The Martinsville Astros were a Virginia-based Appalachian League farm club of the Houston Astros from 1999 to 2003. The team was owned directly by its Major League parent club. In January 2004, Houston moved its Appy League farm club from Martinsville to Greeneville, Tennessee, ending the pro baseball era at Hooker Field after 16 seasons.
Kingsport, Tennessee served as the Appalachian League outpost of the Atlanta Braves for six seasons between 1974 and 1979. The Kingsport Braves played in a high school multi-sport stadium, which caused strife with the Atlanta front office. The Braves won the 1977 Appy League pennant despite being booted from J. Fred Johnson Stadium for the final two weeks of the baseball season so that the Dobyns-Bennett High School football team could hold pre-season practices. The New York Mets replaced Atlanta as Kingsport’s parent club in 1980.
Wytheville hosted short-season minor league baseball in the Appalachian League off and on for 35 years between 1953 and 1989. The 1967 Wytheville Reds were one of the more forgettable entries in the hardball history of the small Virginia city (pop. 6,069 in the 1970 census). The Reds finished in last place in the 6-team Appy League in 1967 with a 24-40 record and left town after the season, leaving Wytheville without pro ball in 1968.
The small Western Virginia town of Wytheville (Pop. 8,211 circa 2010) played hosted to professional baseball off and on from 1948 until 1989. Major League parent clubs typically didn’t stay long – in 25 summers with baseball, the Wytheville club changed names 11 times. The Kansas City Athletics one-summer partnership with Wytheville in 1964 was typical of these short commitments.
Publisher receives compensation for affiliate advertising on this website.
*Like our new look? Next up: site speed. You can help with a tip for our Speed Fund today. Thank you!
