6-621: The Pulaski River Turtles are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League . They are located in Pulaski, Virginia , and play their home games at Calfee Park . Professional baseball was first played in Pulaski, Virginia , in 1942 as the Pulaski Counts. They were affiliated with eight different Major League Baseball teams and also played as an independent club for a few seasons. Their final affiliation as
12-534: A rookie league professional club was with the New York Yankees . The team played its home games at Calfee Park . The Pulaski Yankees were awarded Minor League Baseball's top honor, the John H. Johnson President's Award , in 2019. The award recognizes the "complete baseball franchise—based on franchise stability, contributions to league stability, contributions to baseball in the community, and promotion of
18-619: The baseball industry." 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 Pulaski Yankees were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores. The new team became known as the Pulaski River Turtles. The nickname refers to
24-496: The collegiate summer season. These draftees can remain with their collegiate summer team until they sign a professional contract. During the season, players are housed by volunteer host families and bussed to and from road games. The leagues vary greatly in their attendances, quality of play, and ability to attract scouts. The Alaska Baseball League (ABL) and the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) are considered
30-701: The common nickname of these leagues as "wood-bat leagues". Collegiate summer leagues allow college baseball players the ability to compete using professional rules and equipment, giving them experience and allowing professional scouts the opportunity to observe players under such conditions. To find a collegiate summer team, players work with their college coaches and prospective teams' general managers. They report to summer leagues after completing their spring collegiate season with their NCAA , NAIA , NJCAA , CCCAA , and NWAC teams. Some players arrive late due to their college team's postseason play, which sometimes runs into early June. In some cases, players are drafted during
36-736: The team's location in the New River Valley . The 2021 season will mark Pulaski's 55th season fielding teams in the Appalachian League. Collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate from early June to early August. In contrast to college baseball , which allow aluminum or other composite baseball bats , players in these leagues use only wooden bats, hence
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