West Virginia Power

Did You Know?

• The West Virginia Power played their inaugural game on April 14, 2005, defeating the Hagerstown Suns 8–3 before a crowd of 5,354 fans.
• The Power won South Atlantic League Northern Division titles in both 2007 and 2008, but lost the championship series both years.
• In 2009, the Power hosted the South Atlantic League All-Star Game, and the Home Run Derby was won by Power first baseman Calvin Anderson.
• The franchise hosted the South Atlantic League All-Star Game a second time in 2019, on June 18.
• After the 2020 season, the Power were dropped from affiliated baseball and later sold to a group led by Andy Shea, joining the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Team history

The history of professional baseball in Charleston dates back to the Charleston Statesmen of the Class D Virginia Valley League. The Statesmen later moved to the Class D Mountain State League and folded after that year. A new team, the Charleston Senators, was formed in 1914 and lasted three seasons in the Class D Ohio State League. A later Senators team joined the Class C Mid-Atlantic League as an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The Senators were reformed as a member of the Class A Central League, and the city was granted a franchise in the Triple-A American Association, affiliated with the Chicago White Sox, then the Detroit Tigers, and finally the Washington Senators. The Charleston Senators won the American Association championship. The franchise ceased operations after a season. The city had no team, but the Triple-A International League San Juan Marlins, affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals, moved to the city but on May 19 the team was deemed not financially viable. The Charleston Indians, affiliated with the Cleveland Indians, moved to the city in the Class-A Eastern League, and that league was elevated to Double-A; the team folded after a season. Baseball returned with the Charleston Charlies of the Triple-A International League from 1971 to 1983. The Charlies were affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, and Cleveland Indians, winning the International League championship in two years. The Charlies left for Maine and later became the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The city resumed minor league baseball after a three-year absence with the Charleston Wheelers, a co-op team drawing players from several Major League franchises.

Traditions

Rod Blackstone, known as "The Toastman," is a figure at Charleston Dirty Birds games. His tradition began during the 1990 season when he started attending Charleston Wheelers games at Watt Powell Park. In 1992, the team's owner encouraged him to make toast in the stands. Each time a visiting batter strikes out, Blackstone throws slices of toast into the crowd. The toast is made fresh at the stadium using a toaster on a metal patio table, with a dedicated electrical outlet installed by the team.

GoMart Ballpark

Watt Powell Park, located in the Kanawha City neighborhood of Charleston, opened on April 28, 1949, and remained in use until 2004, seating approximately 4,500 fans. The Dirty Birds now play at GoMart Ballpark, on the east edge of downtown Charleston. The ballpark has hosted the South Atlantic League All-Star Game in 2009 and 2019.

Notable alumni

The West Virginia Power, formerly the Charleston Alley Cats, produced a remarkable number of future Major League stars. Among them, Trevor Hoffman stands out as a seven-time All-Star, two-time National League saves leader, and Hall of Famer who finished second all-time in career saves. Ryan Braun earned six All-Star nods, the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year award, and the 2011 NL MVP. Julio Rodríguez became a three-time All-Star, AL Rookie of the Year, and AL MVP. Michael Brantley collected five All-Star selections and a World Series ring. Jeremy Affeldt won three World Series titles. Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar each claimed an ALCS MVP, a World Series championship, and a Gold Glove, with Cain also a two-time All-Star. Other All-Stars include Josh Bell, Brendan Donnelly, Yovani Gallardo (who also won a Silver Slugger), Clay Holmes (two-time), Jonathan Lucroy (two-time, plus a Silver Slugger), Starling Marte (two-time, with two Gold Gloves), Alex Ríos (two-time, World Series champion), and B. J. Ryan (two-time). Cal Raleigh added an All-Star nod, a Gold Glove, and a Home Run Derby title. Martín Maldonado won a Gold Glove and a World Series.