Bristol Baseball, Inc. has signed a five-year lease to help keep the Bristol Pirates in the Twin Cities, according to a press release. The 2019 season marks the 50th year of professional baseball in Bristol.
“With professional baseball celebrating its 150th year of existence this summer, we are proud to be able to say that, as a small non-profit entity operating without a paid staff, we have been able to provide affordable, family-friendly entertainment here in Bristol for a third of that time,” said BBI President Mahlon Luttrell, in the release. “BBI is unique among minor-league operators in that it relies on volunteers, and all of our volunteers look forward to continuing to provide professional baseball in town for many more years.”
Boyd Sports, LLC has announced that they will assume the management contract of the Elizabethton Twins, the Rookie League Affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Boyd Sports, which also operates the Tennessee Smokies, the Johnson City Cardinals, and the Greeneville Reds will assume all business operations of the Elizabethton Twins.
“The Minnesota Twins organization is excited about the new partnership with Boyd Sports,” Twins President and CEO Dave St. Peter said. “We believe Boyd Sports is committed to the City of Elizabethton and an effort to enhance the experience of attending E-Twins games at Joe O’Brien Field. We can’t wait for Opening Day as the E-Twins work to defend the Appalachian League title.”
The Elizabethton Twins will continue to play at Joe O’Brien Field in Elizabethton, TN. Joe O’Brien Field has been the home of the Elizabethton Twins since 1974.
“We are very pleased to add the Elizabethton Twins to our Boyd Sports family and grow a strong relationship with the Minnesota Twins and the city of Elizabethton,” added Chris Allen, Boyd Sports President and COO. “We are thrilled to be a part of the Elizabethton community, and we cannot wait to get started. We are looking forward to great success for many years to come with the Twins organization.”
The Bristol Pirates will have a completely new field staff for 2019, as the Pittsburgh Pirates have announced Kieran Mattison as Bristol’s new manager.
Mattison will lead the 2019 team with assistance from pitching coach Eric Minshall and hitting coach Jonathan Prieto. Mattison and Prieto served in the same positions for the West Virginia Black Bears in 2018, while Minshall joins the Pirates organization after spending the last six seasons as the pitching coach for the Miami University Hamilton Harriers. Matt McNamee will also join Bristol’s staff as the team’s athletic trainer.
Boyd Sports, LLC has announced that Kristen Atwell will be the General Manager of the Greeneville Reds, effective immediately.
Atwell’s new role with the Greeneville Reds comes following the inaugural season where she served as the Assistant General Manager of the team. Kristen previously served as a Graduate Assistant Coach with the Tusculum College women’s basketball program; while also serving as a director of women’s basketball operations for one year at Tusculum College. Atwell was also a Stadium Operations intern for the Pulaski Yankees during the 2017 season. She received her B.A. with a degree in Sports Management from Tusculum College, and received her M.A. with a degree in Human Resource and Development from Tusculum College.
Boyd Sports is set to host the inaugural 14U Travel Baseball Series this summer. With one tournament taking place at each Boyd Sports affiliated ballpark, the events will span across the months of May and June. Each tournament will guarantee no less than 3 games for participating teams. All three tournaments will be at the 14U age level.
The Tennessee Smokies will kick off the series with a 12-team tournament starting on Wednesday, May 29 culminating with a championship game on Sunday, June 2. All games in the tournament will be played on the field at Smokies Stadium (home of the Tennessee Smokies, AA Affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) giving kids the chance to play where the professionals compete. Registration is only $800 per team.
The Greeneville Reds (Rookie Ball Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) will then host the second of three tournaments starting on Friday, June 7 through Sunday, June 9 at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, Tennessee. This tournament will consist of 8 teams and registration is just $550 per team.
The Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie Ball Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals) will close out the Boyd Sports Travel Baseball Series starting on Friday, June 21 through Sunday, June 23 at TVA Credit Union Ballpark in Johnson City, Tennessee. The tournament will include 8 teams and is just $550 per team.
Teams are encouraged to sign up for one or all of the series of tournaments at the Boyd Sports affiliated ballparks.
The Kingsport Mets announced their coaching staff for the 2019 Appalachian League season today. They welcome an all new staff that features a former major league and World Series champion coach, a former major league pitcher and a former KMets player. Rich Donnelly has been named Kingsport Mets manager, Jerome Williams will serve as pitching coach, and Rafael Fernandez as hitting coach.
Donnelly, a former major league coach, begins his first year managing the Kingsport Mets and his fifth season in the New York Mets organization, spending 2011-2013 as manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones. He served as a major league coach for 29 seasons, with the Mariners, Dodgers, Brewers, Rockies, Pirates, Rangers and most notably the Marlins, where coaching under manager Jim Leyland, he won a World Series Championship in 1997.
Boyd Sports, LLC has announced that Kristen Atwell will be the General Manager of the Greeneville Reds, effective immediately.
Atwell’s new role with the Greeneville Reds comes following the inaugural season where she served as the Assistant General Manager of the team. Kristen previously served as a Graduate Assistant Coach with the Tusculum College women’s basketball program; while also serving as a director of women’s basketball operations for one year at Tusculum College. Atwell was also a Stadium Operations intern for the Pulaski Yankees during the 2017 season. She received her B.A. with a degree in Sports Management from Tusculum College, and received her M.A. with a degree in Human Resource and Development from Tusculum College.
“The Minnesota Twins organization is excited about the new partnership with Boyd Sports,” Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter said. “We believe Boyd Sports is committed to the City of Elizabethton and an effort to enhance the experience of attending E-Twins games at Joe O’Brien Field. We can’t wait for Opening Day as the E-Twins work to defend the Appalachian League title.”
The Elizabethton Twins will continue to play at Joe O’Brien Field in Elizabethton, TN. Joe O’Brien Field has been the home of the Elizabethton Twins since 1974.
“We are very pleased to add the Elizabethton Twins to our Boyd Sports family and grow a strong relationship with the Minnesota Twins and the city of Elizabethton,” added Chris Allen, Boyd Sports President and COO. “We are thrilled to be a part of the Elizabethton community, and we cannot wait to get started. We are looking forward to great success for many years to come with the Twins organization.”
