The Bristol Pirates were a Minor League Baseball team in Bristol, Virginia, United States. They were a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League. The team played home games at DeVault Memorial Stadium. Opened in 1969, Devault Memorial Stadium held 2,000 fans. The team was previously affiliated with the Detroit Tigers, and a previous manager was retired Tigers manager Jim Leyland. They were a farm team of the Chicago White Sox from 1995 to 2013 as the Bristol White Sox. The team was operated by a non-profit organization, Bristol Baseball, Incorporated (BBI). BBI had no full-time paid staff, instead relying on a volunteer board and general manager to keep and promote professional baseball in Bristol. The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Pirates were replaced by a new franchise, the Bristol State Liners, in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores. Season-by-season records Playoffs 2019: Lost to Johnson City 2–1 in semifinals. 2002: Defeated Bluefield 2–1 to win championship. 1998: Defeated Princeton 2–0 to win championship. Notable alumni Chris Carter (2005) Frank Catalanotto (1992-1993) Tony Clark (1990) MLB All-Star Juan Encarnacion (1994) Mark Fidrych (1974) 2 x MLB All-Star; 1976 AL ERA Leader; 1976 AL Rookie of the Year Travis Fryman (1987) 5 x MLB All-Star Freddy Garcia (2009) 2 x MLB All-Star; 2001 AL ERA Leader Gio Gonzalez (2004) 2 x MLB All-Star Jerry Hairston Sr. (2004, MGR) Chris Hoiles (1986) Carlos Lee (1995) Jose Lima (1990) MLB All-Star Jerry Manual (1972) Lance Parrish (1974) 8 x MLB All-Star Jon Rauch (1999) Vern Ruhle (1972) Bobby Thigpen (2007-2008, MGR) MLB All-Star Justin Thompson (1991) MLB All-Star Alan Trammell (1976) 6 x MLB All-Star; 1984 World Series Most Valuable Player; 2018 Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame Tom Veryzer (1971) Lou Whitaker (1975) 5 x MLB All-Star; 1978 AL Rookie of the Year References External links Statistics from Baseball-Reference Baseball teams established in 1969 Baseball teams disestablished in 2020 Defunct Appalachian League teams Bristol, Virginia Professional baseball teams in Virginia Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates 1969 establishments in Virginia 2020 disestablishments in Virginia