Columbus Catfish
Encyclopedia
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
since September 29, 2006.http://www.sptimes.com/2006/09/29/Rays/Surprised_Rays_find_a.shtml The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, Kentucky
for the 2009 season.
The Catfish played home games at Golden Park
. The team colors were royal blue, peach, and sand. The name "Catfish" referred to the fish
of the same name, which is commonly eaten in the South
and is often harvested from the Chattahoochee River
. The city of Columbus and Golden Park itself lie on the Chattahoochee. The peach in the Catfish logo implies the state of Georgia
---to differentiate the team from the Columbus Clippers
of Columbus, Ohio
.
In 2007, the Catfish swept the West Virginia Power
in three games to win their first South Atlantic league championship.
as one of two South Atlantic League expansion teams in 2001, played their inaugural season in Wilmington, North Carolina
, as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers
. The team left Wilmington after one season due to the lack of a permanent stadium
.http://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2002-03-27/minors-notes.htm The Waves moved to Albany, Georgia
for one season until settling in Columbus, which had lost the RedStixx
prior to the 2003 season. The team was known as the South Georgia Waves
during its single season in Albany and its first year in Columbus.
owner Art Solomon in April, 2008.http://ww2.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080407&content_id=381854&vkey=pr_milb&fext=.jsp Solomon would move the team to Bowling Green, Kentucky
, for the 2009 season,http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/213/story/268788.html where the team would be known as the Bowling Green Hot Rods
.
| 2001 || 75 || 63 || 2nd ||
|-
| 2002 || 75|| 63 || 2nd ||
|-
| 2003 || 64 || 72 || 11th ||
|-
| 2004 || 69 || 69 || 7th ||
|-
| 2005 || 57 || 79 || 14th ||
|-
| 2006 || 72 || 68 || 7th ||
|-
| 2007 || 82 || 53 || 2nd 2 || League champions
Southern Division, 2 games to 0 over Augusta.
League Finals, 3 games to 0 over West Virginia.
|-
| 2008 || 67 || 69 || 10th ||
|-
2001: Wilmington Waves
2002: South Georgia Waves, Albany
2003: South Georgia Waves, Columbus
1- 1st half Southern division champions
2- 2nd half Southern division champions
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
since September 29, 2006.http://www.sptimes.com/2006/09/29/Rays/Surprised_Rays_find_a.shtml The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
for the 2009 season.
The Catfish played home games at Golden Park
Golden Park
Golden Park is a 5,000-seat baseball-only stadium in Columbus, Georgia, United States, that opened in 1926. Located on the Chattahoochee River in Downtown Columbus, it currently is not home to any professional baseball team...
. The team colors were royal blue, peach, and sand. The name "Catfish" referred to the fish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
of the same name, which is commonly eaten in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and is often harvested from the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
. The city of Columbus and Golden Park itself lie on the Chattahoochee. The peach in the Catfish logo implies the state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
---to differentiate the team from the Columbus Clippers
Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
of Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
In 2007, the Catfish swept the West Virginia Power
West Virginia Power
This article is about the baseball team, for the electric utility serving southeast West Virginia from 1986-99, see Allegheny Energy.The West Virginia Power is a minor league baseball team of the South Atlantic League, and is the Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in...
in three games to win their first South Atlantic league championship.
History
The Catfish, then known as the Wilmington WavesWilmington Waves
The Wilmington Waves were a minor league baseball team in Wilmington, North Carolina. They were a Low-A class team that played in the South Atlantic League, and were a farm team of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the franchise’s only year in Wilmington. They played all of their home games at Brooks...
as one of two South Atlantic League expansion teams in 2001, played their inaugural season in Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. The team left Wilmington after one season due to the lack of a permanent stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
.http://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2002-03-27/minors-notes.htm The Waves moved to Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
for one season until settling in Columbus, which had lost the RedStixx
Columbus RedStixx
The Columbus RedStixx were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and a farm team of the Cleveland Indians.The RedStixx played home games at Golden Park, except during 1996...
prior to the 2003 season. The team was known as the South Georgia Waves
South Georgia Waves
The South Georgia Waves was a Low-A class minor league baseball team in Albany, Georgia for one season before relocating to Columbus, Georgia where they operated under the same name for the 2003 season before being rebranded the Columbus Catfish...
during its single season in Albany and its first year in Columbus.
Relocation to Bowling Green
The team was sold to New Hampshire Fisher CatsNew Hampshire Fisher Cats
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a minor league baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major-league club....
owner Art Solomon in April, 2008.http://ww2.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080407&content_id=381854&vkey=pr_milb&fext=.jsp Solomon would move the team to Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
, for the 2009 season,http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/213/story/268788.html where the team would be known as the Bowling Green Hot Rods
Bowling Green Hot Rods
The Bowling Green Hot Rods are a minor league baseball team in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They are a Class A team in the Midwest League, and have been a farm team of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006...
.
Season-by-season records
|-| 2001 || 75 || 63 || 2nd ||
|-
| 2002 || 75|| 63 || 2nd ||
|-
| 2003 || 64 || 72 || 11th ||
|-
| 2004 || 69 || 69 || 7th ||
|-
| 2005 || 57 || 79 || 14th ||
|-
| 2006 || 72 || 68 || 7th ||
|-
| 2007 || 82 || 53 || 2nd 2 || League champions
Southern Division, 2 games to 0 over Augusta.
League Finals, 3 games to 0 over West Virginia.
|-
| 2008 || 67 || 69 || 10th ||
|-
2001: Wilmington Waves
2002: South Georgia Waves, Albany
2003: South Georgia Waves, Columbus
1- 1st half Southern division champions
2- 2nd half Southern division champions
Notable events
- May 20, 2004: Catfish pitcher Chuck Tiffany pitched a 7-inning perfect gamePerfect gameA perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
against the Greensboro BatsGreensboro GrasshoppersThe Greensboro Grasshoppers are a minor league baseball team in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA...
in game 2 of a doubleheaderDoubleheader (baseball)A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
. Tommy LasordaTommy LasordaThomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
, Tiffany's boyhood idol, saw the performance. http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/26/Rays/No_blues_for_new_Ray.shtml - June 10, 2004: Catfish pitcher Julio Pimentel set all-time Columbus records, outdueling Rome BravesRome BravesThe Rome Braves are a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. In 2003, the team, previously known as the Macon Braves, moved from Macon, Georgia, to Rome, Georgia, 60 miles northwest of Atlanta....
(and future Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
) pitcher Chuck JamesChuck JamesCharles Hamilton "Chuck" James is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.-Atlanta Braves:...
by striking out the first 8 batters, and 16 total in game 1 (7 innings complete game) of doubleheader. http://www.futurebraves.com/archives/2004/06/minor_league_re_59.html - September 13, 2007: Catfish defeat West Virginia Power 6-0 in game 3 to clinch their first South Atlantic league championship in a three-game sweephttp://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2007_09_13_wvaafx_clmafx_1&did=t441&sid=t441