Tombstone
Born: 1987 – Re-branded from Kinston Eagles
Moved: 2011 (Carolina Mudcats)
First Game: April 10, 1987 (W 8-7 @ Lynchburg Mets)
Last Game: September 16, 2011 (L 11-3 vs. Frederick Keys)
Carolina League Champions: 1988, 1991, 1995, 2004 & 2006
Stadium
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1987 – 1989: Stuart Revo
- 1989 – 1994: Wiley Tucker Jr., James Thomas, et al.
- 1994 – 2011: Cam McRae, North Johnson, et al.
Major League Affiliation: Cleveland Indians
Background
Born out of a notably unpromising start, the Kinston Indians of the Carolina League went on to enjoy a 25-year run as a Class A farm club of the Cleveland Indians.
Back in 1986, the Kinston Eagles franchise was in an absolutely dreadful state. The club lost its affiliation with the Toronto Blue Jays after the 1985 season and was forced to play as an independent team in 1986 with no Major League sponsor. The club finished 16 games under .500 and ranked last in the Carolina League in attendance (48,845) by a vast margin.
Shortly after the season, veteran minor league investor Stuart Revo, an attorney from New York City, purchased the Eagles. Revo intended to move the ball club to southern Maryland where he had a deal with Charles County officials to build a new ballpark for the 1987 season. Revo also had a Player Development Contract with the Cleveland Indians in hand for his new team, to be known as the Chesapeake Voyagers.1Moskowitz, Bob. “Carolina League Voyagers may be forced to return to Kinston”. The Daily Press (Newport News, VA). December 31, 1986 But a new political administration in Charles County killed the stadium deal in December 1986. Revo’s now-homeless ballclub trudged back to Kinston with nothing but the Indians affiliation to show for its efforts.
Though Revo himself would relinquish the Kinston club after less than three seasons, the franchise proved to have remarkable staying power. By the early 1990’s, annual attendance climbed back into the six figures and the team enjoyed a steady supply of top flight prospects from Cleveland’s fertile farm system of the era.
Future Stars
Kinston fans enjoyed a parade of future Major League stars who spent time at Grainger Stadium over the years, particularly during the 1990’s renaissance of the long-ridiculed Cleveland Indians organization. Top prospects included:
- Outfielder Albert Belle (Kinston ’87-’88)
- Pitcher Charles Nagy (K-Tribe ’89)
- Future Hall-of-Famer Jim Thome (Kinston ’90)
- Outfielder Brian Giles (Kinston ’91-’92)
- Outfielder Manny Ramirez (Kinston ’92)
- First baseman Richie Sexson (K-Tribe ’95)
- Future A.L. Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon (Kinston ’95)
- Infielder Marco Scutaro (Kinston ’97)
- Future A.L. Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia (Kinston ’99)
- Catcher Victor Martinez (Kinston ’00-’01)
- Shortstop Jhonny Peralta (Kinston ’01)
- Outfielder Grady Sizemore (Kinston ’02)
- Catcher Carlos Santana (Kinston ’08)
Among the many superstars on this roster, Jim Thome is currently the only former K-Tribe member enshrined in Cooperstown. CC Sabathia, who will be eligible for the first time on the 2025 ballot, has a strong chance. Manny Ramirez, with his 555 home runs and .996 OPS over 19 seasons, certainly had Hall of Fame production but his late career PED suspensions have thus far kept him out.
Albert Belle and Charles Nagy are both members of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.
In 2018, seven years after the Kinston Indians played their final inning, the two active pitchers with the most career wins in Major League Baseball, Bartolo Colon (247) and Sabathia (246) were both K-Tribe alumni.
Departure & Aftermath
In late 2010, Steve Bryant, the long-time owner of the Zebulon, North Carolina-based Carolina Mudcats of the Class AA Southern League sold his franchise to a new owner who intended to move the club to Pensacola, Florida. Bryant, however, wanted to stay in Zebulon and keep his Mudcats brand alive in the lower cost Carolina League. In a related transaction, Bryant purchased the Kinston Indians and announced that the team would play one final season at Grainger Stadium in 2011 and then move to Zebulon to become a new Carolina League edition of the Mudcats beginning in 2012.
The K-Tribe played one final lame duck season in Kinston during the summer of 2011. The team advanced to the Carolina League’s Mills Cup championship series for the 12th time in 25 seasons. Not too shabby. There was to be no Cinderella ending to the Indians run in Kinston. On September 16, 2011 the Frederick Keys demolished Kinston in an 11-3 rout at Grainger Field to capture the best-of-five series in four games. It was the final game of the Indians era and the last pro baseball game in Kinston for the next five years.
In 2017, the Carolina League returned to Kinston with the Down East Wood Ducks, a Texas Rangers farm club. During the 2018 season, the Wood Ducks donned Kinston Indians retro uniforms for seven “Throwback Thursday” home games at Grainger Stadium.
Trivia
On September 6th, 2004 Kinston left-hander Keith Ramsey threw a 9-inning perfect game against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on the final day of the Carolina League regular season.
Kinston Indians Shop
In Memoriam
Pitcher Steve Olin (Kinston ’88), who advanced the pitch in the Majors with Cleveland from 1989 to 1992, died in a boating accident with Cleveland teammate Tim Crews during spring training on March 22, 1993. Olin was just 27 years old.
Links
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