	Buddy Bailey	Lost in 1st round	Steven Pollakov	Clayton Mortensen	Andrew Gold, Jovanny Rosario
2023			Buddy Bailey		Roberto Vaz	Bruce Billings	Corey Ray, Derron Davis

• * Series canceled due to Hurricane Floyd with Myrtle Beach and Wilmington tied at two games apiece.

External Link

The Official Website of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans