The Bowling Green Hot Rods are a Minor League Baseball team of the

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

and the

High-A High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

affiliate of the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

. They are located in

Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Warren County, Kentucky, United States. Founded by pioneers in 1798, Bowling Green was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. As of the 2 ...

, and play their home games at

Bowling Green Ballpark Bowling Green Ballpark is a 4,559-seat stadium in Downtown Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is primarily used for baseball and is home to the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the High-A East of Minor League Baseball. This state-of-the-art stadium opened with ...

, which opened in 2009. The team is named for the city's connections to the automotive and racing industries such as the

National Corvette Museum The National Corvette Museum showcases the Chevrolet Corvette, an American sports car that has been in production since 1953. It is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, off Interstate 65's Exit 28. It was constructed in 1994, and opened to the pu ...

Holley Carburetor Holley Performance Products is an automobile, automotive performance company based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was founded in 1896 in Bradford, Pennsylvania by George Holley and Earl Holley. When the company was based in Michigan it was a major ...

, Beech Bend Raceway, and the

Bowling Green Assembly Plant The Bowling Green Assembly Plant is a General Motors automobile factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is a specialized plant assembling GM's Y-body sports cars, the Chevrolet Corvette and formerly the Cadillac XLR. It was first opened on June 1, ...

. Founded in 2009, they were members of the Class A South Atlantic League in their inaugural season and played in the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

from 2010 to 2020. There were elevated to the High-A classification and placed in the

High-A East The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

in 2021, but this was renamed the South Atlantic League in 2022.

History

The Hot Rods began life as the Wilmington Waves, one of two

expansion teams for the 2001 season. However, the Waves' stay at Brooks Field in

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...

, lasted but a single season. They became the South Georgia Waves when the team was moved to the

Paul Eames Sports Complex The Paul Eames Sports Complex is a minor league baseball stadium, located in Albany, Georgia. The stadium was the home of the South Georgia Peanuts, of the South Coast League, prior to the folding of the league in 2008. It was the former home of ...

Albany, Georgia Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the seat of Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in southwest Georgia, it is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia ...

, for the 2002 season. The team retained the moniker name when it again moved to

Golden Park Golden Park is a 5,000-seat baseball stadium in Columbus, Georgia, United States, that opened in 1951. Located on the Chattahoochee River in Downtown Columbus, it is currently home to the Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots as of 2021 . The exterior of the ...

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...

, just before the 2003 campaign. One year later, in 2004, the franchise changed names and became the

Columbus Catfish The Columbus Catfish were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, ...

. In April 2008, ownership moved the team to

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...

effective for the 2009 season under the new nickname "Hot Rods." Their first

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

as the Hot Rods was

Matt Quatraro Matthew John Quatraro (born November 14, 1973) is an American professional baseball former minor league player and minor league manager, and the current manager of the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was previously the bench ...

. In 2010, the Hot Rods and the

Lake County Captains The Lake County Captains are a Minor League Baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, that plays in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The Captains joined the Class A Midwest League following t ...

moved from the

to the

, a plan meant to alleviate travel expenses associated with routine road trips as well as player movement within the teams' respective organizations. In December 2013, Art Solomon, owner of the Hot Rods for five years, sold the team to Manhattan Capital Sports headed by Stuart Katzoff. The Hot Rods have been widely recognized for their promotional efforts. In 2009, the team's "What Could've Been Night" was named Promotion of the Year by MiLB.com. In 2010, Hot Rods Assistant General Manager Greg Coleman was honored as Marketer of the Year by the Professional Marketing Association. In September 2018, the team was sold to Jack Blackstock who had previously been a minority investor in the team. That year, the Hot Rods won 90 games and captured their first ever Midwest League title, under then manager

Craig Albernaz Craig Francis Albernaz (born October 30, 1982) is an American professional baseball bullpen and catching coach for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for Eckerd College. Albernaz signed with the T ...

. Along with

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

's reorganization of the minors after the 2020 season, the Hot Rods were invited to remain a Tampa Bay affiliate but be elevated to

in 2021 as members of the

. They won the Southern Division title by ending the season with a first-place 82–36 record. They then won the High-A East championship by defeating the

Greensboro Grasshoppers The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are members of the South Atlantic League and are the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their home games at First National ...

, 3–2, in a best-of-five series. Jeff Smith won the league's Manager of the Year Award. In 2022, the High-A East became known as the South Atlantic League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.

Season records

Playoffs

Bowling Green Ballpark

*Address: 300 E 8th Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42101 *Opened: April 17, 2009 *

Seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

: 4,559 *Dimensions: LF – 318 ft, CF – 400 ft, RF – 326 ft Bowling Green Ballpark was designed by architectural firm DLR Group. The right-centerfield wall in Bowling Green Ballpark is unique in that it is concave in right-center because of the shape of a pre-existing road behind the field. The scoreboard in right-centerfield measures 35-feet tall and 56-feet wide, with the ability to show scoring, live video, advertisements, player statistics, and more. Embedded in the left field wall is a 6-foot, 3inch tall by 68-foot wide LED display board, behind which is a picnic area. There are two grass lawn seating areas- one in left-center and one at the right field line. The kids play area boasts an inflatable car customized with the Hot Rods' logo, a carousel, and a playground, and a behind the batter's eye in centerfield, a splash-pad. The Performance Food Service Club is a bar located on suite level directly behind home plate. Also on the suite level are 10 suites, the Hall of Fame suite, and a party deck—The Coca-Cola Deck.

Media coverage

In addition to internet streaming coverage on MILB.tv, the Hot Rods are broadcast locally on radio station WKCT AM 930 and translator W281BV (104.1 FM) since 2022. WBGN was the original flagship station of Hot Rods baseball for the team's first 12 years in Bowling Green from 2009 to 2021.

Mascots

One of the Hot Rods'

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

s is an anthropomorphic bear named Axle. Debuting in 2009, he wears an orange Hot Rods uniform, number 00. The Hot Rods' furry, fun-loving bear has captivated crowds at Bowling Green Ballpark while making good on his promise to become a true community ambassador. Roscoe is the Hot Rods' second mascot, debuting during the 2010 season. He is a Grease Monkey who wears a navy Hot Rods jersey. Turbo is a

Golden Retriever The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds ...

who was adopted into the Hot Rods family on December 13, 2019. He is currently training to become a "batdog", retrieving bats and balls and returning them to the Hot Rods' dugout, as well as delivering balls to the home plate umpire, for the 2021 season. Turbo is one of a few bat dogs in Minor League Baseball.

Roster

Alumni

The following are players in

who played, at one time, for the Hot Rods. Players are listed under the team they debuted for. ;Tampa Bay Rays * Matt Moore * Alex Colome *

Tim Beckham Timothy Lamar Beckham (born January 27, 1990) is an American professional baseball infielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, and Minnesota Twins. Beckha ...

* Enny Romero *

Kevin Kiermaier Kevin James Kiermaier (; born April 22, 1990) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2013 to 2022. Kiermaier was part of amat ...

* CJ Riefenhauser *

Kirby Yates Kirby Kali Yates (born March 25, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, and San Di ...

Ryan Brett Ryan Duane Brett (born October 9, 1991) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. Career Tampa Bay Rays Brett attended Highline High School in Buri ...

Andrew Bellatti Andrew James Bellatti (born August 5, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins. Bellatti was drafted ...

Luke Maile Luke Richard Maile (born February 6, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers and Cle ...

Blake Snell Blake Ashton Snell (born December 4, 1992), is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Tampa Bay Rays selected Snell in the first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. ...

Taylor Motter Taylor Davis Motter (born September 18, 1989) is an American professional baseball utility player who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Colorado ...

Ryan Garton Ryan Patrick Garton (born December 5, 1989) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016 and 2017 and the Seattle Mariners in 2017 and 2019. Career Tampa Bay Rays Ga ...

Dylan Floro Dylan Lee Floro (born December 27, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers. He pla ...

* Juniel Querecuto *

Austin Pruitt Austin Daniel Pruitt (born August 31, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Oakland Athletics organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, and Miami Marlins. Ca ...

* Jose Alvarado *

Ryne Stanek Ryne Thomas Stanek (born July 26, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He attended the University of Arkansas, where he played for the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team. He was ...

* Hunter Wood * Jacob Faria *

Yonny Chirinos Yonny Enrique Chirinos Mejias (born December 26, 1993) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Career Minor league career Chirinos signed with the Tampa Bay Rays for $10,000 as an in ...

Johnny Field John David Field (born February 20, 1992) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played one season in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins in 2018. Amateur career Field attended Bishop Gorma ...

* Willy Adames *

Jaime Schultz Jaime Matthew Schultz (born June 20, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers. Early years Schultz attended Mapl ...

* Diego Castillo *

Justin Williams Justin Craig Williams (born October 4, 1981) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey right winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, and Washingto ...

Brandon Lowe Brandon Norman Lowe ( ; born July 6, 1994) is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Amateur career Lowe attended Nansemond River High School in Suffolk, Virginia, where he played ...

Nick Ciuffo Nicholas Anthony Ciuffo (born March 7, 1995) is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles. Ciuffo attended Lexington High School in ...

Nate Lowe David Nathaniel Lowe Jr. ( ; born July 7, 1995) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays. Amateur career Lowe attended Pope High ...

* Michael Brosseau * Brendan McKay *

Ian Gibaut Ian Philip Gibaut ( ; born November 19, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has played in (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Minnesota T ...

Kean Wong Kean Keanu Wong (born April 17, 1995) is an American professional baseball second baseman in the Seattle Mariners organization. The Tampa Bay Rays selected Wong in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB draft, and he made his Major League Baseball (MLB ...

* Josh Fleming *

Shane McClanahan Shane Peter McClanahan (born April 28, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020. Early life McClanahan was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and lived ther ...

Kevin Padlo Kevin Michael Padlo (born July 15, 1996) is an American professional baseball third baseman in the Los Angeles Angels organization. The Colorado Rockies selected Padlo in the fifth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB ...

* Brent Honeywell Jr. *

Taylor Walls Davis Taylor Walls (born July 10, 1996) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Amateur career Walls attended Crisp County High School in Cordele, Geor ...

Wander Franco Wander Samuel Franco Aybar Sr. (born March 1, 2001), nicknamed "El Patron", is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Professional career Minor league ...

* Vidal Brujan * Joshua Lowe *

Shane Baz Shane Austin Baz (born June 17, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Early life Baz was born to Lebanese father Raja and American mother Tammy. ...

;San Francisco Giants *

Albert Suarez Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert C ...

* Roberto Gomez *

Enderson Franco Enderson Daniel Franco (born December 29, 1992) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and ...

Joe McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most vis ...

* Sam Long ;Arizona Diamondbacks * Oscar Hernandez *

Merrill Kelly Kenneth Merrill Kelly (born October 14, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut on April 1, 2019. Kelly formerly played for the SK Wyverns of the KBO ...

;Detroit Tigers *

Kyle Lobstein Kyle Eric Lobstein (born August 12, 1989) is an Americans, American professional baseball pitcher for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Detroit Tigers in 2 ...

Ryan Carpenter Ryan Michael Carpenter (born January 18, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey center for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Playin ...

;Los Angeles Angels *

Luis Rengifo Luis Jose Rengifo (born February 26, 1997) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2019. Career Seattle Mariners Rengifo signed with the Seattle Mariners ...

* Matt Ramsey ;Texas Rangers * Kyle Bird * Brock Burke ;Miami Marlins *

Derek Dietrich Derek Richard Dietrich (born July 18, 1989) is an American professional baseball second baseman and outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins, Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers. ...

* Jesús Sánchez * Paul Campbell ;St. Louis Cardinals * Genesis Cabrera * Roel Ramirez ;Kansas City Royals * Wilking Rodriguez ;San Diego Padres * Chris Rearick * Jake Cronenworth ;Washington Nationals * Felipe Vazquez ;Baltimore Orioles *

Joey Rickard Joseph Mark Rickard (born May 21, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. Prior to his professional career, he played college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats of the University of Arizona, and was a ...

;Philadelphia Phillies *

Tyler Goeddel Tyler David Goeddel (born October 20, 1992) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for one season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016. Career Tampa Bay Rays Goeddel attended St. Fra ...

* Cristopher Sanchez ;Los Angeles Dodgers *

Andrew Toles Alvin Andrew Toles (born May 24, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Toles played college baseball for the University of Tennessee and Chipola College. He was selected by the Tampa Bay ...

;Colorado Rockies * German Marquez ;Toronto Blue Jays *

Taylor Guerrieri Christopher Taylor Guerrieri (born December 1, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2 ...

;Seattle Mariners * Parker Markel ;Oakland Athletics * Jonah Heim ;Minnesota Twins * Joe Ryan ;Cincinnati Reds * Riley O'Brien ;New York Mets *

Jake Hager Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society s ...

References

External links

Official website
{{Bowling Green, Kentucky Baseball teams established in 2009 Midwest League teams South Atlantic League teams Sports in Bowling Green, Kentucky Professional baseball teams in Kentucky Tampa Bay Rays minor league affiliates 2009 establishments in Kentucky High-A East teams