Burlington Sock Puppets
The Burlington Sock Puppets are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Burlington, North Carolina, and play their home games at Burlington Athletic Stadium.
| Burlington Sock Puppets | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League | Appalachian League |
| Location | Burlington, North Carolina |
| Ballpark | Burlington Athletic Stadium |
| Year founded | 2021 |
| Colors | Black, blue, red, white |
| Ownership | Brittany & Ryan Keur (Knuckleball Entertainment) |
| General Manager | Anderson Rathbun |
| Website | Official website |
History
Previous Burlington teams
Professional baseball was first played in Burlington, North Carolina, from 1958 to 1964 by the Burlington Indians, who competed in the Carolina League (Class B through 1962; thereafter Class A) as a Cleveland Indians farm club. Twenty-two years later, Cleveland placed the Burlington Indians in the Appalachian League as a Rookie-level affiliate from 1986 to 2006.[1] They were known as the Burlington Royals during an affiliation with the Kansas City Royals from 2007 to 2020.
Collegiate summer team
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 Burlington Royals were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores.[2] The new team became known as the Burlington Sock Puppets.[3] The nickname refers to Burlington's textile heritage.[4]
References
- Hill, Benjamin. Burlington makes Royal move, minorleaguebaseball.com. September 1, 2006.
- "MLB, USA Baseball Announce New Format for Appalachian League". Major League Baseball. September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- "New for 2021: Burlington Sock Puppets". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- "Burlington Baseball unveils its new brand: the Sock Puppets". WJHL. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
