Minor League Contraction: Appalachian League

Boyce Cox Field WCYB 5 News During the warm months of the year, low level baseball was a staple for many in the Tri-Cities area, a coalition of small cities on the Tennessee and Virginia border. For decades, the Appalachian League provided entertainment on the cheap for families in the region. The Appy League, as it is colloquially called, was home to teams in the Tri-Cities, but also in West Virginia and North Carolina.

The East Division was made up of the Bluefield Blue Jays, Burlington Royals, Danville Braves, Princeton Rays, and Pulaski Yankees. The West Division consisted of five teams all within about an hour of each other: the Bristol Pirates, Elizabethton Twins, Greeneville Reds,…