Baseball Comes Back Swinging
Photo by Mike Bowman Text by Emma Beaver Photos courtesy of the Pulaski River Turtles Built in 1935, Calfee Park in Pulaski is one of the oldest ballparks in the nation that is still filling the stands with fans. In its history, the park has held horse shows, fairs, other sports games and community events. The year 2020 marked another change at Calfee Park, as its longtime baseball team was rebranded as part of a restructuring of the Appalachian League. The Pulaski River Turtles (formerly the Pulaski Yankees) will bring another season of top baseball talent to Calfee Park for the 2021 summer season. The 10-team Appalachian League is now part of a joint initiative of Major League Baseball and USA Baseball. It will showcase more than 300 top college freshman and sophomore players from across the nation in wood-bat play. Under the new league, the team is no longer a minor league affiliate. 36
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J.W. Martin, general manager of Calfee Park, assumed this role late last fall. He says that the new team name represents the park’s commitment to the family-friendly environment it has cultivated in the New River Valley. After taking feedback from the community, the team landed on River Turtles. The new identity was created with young fans in mind. And while the structure of the team has changed, Calfee Park will remain a staple in the New River Valley in the upcoming season packed with 27 home games. “We are not reinventing the wheel; we are continuing to move forward, building on past seasons and those successes,” Martin explains. “Whether it’s our Appalachian League program or the special events we put on this summer, fans who have enjoyed Calfee Park in seasons past can expect exactly the same thing.”
Calfee Park was built as a field for various community events under a New Deal program following the Great Depression. Because of its rich history, the park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. While the park has been updated through the years, its original features have remained intact. A historic sprawling stone wall marks the park’s entrance. “I am focused on continuing to build on the very solid foundation of this park,” Martin continues. “We have constructed a great reputation, and we have a wonderful family-friendly atmosphere. A lot of folks come out to enjoy what we have going on at Calfee Park.” While the team’s season was canceled last year because of covid-19, Calfee Park held unique events that
May/June 2021
