South Atlantic League (1987-1996)
Tombstone
Born: 1987
Re-Branded: 1997 (Cape Fear Crocs)
First Game: April 8, 1987 (L 5-4 @ Gastonia Rangers)
Last Game: September 4, 1996 (L 8-1 @ Delmarva Shorebirds)
South Atlantic League Championships: None
Stadium
J.P. Riddle Stadium (4,200)11994 Asheville Tourists Program
Opened: 1987
Ownership & Affiliation
Owner: Charles Padgett, et al.
Major League Affiliation: Detroit Tigers
Attendance
Background
The Fayetteville Generals were a Class A farm club of the Detroit Tigers in the South Atlantic League from 1987 through 1996. When the club formed it marked the return of pro baseball to the North Carolina city after a 31-year absence.
Notable future Major Leaguers who spent time in Fayetteville during the Generals era included Milt Cuyler (Generals ’87) and future All-Stars Travis Fryman (Generals ’88) and Jose Lima (Generals ’91).
Tragedy came to Fayetteville in May 1990 when 19-year old Ronaldo Romero, pitching for the Gastonia Rangers, collapsed from a heart seizure in the visitor’s dugout after pitching two innings of a game against the Generals. He was pronounced dead at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center a short time later.
Although J.P. Riddle Stadium was a new construction project in 1987, the minor league baseball industry was undergoing massive growth in the late 80’s. By the mid-1990’s the ballpark was consider non-compliant with the minimum standards for a Class A farm team. In September 1995, team owner Charles Padgett informed the County Facilities Committee that the Generals had lost money in all nine seasons of operation.
Cape Fear Crocs
The Generals era came to an end in 1997, when the Detroit Tigers left town and the Padgett family struck a new affiliation agreement with the Montreal Expos. At the same time, the ball club was re-branded as the Cape Fear Crocs. In June of 1999 the Padgetts sold the team for $3 million. The new owners announced plans to move the franchise to Lakewood Township, New Jersey in 2001. The Crocs played out the 1999 season and one last lame duck summer in 2000 and then left town. The former Generals/Crocs franchise still exists today as the Lakewood BlueClaws.
Pro baseball returned to Fayetteville in the spring of 2019 with the opening of $38 million Segra Stadium and the arrival of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers of the Class A Carolina League.
Fayetteville Generals Shop
In Memoriam
Pitcher Jose Lima (Generals ’91) died of a heart attack on May 23, 2010 at age 37. New York Times obituary.
Downloads
June 1994 Generals vs. Augusta Greenjackets Game Notes
June 1994 Fayetteville Generals vs August Greenjackets Roster Insert
Links
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4 Responses
This franchise did move to Lakewood Township, N.J., but never used the nickame Captains. From the day of that move to this, the team has gone by BlueClaws. I suspect the author of this entry confuses them with the Lake County Captains, who are now in the Midwest League but were in the SAL when they moved to suburban Cleveland, Ohio, from Columbus, Georgia.
Fayetteville has a class A team in the Carolina League now. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers, Houston Astros affiliate. Last year they won the Carolina League championship as the Buies Creek Astros.
Thanks for helping keep this place up to date! I updated the article to include the Woodpeckers and the opening of Segra Stadium.
I have the baseball cards that Dwight Lowry gave me when he was coaching the Generals. Just wondering what they are worth now.