The Mobile Bears were an American minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama . The franchise was a member of the old Southern Association , a high-level circuit that folded after the 1961 season. Mobile joined the SA in 1908 as the Sea Gulls , but changed its name to the Bears in 1918, and the nickname stuck. The club played in the Association until July 1931, when it moved to Knoxville, Tennessee . Almost exactly 13 years later, in July 1944, the Bears returned to Mobile when the Knoxville Smokies franchise shifted back from Tennessee. (A club known as the Mobile Shippers competed in the Class B Southeastern League from 1937 to 1942.)
31-646: The Bears then continued in the SA (classified as a Double-A league in 1946) through its final season. During the 1940s and 1950s, the club was a longtime farm system affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers , then the Cleveland Indians . The Bears played in 5,000-seat Hartwell Field located on Virginia Street in midtown. The nickname "Bears" lived on in modified form with the Mobile BayBears of
62-587: A Class A1 level (between Class A and Class AA) was established in 1936. The contemporary Double-A classification, as the second-highest level in Minor League Baseball, was established in 1946. Entering that season, the three aforementioned leagues in Class AA all moved to the newly established Triple-A, and Class A1 became Double-A with two leagues: The Texas League remained in Double-A for
93-476: A Triple-A player as an injury replacement is a common occurrence. The term " AAAA player ," pronounced "four-A" or "quadruple-A," refers to a player who is consistently successful when playing for Triple-A teams, but is not successful at the major league level. The term is usually used derisively and has itself been criticized as flawed. Major league team executives and managers disagree whether AAAA players exist. Teams at this level are divided into two leagues:
124-432: A couple of years. These players can get to the Double-A level by earning a promotion from any of the lower-level leagues, with Class A-Advanced ("High-A") being immediately below Double-A in the minor league hierarchy. The step up to the Double-A level can be one of the hardest promotions for such players because it is the level at which pitchers need to have a good off-speed pitch in their repertoires. In addition, it
155-531: A runner on first, than it is to take three of four from the Portland Beavers . Both young players and veterans play for Triple-A teams: There are the young prospects speeding through the organization on the fastest treadmill, the guys who used to be young prospects who are in danger of topping out in Triple-A, the 30-somethings trying to get back to the majors after an injury or a rough patch, and
186-511: A runner on second base and limiting teams to eight mound visits during a nine-inning game. In 2019, the number of mound visits was reduced to seven, and pitchers were required to face a minimum of three consecutive batters, unless the side is retired or the pitcher is injured and unable to continue. Triple-A (baseball) Triple-A (officially Class AAA ) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in
217-405: A team of National League -affiliated Triple-A All-Stars. Traditionally, the game was held on the day after the mid-summer Major League Baseball All-Star Game . Such games mark a symbolic halfway-point in the season, despite occurring later than the actual halfway-point of most seasons. Both Triple-A leagues shared a common All-Star break, with no regular-season games scheduled for two days before
248-467: Is the highest level in the minor leagues, players may also advance to the major leagues directly from Double-A. For example, within the Toronto Blue Jays organization, 17 position players were promoted from Double-A directly to MLB during 1978–2018; approximately one player every two seasons. As players at the Double-A level are, generally, still improving their skills, it could be argued that
279-420: Is the level where fastball -only hitters need to learn how to hit off-speed pitches, or their hopes of advancing to the majors will diminish. Some players may be placed in Double-A to begin their minor league careers, usually veterans from foreign leagues or top prospects out of college. Additionally, major league clubs sometimes send players to their Double-A team to rehabilitate from injuries. While Triple-A
310-791: Is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A . There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League Baseball , organized into three leagues: the Eastern League , the Southern League , and the Texas League . Class AA ("Double-A") was established in 1912, as the new highest classification of Minor League Baseball . Previously, Class A had been
341-633: The Junior World Series (1932–34, 1936–62, 1970–71, 1973–74), Triple-A World Series (1983, 1998–2000), and Triple-A Classic (1988–91). For the 2021 season, in place of the National Championship Game, Minor League Baseball extended the Triple-A regular season to October 3, with league champions determined based on regular-season records through the original end date of the season (September 19 for Triple-A East, and September 21 for Triple-A West). The final 10 games of
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#1732797890357372-933: The United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). There are 30 teams, one per each Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, with 20 in the IL and 10 in the PCL. Triple-A teams are generally located in smaller cities who do not have major sports league teams such as Syracuse , Toledo , Reno and Omaha as well as larger metropolitan areas without MLB teams that may also have teams in other major sports leagues , such as Austin , Jacksonville , Columbus , Buffalo , and Indianapolis . Four Triple-A teams play in
403-566: The All-Star Game itself. Some additional events, such as the All-Star Fan Fest and Triple-A Home Run Derby , were held each year during this break in the regular season. While the 2021 schedule originally included a three-day All-Star break of July 12–14, this was removed after Opening Day was pushed back one month. Team schedules for the 2021 season were subsequently issued without an All-Star break. Beginning in 2006,
434-793: The Double-A Southern League , who played 23 seasons (1997–2019) in Mobile before relocating to metropolitan Huntsville, Alabama . The Bears won the Dixie Series , a postseason interleague championship between the champions of the Southern Association and the Texas League , in 1922 and 1955. This article about a baseball team in Alabama is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Double-A (baseball) Double-A (officially Class AA )
465-738: The International League and the Pacific Coast League. The International League fields teams primarily in the Eastern United States, while the Pacific Coast League fields teams mostly in the Western United States. Each of the 30 major league teams has an affiliation with one Triple-A team in the United States. The Triple-A All-Star Game was a single game held between the two affiliated Triple-A leagues—the International League and
496-592: The Las Vegas Ballpark. The winner of this game were the Norfolk Tides. As a part of professional baseball's pace of play initiatives implemented in 2015, 20-second pitch clocks entered use at Triple-A stadiums in 2015. In 2018, the time was shortened to 15 seconds when no runners are on base. Other significant changes implemented in 2018 included beginning extra innings with a runner on second base and limiting teams to six mound visits during
527-502: The Pacific Coast League, effective with the 2022 season. While all current and the majority of past Triple-A teams have been located in the United States, Triple-A teams have also been based in: The main purpose of Triple-A teams is to prepare players for the major leagues. In 2010, ESPN wrote: Winning is nice, but secondary. It's much more important for a young prospect like outfielder Xavier Paul to get regular at-bats against lefties, or work on dropping down sacrifice bunts with
558-457: The Pacific Coast League. Each league fielded a team composed of the top players in their respective leagues as voted on by fans, the media, and each club's field manager and general manager . The event took place every year since 1988 when the first Triple-A All-Star Game was played in Buffalo, New York . Prior to 1998, a team of American League -affiliated Triple-A All-Stars faced off against
589-612: The annual Triple-A National Championship Game was held to serve as a single championship game between the champions of the International League and Pacific Coast League to determine an overall champion of Triple-A baseball. It was originally held annually at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City , and known as the Bricktown Showdown. Starting in 2011, the game was held in a different Triple-A city each year. Previous postseason interleague championships include
620-454: The classification. Prior to 1946, the top level of Minor League Baseball was Double-A , which had been established in 1912. The Triple-A classification was created before the 1946 season, and began with all three leagues then in Double-A moving up to the new level: This structure persisted for the next 75 years with only a few changes: The IL, PCL, and Mexican League continued as Triple-A leagues until Major League Baseball reorganized
651-488: The existing leagues were temporarily renamed: Eastern League as Double-A Northeast , Southern League as Double-A South , and Texas League as Double-A Central . Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, MLB announced on March 16, 2022, that the leagues would revert to their prior names, effective with the 2022 season. The Double-A classification usually hosts developing players that have been part of professional baseball for only
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#1732797890357682-470: The guys just playing a few more seasons because someone still wants them and they still want to. Most, if not all, of the players on an MLB team's expanded roster who are not currently on the team's active roster are assigned to the team's Triple-A club. Expanded rosters consist of 40 players, while active rosters generally consist of 26 players as of the 2021 season. Most Triple-A teams are located geographically close to their MLB parent club, as activating
713-599: The highest level, predating the establishment of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues—the formal name of Minor League Baseball—in 1901. Entering the 1912 season, three leagues were designated as Class AA: Each of these leagues had previously been in Class A. Each remained in Class AA through 1945, then moved into Class AAA (" Triple-A ") when it was established in 1946. No other leagues were designated Class AA during 1912–1945, although
744-399: The minor leagues prior to the 2021 season. At that time, the IL and PCL were temporarily renamed Triple-A East and Triple-A West , respectively. The Mexican League continues to operate, independently. Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, they announced on March 16, 2022, that the leagues would once again be called the International League and
775-655: The next 75 years. During this time, there were limited changes to leagues at the Double-A level: Entering the 2020 minor league season (which was not played, due to the COVID-19 pandemic ) the Texas League had been in Double-A since 1946, the Eastern League since 1963, and the Southern League since 1964. Prior to the 2021 season, Major League Baseball (MLB) reorganized the minor leagues. At that time,
806-421: The pure talent level is higher in Double-A than Triple-A, where there may be some stagnation of talent. Because players are not often moved back and forth from their major league parent club as often happens in Triple-A, the rosters of Double-A teams tend to be more stable. Fans of Double-A teams thus have a longer amount of time to get acquainted with the players, which helps create a better relationship between
837-534: The same metro areas as their parent clubs. All current Triple-A teams are located in the United States; before 2008, some Triple-A leagues also fielded teams in Canada , and from 1967 to 2020 the Mexican League was classified as Triple-A. Reasons for the relocation of these teams were solely because of costs and attendance. Other than the current two Triple-A leagues, only three other leagues have ever held
868-637: The season, played after those dates, were deemed the "Final Stretch", with the team posting the best winning percentage during that period (the Durham Bulls , who went 9–1) winning a cash prize. Since the 2022 season, the Triple-A National Championship Game has been played between the champions of the International League and the Pacific Coast League. In 2023, the Triple-A Championship game was played at
899-429: The start of the 2021 minor league season was delayed by a month, team schedules were released without a break for an all-star game. As a part of pace-of-play initiatives implemented in 2015, 20-second pitch clocks entered use at Double-A stadiums in 2015. In 2018, the time was shortened to 15 seconds when no runners are on base. Other significant changes implemented in 2018 included beginning extra innings with
930-462: The team and its fans. Prior to the 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, all three active Double-A leagues played split seasons , with the Eastern League moving to that system in 2019. Teams winning their division in either half of the season qualified for the postseason, with wild card teams filling out the remaining spots in a bracket tournament , usually composed of four teams. On June 30, 2021, Minor League Baseball announced that
961-574: The top two teams in each league (based on full-season winning percentage , and regardless of division) would meet in a best-of-five postseason series to determine league champions. Prior to the 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, each of the active Double-A leagues held its own midseason All-Star Game. From 1991 to 2002, the three combined to hold the Double-A All-Star Game between teams of American League -affiliated All-Stars and National League -affiliated All-Stars. After