Winston-Salem Dash


The Winston-Salem Dash are a Minor League Baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They are a High-A team in the South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. The Dash began playing their home games at Truist Stadium in 2010 after having Ernie Shore Field as their home from 1956 to 2009.
𝕏 WSDashBaseball

History

Previous baseball clubs in Winston-Salem had typically been called the "Twins", in reference to the long-since-merged "Twin Cities" of Winston and Salem since 1905. The Winston-Salem Twins played in the Virginia-North Carolina League in 1905, the Carolina Baseball Association from 1908 to 1917 and the Piedmont League from 1920 to 1933 and again from 1937 to 1942.
The team joined the Carolina League in 1945, and was the oldest continuously operating team in that circuit before joining the South Atlantic League for the 2021 season. Originally a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate, the team began play in the Carolina League as the Winston-Salem Cardinals through 1953, when it again became the Winston-Salem Twins from 1954 to 1956. The 1950 team was recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.
After a brief period as the Winston-Salem Red Birds, the team switched affiliation in 1961 to the Boston Red Sox. It remained with the Red Sox for 22 years, and was known until 1983 as the Winston-Salem Red Sox. In 1984, the team changed affiliates again, this time contracting with the Chicago Cubs, and changed its name to the Winston-Salem Spirits.
The team initially retained the Spirits name after becoming the Cincinnati Reds A-level affiliate in 1993, winning the Carolina League championship in that same year. After the 1994 season, the club decided to change its name and sponsored a contest through the local newspaper, the Winston-Salem Journal, to come up with a new name. The winning entry, the Warthogs, became the official team name in 1995. In addition to being alliterative, it also referred to the somewhat-celebrated acquisition of some warthogs at the North Carolina Zoo around that time. As the Warthogs, they were the league champion in 2003.
When the Warthogs were about to open a new ballpark, a contest was held to give the team a new name. 3,000 suggestions were received. On December 4, 2008, the team publicly announced that they would be called the Winston-Salem Dash from 2009 onward. The Dash name is rumored to be a reference to a nickname for the city of Winston-Salem, "The Dash", a reference to the symbol used in the middle of the city's name, despite the fact that it is not a dash at all, but a hyphen. Complaints about the incorrect name began soon after the name was first used, and on May 6, 2023, for one home game, the team called itself the Winston-Salem Hyphens.
As the Warthogs, the team's mascot was Wally Warthog. With the new nickname, the Dash held a name-the-mascot contest for Wally's replacement. In keeping with the image of speed implied by "The Dash", the new mascot is a lightning-themed character named Bolt.
In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Dash were organized into the High-A East. In 2022, the High-A East became known as the South Atlantic League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.

Ballparks

The club originally played at South Side Park, south of the downtown area. When that park burned, a new park was built on the north side, near the Wake Forest University campus and the RJR plant, and named Ernie Shore Field in honor of the former major leaguer who had led the fund drive for the new ballpark. Opened in 1956, Ernie Shore Field seats 6,000 fans. BB&T Ballpark was hoped to be completed for the 2009 season, or sometime within the season, but construction came to a halt due to a lack of funding. Meanwhile, Ernie Shore Field had been sold to Wake Forest and renamed as Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park, compelling the Dash to lease the ballpark back for the 2009 season. On June 2, 2009, the Dash announced a new scheduled opening for the 2010 season.
On February 24, 2010, the Dash announced BB&T Ballpark's official name.
The Dash finally opened the new BB&T Ballpark on April 13, 2010.

Year-by-year record

YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffsLeague/Notes-
194561–766thGeorge Smith / George FerrellCarolina League, Known as "Cardinals"-
194668–725thZip Payne--
194785–572ndZip PayneLost in 1st round--
194876–655thZip Payne--
194984–612ndWillie Duke / George Ferrell / Roland LeBlancLost in 1st round--
1950106–471stGeorge KissellLeague Champs--
195181–582ndHarold OltLeague Champs--
195274–633rdHarold Olt / Jimmy BrownLost in 1st round--
195369–706thJimmy Brown--
195444–948thRalph Hodgin / Herb BrettKnown as "Twins"-
195565–737thKen Silvestri / Aaron Robinson--
195659–918thGeorge Hausmann / Lee "Pete" Peterson--
195772–684thGeorge KissellKnown as "Red Birds"-
195869–685thVern Benson--
195967–624thAl Unser (baseball)Lost in 1st round--
196061–765thChase Riddle--
196168–724thElmer Yoter / Walt Novick noneKnown as "Red Sox"-
196276–643rdEddie Popowski / Mace BrownLost in 1st round--
196367–767thMatt Sczesny / Bill Slack--
196482–571stBill SlackLeague Champs--
196565–797thBill Slack--
196682–581stBill SlackLost in League Finals--
196769–686th Bill Slack--
196856–819thBill Slack--
196977–674thMatt SczesnyLost in 1st round--
197079–581stBill SlackLeague Champs--
197167–674thDon Lock--
197265–745thRac Slider--
197377–622ndBill SlackLeague Champs--
197476–613rdBill Slack--
197581–622ndJohn Kennedy--
197680–571stTony TorchiaLeague Champs--
197761–774thTony Torchia--
197855–776thBill Slack--
197985–551stBill SlackLeague Champs--
198076–644thBuddy Hunter--
198172–672ndBuddy Hunter--
198245–937thRac Slider--
198374–663rdBill SlackLost in League Finals--
198458–828thBill SlackKnown as "Spirits"-
198558–818thCal Emery--
198682–562ndJim EssianLeague Champs--
198772–683rd Jay LoviglioLost in 1st round--
198873–675thJay Loviglio--
198964–716thJay Loviglio--
199086–542ndBrad Mills--
199183–572ndBrad Mills--
199266–737thBill Hayes--
199372–683rd Mark BerryLeague Champs--
199467–704thMark BerryLost in League Finals--
199569–683rdMark BerryKnown as "Warthogs"-
199674–653rdPhillip Wellman--
199763–777thMike Heath / Mark Haley --
199879–602ndChris CronLost in League Finals--
199963–757thJerry Terrell--
200068–714thBrian Dayett--
200154–868thWally Backman--
200250–907thRazor Shines--
200371–675thRazor ShinesLeague Champs--
200474–664thKen Dominguez / Nick LeyvaLost in 1st round--
200577–643rdChris CronLost in 1st round--
200666–725thRafael Santana--
200764–745thTim Blackwell--
200871–684thTim BlackwellLost in semi-finals--
200973–653rdJoe McEwingLost in 1st roundKnown as "Dash"-
201081–581stJoe McEwingLost in League Finals--
201169–714thJulio Vinas--
201287–511stTommy ThompsonLost in League Finals--
201371–693rdRyan Newman--
201461–788thTommy Thompson--
201575–632ndTim EsmayLost in semi-finals--
201656–836thJoel Skinner--
201756–8410thWillie Harris--
201884–541stOmar VisquelLost in 1st Round--
201972–613rdJustin Jirschele--
2020Season Canceled --
202143–7612thRyan NewmanSouth Atlantic League
202258–7410thRyan Newman-
202338-35Guillermo Quiroz-

Notable alumni

Hall of Fame alumni
Notable alumni