Biloxi Shuckers

The Biloxi Shuckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Biloxi, Mississippi, and are named in reference to the city's oyster industry and seafood heritage. The Shuckers play their home games at MGM Park.

Biloxi Shuckers
Founded in 2015
Biloxi, Mississippi
Team logoCap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassDouble-A (2015–present)
LeagueSouthern League (2015–present)
DivisionSouth Division
Major league affiliations
TeamMilwaukee Brewers (2015–present)
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Division titles (3)
  • 2015
  • 2018
  • 2019
First half titles (3)
  • 2015
  • 2018
  • 2019
Second half titles (2)
  • 2018
  • 2019
Team data
NameBiloxi Shuckers (2015–present)
ColorsGulf blue, sand, coral, black[1]
       
MascotSchooner
BallparkMGM Park (2015–present)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
Biloxi Baseball[2]
PresidentKen Young[2]
General ManagerHunter Reed[2]
ManagerMike Guerrero
MediaMiLB.TV and WGCM 1240 AM

They began play in 2015 after the Southern League's Huntsville Stars relocated to Biloxi after the 2014 season. The Shuckers have since played in three Southern League championship series but have yet to win a league title. As of the cancellation of the 2020 season, they have played 692 regular season games and compiled a win–loss record of 384–308. They have a postseason record of 14–12. Combining all 718 regular season and postseason games, the Shuckers have an all-time record of 398–320.

History

Before Biloxi

The Shuckers came to Biloxi, Mississippi, by way of Nashville, Tennessee, and Huntsville, Alabama. In 1978, the Nashville Sounds began play as an expansion team of the Double-A Southern League.[3] In 1984, Sounds president Larry Schmittou and other members of the team's ownership group purchased the Evansville Triplets of the Triple-A American Association with plans to move the team from Evansville, Indiana, to Nashville for the 1985 season.[4] The Southern League wanted Schmittou to surrender his franchise to the league, but he had plans to relocate the Double-A team instead.[5] After a move to Evansville was denied, the City of Huntsville agreed to build a new ballpark, Joe W. Davis Stadium, which lured the franchise to town where it began play as the Huntsville Stars in 1985.[5]

Twenty-nine years later, following several failed attempts to replace Huntsville's aging ballpark, the Stars were sold to Biloxi Baseball, under the leadership of majority owner Ken Young, in January 2014.[6] Previous owner Miles Prentice and other shareholders retained a minority stake in the team.[6] The franchise remained in Huntsville until the end of the 2014 season while a new ballpark could be constructed in Biloxi.[7]

Milwaukee Brewers (2015–present)

The relocated Biloxi team continued to compete in the Double-A Southern League as an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers Major League Baseball (MLB) team, continuing the relationship between Milwaukee and Huntsville that had been in place since 1999.[8] The club's new moniker was selected by fans in a name-the-team contest. Among the finalists were "Shrimpers", "Black Jacks", "Beacon", "Mullets", and "Schooners".[9] The chosen name, "Biloxi Shuckers", celebrates the city's heritage as a center for the oyster and seafood industries.[9] Their primary logo utilizes a color palette of gulf blue, sand, coral, and black and features an open oyster with a pair of eyes along with the team name.[10]

Due to construction delays at Biloxi's 6,000-seat MGM Park in Biloxi,[11] the Shuckers played the first 54 games of their inaugural 2015 season on the road.[12] These included several games originally planned to be held in Biloxi for which the Shuckers were designated the "home" team in their opponents' ballparks.[12] Fifteen games were played at Joe W. Davis Stadium in Huntsville.[13]

Orlando Arcia drove in three runs in the Shuckers' first game on April 9, 2015, a 4–0 win.[14]

The Shuckers played their first game on April 9, 2015, against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at Admiral Fetterman Field in Pensacola, Florida, which they won, 4–0.[15] Orlando Arcia led the scoring with three runs batted in, while the Shuckers' pitching staff held their opponents to three hits and struck out nine batters.[14] The team's MGM Park home opener was played on June 6 versus the Mobile BayBears, a 4–3 victory.[16] Going into extra innings, Nick Shaw singled home Brent Suter from second base in the bottom of the fourteenth inning to secure the win.[16] The inaugural home opener was attended by 5,065 people.[17]

The Southern League uses a split-season schedule wherein the division winners from each half qualify for the postseason championship playoffs.[18] Biloxi won the First Half South Division title, earning them a berth in the postseason.[19] In the best-of-five division series, they defeated second-half winners Pensacola, 3–0, to win the South Division title and advance to the championship finals.[19] There, they lost to the Chattanooga Lookouts, 3–2, in a series that went the full five games.[19] Overall, the Shuckers finished their first season with a league-best 78–59 record.[20] Jorge López won the Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award with a league-leading 1.10 WHIP and a .205 opponents' batting average while tying for the lead with 12 wins.[21] Manager Carlos Subero was selected as the Southern League Manager of the Year.[21]

On April 2, 2016, the Shuckers hosted an exhibition game against the Milwaukee Brewers, a 7–4 loss attended by 5,152 people.[22] Brewers appearing in the game included Ryan Braun, Domingo Santana, Jonathan Villar, Martín Maldonado, and Chase Anderson.[22] This was the first time a major league team played in Biloxi since the 1938 Philadelphia Phillies held spring training at Biloxi Stadium.[23][24] Under manager Mike Guerrero,[25] the 2016 Shuckers finished with a 72–67 record but did not win either half of the season.[26]

Shuckers pitchers threw the first no-hitter in franchise history on August 14, 2017.[27] Hiram Burgos (2 IP), Forrest Snow (3 IP), Nick Ramirez (1 IP), and Jorge López (1 IP) combined for the effort in the second game of a seven-inning doubleheader against the Tennessee Smokies at MGM Park, a 1–0 win.[28] The team missed the postseason with a 71–66 campaign.[29]

Biloxi won both the First and Second Half South Division titles in 2018 on the way to a league-best 81–59 record.[30] They beat Pensacola, 3–1, to win the South Division title before being defeated in the finals by the Jackson Generals, 3–1.[30] Though the team was denied their first league championship, they swept the major Southern League awards that season, winning all three.[31] Southern League Most Valuable Player Corey Ray led the league in home runs (27), stolen bases (35), and doubles (32) at the time of his selection.[31] Zack Brown won the Most Outstanding Pitcher Award after leading the circuit with a 2.48 earned run average.[32] Third-year manager Mike Guerrero rounded out the honors, winning Manager of the Year.[33]

The Shuckers hosted the Southern League All-Star Game at MGM Park on June 18, 2019. The North Division All-Stars defeated the South Division All-Stars, 7–3, with 4,209 people on hand.[34] Luis Robert of the Birmingham Barons was selected as the game's Most Valuable Player.[35] Jeffrey Baez of the Jackson Generals won the previous day's Home Run Derby.[35]

Like the previous season, Guerrero led the 2019 Shuckers to win both halves of the season with an overall record of 82–57, second overall in the league.[36] They bested Pensacola, 3–2, for the South Division title, but they were again defeated by Jackson in the finals, 3–2.[36] Trey Supak, who led the Southern League with 11 wins, a 0.87 WHIP, and a .192 opponents' batting average at the time of his July 26 promotion to the Triple-A San Antonio Missions, was selected as the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher.[37]

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being cancelled on June 30.[38][39]

Season-by-season results
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 (2015–present)
* Division champions (2015–present)
^ Postseason berth (2015–present)
Season-by-season records
Season League Regular season Postseason MLB affiliate Ref.
Record Win % League Division GB Record Win % Result
2015
^ *		 SL 78–59 .569 1st 1st — 5–3 .625 Won First Half South Division title
Won South Division title vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 3–0
Lost SL championship vs. Chattanooga Lookouts, 3–2[19]		 Milwaukee Brewers [20]
2016 SL 72–67 .518 6th 3rd ​8 1⁄2 — — — Milwaukee Brewers [26]
2017 SL 71–66 .518 4th 2nd ​1 1⁄2 — — — Milwaukee Brewers [29]
2018
^ *		 SL 81–59 .579 1st 1st — 4–4 .500 Won First and Second Half South Division titles
Won South Division title vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 3–1
Lost SL championship vs. Jackson Generals, 3–1[30]		 Milwaukee Brewers [40]
2019
^ *		 SL 82–57 .590 2nd 1st — 5–5 .500 Won First and Second Half South Division titles
Won South Division title vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 3–2
Lost SL championship vs. Jackson Generals, 3–2[36]		 Milwaukee Brewers [41]
2020 Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)[39] Milwaukee Brewers [42]
Totals — 384–308 .555 — — — 14–12 .538 — — —

Radio and television

All home and road games are broadcast on WGCM AM-1240 (100.9 FM) and across the Biloxi Shuckers Radio Network.[43] Live audio broadcasts are also available online through the team's website and the MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn radio apps.[43] All home games and select road games can be viewed through the MiLB.TV subscription feature of the official website of Minor League Baseball, with audio provided by a radio simulcast.[44] Garrett Greene has been the primary play-by-play broadcaster since 2018.[43] Spencer Siegel has been the secondary announcer since 2019.[43]

Mascot

The Shuckers' mascot is an anthropomorphic seagull named Schooner. He is gray with a white neck and has blue feathers around his eyes and a yellow beak and legs. Schooner wears the same blue jerseys as the team with the number one and blue and white sneakers.[45] He made his debut on April 2, 2016, during an exhibition game against the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the Shuckers' first full season at MGM Park.[46]

Roster
Biloxi Shuckers roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

Catchers

  • None listed

Infielders

Outfielders

  • None listed

Manager

Coaches

  • -- Chuckie Caufield (hitting)
  • -- Nick Childs (pitching)


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 • Southern League
 → Milwaukee Brewers minor league players

Achievements

Awards

Four players, two managers, and one executive have won Southern League awards in recognition for their performance with the Shuckers.

Award Recipient Season Ref.
Most Valuable Player Corey Ray 2018[47]
Most Outstanding Pitcher Jorge López 2015[47]
Most Outstanding Pitcher Zack Brown 2018[47]
Most Outstanding Pitcher Trey Supak 2019[47]
Manager of the Year Carlos Subero 2015[47]
Manager of the Year Mike Guerrero 2018[47]
Woman of Excellence Kelsey Thompson 2019[47]

Postseason All-Stars

Eight players have been named to the Southern League Postseason All-Star Team. Nate Griep is the only Shucker to be selected twice.

Season Player Position Ref.
2015 Orlando Arcia Shortstop [48]
2015 Jorge López Right-handed pitcher [48]
2017 Johnny Davis Best hustler [48]
2018 Zack Brown Right-handed pitcher [48]
2018 Nate Griep Relief pitcher [48]
2018 Corey Ray Outfielder [48]
2019 Nate Griep Relief pitcher [48]
2019 Patrick Leonard First baseman [48]
2019 Trey Supak Right-handed pitcher [48]

References
Specific
  1. Biloxi Shuckers Media Guide 2019, p. 9.
  2. Biloxi Shuckers Media Guide 2019, p. 2.
  3. Weiss, Bill; Wright, Marshall (2001). "69. 1980 Nashville Sounds". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  4. Bibb, John (July 12, 1984). "Big Leagues Next: Schmittou". The Tennessean. Nashville. p. 1-F – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Woody, Larry (1996). Schmittou: A Grand Slam in Baseball, Business, and Life. Nashville: Eggmann Publishing Company. pp. 101–102. ISBN 1-886371-33-4.
  6. Reichard, Kevin (January 11, 2014). "It's Official: Huntsville Stars Sold, Expected to Move to Biloxi in 2015". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  7. McCarter, Mark (January 10, 2014). "Southern League Makes it Official: Huntsville Stars' Sale and Move to Biloxi Approved". The Huntsville Times. Advance Publications. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  8. "Brewers Extend Player Development Contracts with Double-A Biloxi and Class-A Brevard County". Major League Baseball. September 17, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  9. Doyle, Steve (November 24, 2014). "Baseball on the Half Shell: Huntsville Stars are Now the Biloxi Shuckers". The Huntsville Times. Advance Publications. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  10. "New for 2015: Biloxi Shuckers". Ballpark Digest. November 25, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  11. McCarter, Mark (October 7, 2014). "5 Things to Know About the (Likely Continuing) Future of Professional Baseball in Huntsville". The Huntsville Times. Advance Publications. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  12. Fleming, David (August 17, 2015). "On the Road Again..." ESPN. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  13. "Shuckers Make Provisional Plans for April, May Schedule". Biloxi Shuckers. Minor League Baseball. February 5, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  14. "Southern League". Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola. April 10, 2015. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Vilona, Bill (April 10, 2015). "Aw, Shucks". Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. Biloxi Shuckers Media Guide 2019, p. 113.
  17. Biloxi Shuckers Media Guide 2019, p. 99.
  18. "Playoff Procedures". Southern League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  19. "2015 Southern League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  20. "2015 Southern League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  21. Rockwell, Curtis (September 4, 2015). "Biloxi Shuckers Manager, Pitcher Honored by Southern League". Gulf Live. Advance Local Media. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  22. "Brewers Defeat Shuckers 7-4 in Saturday Exhibition". WLOX. Gray Media Group. April 2, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  23. "Brewers to Play exhibition in Biloxi on Saturday, April 2". Milwaukee Brewers. Major League Baseball. October 20, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  24. Biloxi Shuckers Media Guide 2019, p. 136.
  25. "2016 Biloxi Shuckers Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  26. "2016 Southern League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  27. Maun, Tyler (August 15, 2017). "Four Shuckers Spin Team's First No-Hitter". Southern League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  28. "Tennessee vs. Biloxi - August 14, 2017". Minor League Baseball. August 14, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  29. "2017 Southern League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  30. "2018 Southern League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  31. "Corey Ray Wins 2018 Southern League Most Valuable Player Award". Minor League Baseball. August 29, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  32. "Zack Brown Wins 2018 Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher". Minor League Baseball. August 29, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  33. "Mike Guerrero Named Southern League Manager of the Year". Minor League Baseball. August 29, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  34. "SOU North All-Stars vs. SOU South All-Stars Box Score - 06/18/19". Minor League Baseball. June 18, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  35. Vilona, Bill (June 18, 2019). "Robert Puts on Show at All-Star Game". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  36. "2019 Southern League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  37. "Trey Supak Named Southern League's Most Outstanding Pitcher". Minor League Baseball. August 28, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  38. "A Message From Pat O'Conner". Minor League Baseball. March 13, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  39. "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  40. "2018 Southern League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  41. "2019 Southern League". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  42. "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Cancelled". Biloxi Shuckers. Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  43. Biloxi Shuckers Media Guide 2019, p. 38.
  44. "MiLB.tv". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  45. "Shuckers Debut New Mascot". WXXV 25. April 4, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  46. "Shuckers to Unveil New Mascot Tomorrow!". Biloxi Shuckers. Minor League Baseball. April 1, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  47. "Southern League Award Winners". Southern League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  48. "Southern League Postseason All-Star Teams". Southern League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
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