The Danville 97s were a minor league baseball team based in

Danville, Virginia Danville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States, located in the Southside Virginia region and on the fall line of the Dan River. It was a center of tobacco production and was an area of Confederate activity ...

for the 1998 season only. They were a baseball team that played in the

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

and were affiliated with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

for their lone 1998 season. Prior to the 97s, the

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

were the Braves High-A affiliate from 1980–1997 which that team also played in the Carolina League. The 97s played home games at the American Legion Field. Following the 1998 season, the franchise relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to become the

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...

. Previously, Danville has also been the home of various minor league teams known as the

Danville Leafs The Danville Leafs were a professional minor league baseball team that played in the city of Danville, Virginia. During 1935–1942, they were also known as the Danville-Schoolfield Leafs. History Professional baseball first made its appearance i ...

, and it is currently home to the

Danville Braves The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...

of the Advanced Rookie-Level Appalachian League.

History

In 1998, Durham, North Carolina was one of two cities added to Triple-A baseball, joining the International League as an expansion team affiliated with the

Tampa Bay Devil 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) East division. Since its inception, the team's home ve ...

. The new IL club would carry forward the identity of the city's long-time

franchise, the

, an identity given international recognition by the 1988 movie

Bull Durham ''Bull Durham'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy sports film. It is partly based upon the minor-league baseball experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor-league baseball team in ...

. Capitol Broadcasting Company of Raleigh would own the new Triple-A franchise as they had the Single-A club. The Carolina League franchise still owned by CBC would have to relocate; though it would leave its history behind in Durham, it would (for the time being) retain a valuable affiliation agreement with the

in its new home. The two strongest initial contenders were Myrtle Beach and

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is ...

. Williamsburg would not have a suitable facility for the 1998 season; Danville, firmly within the existing league footprint and already housing a rookie-league Braves affiliate, developed a plan to house the team temporarily should Williamsburg be chosen. By October 1997, the Bulls' ownership group selected Myrtle Beach as the destination and the Carolina League approved the relocation. By that late date, however, Myrtle Beach was also unable to complete its new stadium in time for the 1998 season. After an agreement was reached with the Appalachian League, necessary as the team would share its stadium with the

for the entire Appy League season and half the Carolina League schedule, the Bulls announced Danville as the temporary home for the CL franchise. The city's previously developed plan and the Braves organization's familiarity with the Danville community carried the decision. On October 21, 1997, the team name "Danville 97s" was announced. The name pays tribute to the victims of the infamous

Wreck of the Old 97 Wreck or The Wreck may refer to: Common uses * Wreck, a collision of an automobile, aircraft or other vehicle * Shipwreck, the remains of a ship after a crisis at sea Places * The Wreck (surf spot), a surf spot at Byron Bay, New South Wales, Aus ...

, which had the reputation as the fastest regularly scheduled train in the world at the time of its fatal wreck in 1903. The 97s would finish last in the Carolina League during their lone season in Danville in 1998, when

Jason Marquis Jason Scott Marquis (; born August 21, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, Ariz ...

began the season as the youngest pitcher in the Carolina League, but won only 2 of 22 starts for Danville, as he went 2–12 and struck out 135 in 114.2 innings, while walking only 41. The team completed its move to Myrtle Beach for the 1999 season, becoming the

Season-by-season results

References

{{reflist Danville, Virginia Defunct Carolina League teams Atlanta Braves minor league affiliates Defunct baseball teams in Virginia Baseball teams established in 1998 Baseball teams disestablished in 1998 1998 establishments in Virginia 1998 disestablishments in Virginia