Memphis Blues (baseball)

The Memphis Blues were a minor league baseball team from Memphis, Tennessee that played from 1968 to 1976. From 1968 to 1973, they were affiliated with the New York Mets and they played in the Texas League. From 1974 to 1975, they were affiliated with the Montreal Expos and they played in the International League. They were affiliated with the Houston Astros in 1976 and they played in the International League then as well. They played their home games at Tim McCarver Stadium.^[1] After the completion of the 1976 season the Blues franchise was forfeited back to the International League due to financial difficulties. The league awarded the franchise to Charleston, West Virginia, whose team had been purchased and moved to Columbus, Ohio.^{[2] [3] [4]} The new Charleston franchise continued to use the Charleston Charlies name. When they joined the Texas League in 1968, they became the first Memphis, Tennessee-based minor league team in eight years.^[5]

The Blues won Texas League playoff championships in 1969 and 1973. In their maiden IL season, they won 87 games and a division title, led by catcher Gary Carter, a future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. After the Blues moved to Charleston for 1977, Memphis was without baseball for a season before the successful revival of the Memphis Chicks, a Double-A team that played through 1997. Triple-A baseball returned to the city in 1998 with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.

Year-by-year record

(from Baseball Reference Bullpen)

Notes

References

• Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, editors. The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 1997 edition. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America.