The Durham Bulls, one of North Carolina’s minor league baseball teams, are having another notable season. The Bulls are on top of the IL South (International League) with a 79-60 record as of Sept. 10, 2018. They are closely followed by the Gwinett Stripers, who have a record of 70-69.
The Bulls have the second best record in the entire International League, which is composed of three different divisions, the IL South, IL North and IL West. They currently trail the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (84-56) for the best record in the league.
The Bulls are playing in the Governor’s Cup Finals for the fourth time in the last six seasons and are aiming for their second consecutive league title. They have won fourteen total International League titles in the franchise’s history.
“I think they have a good chance to win two in a row. They have strong pitching, which always helps,” said Ryan Westbrook, teacher.
Not only are the Bulls consistently one of the strongest teams in Minor League baseball, they help send strong players to Major League baseball as well. The Bulls are a farm team for the Tampa Bay Rays in the MLB. Some of those players include infielder Willy Adames, pitcher Brent Honeywell and Wader Franco, all play for the Rays. Franco was the top ranked international prospect on MLBPipeline.com’s list at only seventeen years of age.
“There have been a lot of players drafted by the Rays that have made several impacts in MLB. Evan Longoria, Justin Upton, and Jeremy Hellickson to name a few. Unfortunately, a lot of them go elsewhere when their initial contracts are up because the Rays aren’t known for paying top dollar for their talent. Longoria stayed for awhile, but did eventually leave,” said Westbrook.
The Bulls are also a source of entertainment and fun for serious fans and casual viewers alike, situated in the DBAP (Durham Bulls Athletic Park) in Durham.
“I enjoy the atmosphere of the Durham Bulls baseball games and the food they have is pretty good too,” said Lucas Wells, junior. “Going to the stadium and hanging out with friends is always fun, and it’s just a cool thing to go to.”