In 1998, a new home for the new ball club in town was built and was dubbed Myrtle Beach’s “Field of Dreams.” Baseball was officially back at the beach after a seven-year absence following the 1992 departure of the Myrtle Beach Hurricanes (Advanced-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays). The Pelicans debuted in 1999 and with the team as green as the grass at the new ballpark, the victories began to mount. The newest and freshest team in the historic Carolina League burst onto the scene and made an immediate impact, storming through its inaugural season.

Click the button below to view a PDF version of our history that includes stats, the all-time roster, and more. You can also click the Carolina League Champions button to see a complete list of past champions dating back to 1945.

The 25^th season of Pelicans baseball brought a series of highs and lows throughout the campaign. Under seventh-year manager Buddy Bailey, the Birds posted a 62-67 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

The 2025 Opening Day roster featured many players who returned to the beach, including Cubs’ top-30 prospect Cristian Hernandez. His younger brother Alexis also joined him on the roster to begin the season. Overall, 16 former Pelicans started the season back in Myrtle Beach.

For the second straight season, the Pelicans blasted the most home runs in the Carolina League, finishing with 100. The power numbers were strong throughout the season, as the Birds placed third in the league in slugging percentage (.360), fourth in OPS (.682), and second in triples (38).

Andy Garriola, returning for his second year in Myrtle Beach, led the team and tied for the league lead in home runs with 18 while driving in 72 runs. Garriola’s 30 home runs across 2023 and 2024 ranked fourth in Pelicans’ history.

After playing for the Pelicans in 2021 and 2022, outfielder Jacob Wetzel spent the majority of the 2024 season in Myrtle Beach after playing 2023 in High-A South Bend. When he was promoted back to High-A at the end of the season, Wetzel left as the Pelicans’ franchise leader in games played (266), runs scored (165), RBI (135), and walks (155).

The Pelicans struggled on the mound for a majority of the 2024 season, ranking 11^th in team ERA (4.03) and walking the second-most batters with 607. Through the first half of the season, undrafted free agent signing Nico Zeglin dominated across 16 games, logging a 1.41 ERA through 38 1/3 innings with just seven walks to 57 strikeouts.

Myrtle Beach’s most consistent starter was 2023 undrafted free agent signing Kenten Egbert, who finished the year with a 7-2 record and 3.04 ERA through 23 games. 20-year-old Juan Bello also impressed in his first experience of full-season baseball, posting a 3.21 ERA through his 22 starts.

It was a shaky start for the Birds as they lost 13 of the first 21 games in April. While the wins were few in the first half of the season, exciting moments were still provided. The Pelicans turned a triple play on May 7^th against the Augusta GreenJackets, Chris Paciolla delivered a walk-off fielder’s choice to secure a victory over the Fredericksburg Nationals in a rare day game at Pelicans Ballpark on May 15^th, and Drew Bowser sent a sellout crowd home happy on Father’s Day with a walk-off double on June 16^th to beat the Columbia Fireflies. Myrtle Beach finished the first half with a 29-37 record.

The struggles to raise the W flag would continue as the Pelicans endured an eight-game losing streak from June 29^th to July 6^th in the beginning of the second half. Proving their resiliency, the young prospects rattled off 16 wins in their next 22 games to contend for a second-half title. During this time, Bailey won his 2,391^st career game on July 14^th to move into third place all-time on the Minor League Baseball manager win list.

On August 15^th, Pelicans’ infielder Eriandys Ramon became the first player in franchise history to collect four doubles in one game in an 8-0 win over Columbia.

The second half also saw the arrival of 2024 Cubs’ first-round pick Cam Smith, who etched his name in the history books by hitting a home run in six consecutive games from August 20^th to August 25^th in Charleston against the RiverDogs, becoming the first Pelican to do so.

Despite the late-season surge, the Pelicans fell short of a playoff spot in the second half as they finished second in the south division with a 33-30 record.

2023 marked the 24^th season in franchise history and the Pelicans’ eighth under the Chicago Cubs affiliation. The success continued in Myrtle Beach, as the Birds reached the postseason for the second straight year and topped the Carolina League in the regular season with a 75-55 overall record.

Playing their third season at the Single-A level, the Pelicans Opening Day roster was highlighted by 2022 Cubs’ first round pick Cade Horton, along with top prospects Cristian Hernandez, Moises Ballesteros, and Pedro Ramirez. 20 former Pelicans also returned to the beach, in a group led by Buddy Bailey, who returned as the Birds’ manager for his sixth season.

The Pelicans posted a strong season offensively, leading the league with a team batting average of .253. The lineup also led the league in slugging percentage (.382), OPS (.719), and blasted the most home runs with 104. Eight of their homers were grand slams, setting a new single-season franchise record. Reivaj Garcia claimed the Carolina League batting title at the end of the year, posting a batting average of .306. Felix Stevens belted a team-leading 13 home runs, all hit in the first half, to rank sixth in the league.

After finishing the 2022 season in Myrtle Beach, Ballesteros spent the first half of 2023 with the Pelicans before finishing out in Double-A Tennessee. Through 56 games, the 19-year-old from Venezuela hit eight home runs and finished with a .274 average. The catcher, who also spent time as the designated hitter and first baseman, was named the Buck O’Neil Cubs Minor League Player of the Year at the conclusion of the season.

In the beginning of the season, the Pelicans’ pitching staff was built up of mostly returning players. After being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Wingate in 2022, starting pitcher Brody McCullough dominated through 12 starts with a 2.86 ERA and 74 strikeouts through 50 1/3 innings. Nick Hull and Grant Kipp also impressed in their starts after making their Pelicans debuts in 2022. In the second half, reliever Jose Romero found his groove by allowing just two earned runs across the final two months of the season.

While his stay in Myrtle Beach was short, Horton proved why he was the seventh overall pick in 2022. The right-hander started four games and allowed just two runs across 14 1/3 innings. Horton struck out 21 batters with just four walks in a Pelicans uniform, before finishing his first full season in Double-A Tennessee. The Oklahoma native was named the Vedie Himsl Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year following his campaign.

After striking out a franchise record 1,393 batters in 2022, the Pelicans sat down 1,369 batters in 2023, ranking second in the Carolina League. Despite the high strikeout numbers, the Birds walked the most batters in the Carolina League with 711, a franchise record. The pitching staff kept the ball in the park, giving up just 52 home runs throughout the season, the least in the league.

The 2022 season in Myrtle Beach was one that will be remembered as one of the best in franchise history. A number of top prospects in the Cubs organization created many incredible moments that led to the Pelicans’ first postseason appearance since 2017.

The Carolina League title returned to the division after competing under the “Low-A East” tag in 2021. The league was restructured to two divisions, while also bringing back a season split into halves, each at 66 games apiece. With that saw the return of a divisional playoff round before the championship, with the first and second-half winners meeting for a best-of-three series to decide the North and South Division representatives for the championship. The Pelicans were placed in the South Division along with Augusta, Charleston, Columbia, Fayetteville, and Kannapolis.

In their eighth year being a Cubs affiliate, the Pelicans' Opening Day roster contained two of the top six Cubs prospects by MLB Pipeline in James Triantos and Pete Crow-Armstrong. 20 former Birds were also slated to return to the beach to make up the 2022 squad, led once again by Buddy Bailey, who led the ship for his fifth season in Myrtle Beach.

Offensively, the Pelicans had one of their best seasons in recent memory with a .253 batting average as a team, ranking second in the Carolina League. Their 113 home runs also trailed just Charleston (120) and were their most in a season since 2009 (114). 2022 saw the breakout of Kevin Alcantara, who ended the season as a top 100 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Alcantara led the Birds in home runs (15) and RBI (85) while playing 112 games, mostly in centerfield.

Crow-Armstrong also made a significant impression on the beach, making his Cubs affiliate debut after being acquired in the Javier Baez trade in the summer of 2021. Crow-Armstrong, nicknamed “PCA”, played 38 games across April and May and ended his Pelicans tenure with a .354 batting average and 1.000 OPS, with seven home runs and 13 stolen bases. Crow-Armstrong ended the 2022 season as the top-ranked prospect in the Cubs system and made an appearance in Los Angeles for the MLB All-Star Futures Game.

It was a tale of two halves for the Pelicans' pitching staff, as many starters received a promotion to High-A South Bend in the second half. Leading that starting rotation was Luis Devers, who ended his tenure in Myrtle Beach with a 2.58 ERA and a 9-3 record after pitching just over 66 innings. Devers ended the 2022 season as the Vedie Himsl Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

The Pelicans ended the first half as the leaders of the Carolina League in ERA (3.03), WHIP (1.24), and shutouts (8). Those numbers slipped in the second half, as the Birds posted a 4.84 ERA through 65 games to rank 11^th in the league. Their 345 walks also ranked as the second most in the league for the second half. For the season, the Pelicans struck out 1,393 batters, the most in franchise history.

Another pitcher that led the staff throughout the whole season was Tyler Santana. Santana started eight games and came out of the bullpen for 16. His 11 wins ranked eighth in franchise history and he led the Birds with a 2.28 ERA through 98 2/3 innings. The 2021 undrafted free agent racked up the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month award for July to add to his productive season.

Minor League Baseball and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans returned to the ballpark following the cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. The Pelicans finished two games under .500 at 59-61 in the newly formed Low-A East league, finishing second in the South Division.

2021 saw multiple changes to the schedule, including a 120 game slate and six-game series, taking place from Tuesday through Sunday. After competing in the Carolina League from 1999-2019, the Pelicans matched up against new South Division opponents, including the Augusta GreenJackets, Columbia Fireflies, and eventual champions Charleston RiverDogs for 90 of the 120 games. The Pelicans also played series against other teams from around the Low-A East and former Carolina League teams, including the Lynchburg Hillcats, Salem Red Sox, Down East Wood Ducks, and Fayetteville Woodpeckers.

For the first time under Cubs affiliation, the Pelicans saw an entirely new team come to Myrtle Beach, with each player on the roster wearing the Pelicans uniform for the first time. This was also the Pelicans’ first season at the Low-A level with the Cubs, after being the Advance A affiliate of the Braves, Rangers, and Cubs from 1999-2020.

As a team, the Pelicans struggled on the hitting side for a majority of the season. Myrtle Beach posted a .229 batting clip for the year, ranking ninth out of 12 Low-A East teams. The pitching staff was more consistent through the summer, as the Pelicans held a 4.39 team ERA and 1,215 strikeouts, a number that ranked fourth in the league.

DJ Herz anchored the Pelicans’ pitching staff with a 3.53 ERA through 65 2/3 innings and a team-leading 105 strikeouts in his 17 starts. After receiving a promotion to High-A South Bend in September, Herz was named the Vedie Himsl Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year at the conclusion of the season.

After a slow start to the season, outfielder Jordan Nwogu turned up the heat in the later months of the summer to lead the Pelicans with 10 home runs for the season. The Cubs 2020 3rd round draft pick hit just .147 in the first two months of the season before hitting .288 over July, August, and September with eight homers and 36 RBIs.

The roster was also highlighted by the 16th overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft, shortstop Ed Howard. Despite low batting numbers in his first season of professional baseball, Howard dazzled in the field playing shortstop and second base in 80 games.

Myrtle Beach was also treated to the loud home runs that Miguel Amaya provided throughout the summer. The Cubs’ No. 1 catching prospect displayed his power as he mashed 11 homers and 24 doubles in 99 games. Not only was Amaya fun to watch at the plate, he was equally electric behind the plate as well. The 20-year-old threw out 46 runners, which ranked second in all of Minor League Baseball. Amaya was one of four players in the league to be selected to participate in the SiriusXM Futures Game held in Cleveland, OH during Major League Baseball’s All-Star weekend.

One of the most memorable moments of the season came in an early May game against the Salem Red Sox. The Pelicans beat the Sox 12-2 that night, but it was a defensive web gem from the Pelicans’ pitcher Javier Assad that was the star of the game. On a bunt up the first base side, Assad ran off the mound to field the ball, but when the baseball popped out of his glove, he instinctively kicked the ball to Cam Balego at first to record the out. The play was the No. 2 play on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays the following day.

Assad was one of four Pelicans selected to the Mid-Season All-Star game which was held in Frederick. Pitchers Jesus Camargo and Paul Richan and catcher Tyler Payne were the other three representatives from Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach recorded three sellout crowds of 6,599 during the 2019 season, including for a thrilling 4-2 win over Carolina on July 3. D.J. Wilson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to jolt the Birds in front of the capacity crowd.

The Pelicans received a boost offensively in early August when the Chicago Cubs assigned utility man Ben Zobrist to rehab in Myrtle Beach. During his three-game stint, Zobrist launched two home runs and was a vital influence in the clubhouse.

Three former Pelicans made their major league debuts during the 2019 season. Adbert Alzolay debuted for the Cubs on June 20 and was given a standing ovation at Wrigley field for firing 4.1 innings and striking out five. Eloy Jimenez (White Sox) and Tayler Scott (Mariners) also saw their first glimpse of big-league time in 2019.

All good things must come to an end, and it was an impressive streak that concluded in 2018 as the Birds failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010. After tying the Carolina League record with seven- straight appearances in the postseason in 2017, it was a struggling offense that held the Pelicans back in the franchise’s 20th season.

The Myrtle Beach offense set nine new lows in the history of the Pelicans, including batting average (.232), hits (1,013), runs (468), at-bats (4,360), total bases (1,393), doubles (173), home runs (55), extra base hits (249) and RBIs (409). The offensive woes were somewhat offset by a stellar pitching staff that managed a 3.51 ERA, which placed third in the Carolina League.

In terms of the pitching staff, the highlight of the season was an incredible performance by Keegan Thompson on June 14. On a Thursday night in Myrtle Beach, Thompson threw seven brilliant, perfect innings with eight strikeouts. Due to a high pitch-count, he was removed from the game after the seventh, but that did nothing to diminish the dominance that he displayed on the hill in Pelicans Ballpark.

While mound saw most of the highlights for the Pelicans in 2018, there were plenty from the bats as well. On May 29th, Tyler Alamo broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 10th inning against Winston-Salem with a walk-off grand slam. It marked the third straight season that the Birds had knocked a grand slam against the Dash. That was one of six walk-off wins for the Pelicans in 2018.

The Pelicans were paced on the offensive side by catcher Jhonny Pereda, who burst on the scene to hit .272/.347/.363 over the course of 122 games. Coming into the season, Pereda had only started 149 games at catcher over his last four seasons. Pelicans’ manager Buddy Bailey, who convinced the Cubs to let the catcher start in Myrtle Beach over going back to South Bend, started him behind the plate 83 times, and it paid off. The 23-year-old threw out 38 percent of base runners to go along with his stellar offensive numbers.

Pereda was one of three mid-season All-Star selections for the Pelicans, with the other two being top-Cubs prospect and shortstop Aramis Ademan and reliever Tyler Peyton.

On the hill, Tyson Miller (3.54 ERA) and Alex Lange (3.74) placed sixth and seventh, respectively, in Carolina League ERA over their 23 starts apiece. Miller led the league in strikeouts (126), WHIP (1.09) and batting average against (.220) on the season.

Even with the strong staff, the Pelicans finished seven games out of first place in the first half and 15.5 out in the second half.

On the major-league side of things, seven former Pelicans made their way up to Chicago and other big league teams. Billy McKinney (New York Yankees), Pedro Araujo (Baltimore Orioles), David Bote (Cubs), Gleyber Torres (Yankees), Duane Underwood Jr. (Cubs), James Norwood (Cubs) and Ryan Cordell (Chicago White Sox) all made it to The Show in 2018.

Myrtle Beach’s second season as a Cubs affiliate was just as big of a hit as their first, with the Pelicans becoming the Carolina League’s first outright back-to-back champions since the Winston-Salem Spirits, who were also a Chicago Cubs affiliate at the time, did so in 1985-86. In addition to earning the fourth title in Pelicans history, the Birds participated in their third consecutive Mills Cup Championship series, the Carolina League’s longest run since Frederick went to three straight Mills Cup Finals from 2005-07.

Making the postseason for the sixth straight year took some heavy lifting. On July 21, the Pelicans found themselves with a 49-48 overall record. Three days later, right-hander Zach Hedges, who posted a sparkling 2.89 ERA in 16 starts, was promoted to Double-A Tennessee. On that same day, Myrtle Beach scratched shortstop Gleyber Torres and center fielder Rashad Crawford from the lineup. Both those key, up-the-middle players were traded on July 25 in a package that netted the Cubs left-hander Aroldis Chapman.

Despite losing three of their best players, the Pelicans took off. After the 24th, including the postseason, the Birds went 38-11 (.776). Myrtle Beach’s 46-23 second half record was their best in club history and tops in the league in any half since Kinston went 47-23 in the first half of the 2006 campaign. The Pelicans’ second half Southern Division Championships marked their fourth straight season with at least one division title and helped Myrtle Beach to their sixth consecutive winning season at 82-57. During their second half ride, the Pelicans enjoyed arguably their most successful month in club history. Myrtle Beach finished August with a 22-5 record, their most victories in any month of recorded Pelicans history (through the 2005 season). In fact, the Birds tied with Short Season Class A Eugene, also a Cubs affiliate, for the best record in all of professional baseball during the month. Finishing behind the pair of Cubs affiliates was the Cubs themselves, with a mark of 22-6.

The Pelicans’ first year as a Cubs affiliate was a hit throughout the Grand Strand. Myrtle Beach captured the first-half Southern Division title en route to the best regular season record in the Carolina League by six games. The campaign culminated with a Mills Cup Championship for the first time since 2000, the Pelicans’ third total and second outright title.

A wobbly April left Myrtle Beach at 10-9, but eventual Carolina League Manager of the Year Mark Johnson was able to steady the club’s path as soon as the calendar flipped to May. The Pelicans began the month by winning 13 of the 16 games, including each the first five contests. Myrtle Beach finished the month 21-7 behind a torrid pitching staff backed by an airtight defense; the Pelicans surrendered more than four runs in just seven contests throughout the month, including each of the last 11.

That would prove to be a theme throughout the season. Myrtle Beach finished with a 3.01 ERA, the club’s best since their 2000 championship season and the Carolina League’s top mark since at least the 2005 season. Pelicans pitchers surrendered just 1035 hits in 2015 (7.9 H/9), the fewest among any team in the circuit. Myrtle Beach also issued only 339 walks in 1183.0 innings (2.6 BB/9), the second-fewest among any staff in the Carolina League.

At the forefront of the effort were a pair of Mid-Season All-Stars in Duane Underwood Jr. and Jonathan Martinez. The latter led the league in ERA at 2.56, surrendering just 82 hits in 116.0 frames to post a 9-2 record. Underwood Jr. finished 6-3 with a 2.58 ERA. Right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng also finished in the top 10 in the league in ERA at 3.55, registering a 7-7 record in 119.0 innings.

The Pelicans continued to impress under the Rangers umbrella and the direction of third-year skipper and eventual 2013 Carolina League Manager of the Year, Jason Wood. The Pelicans would advance to the postseason for the third consecutive season for the first time in team history. They were also the only Carolina League team to make the postseason in each of the previous three campaigns and the only Rangers affiliate to do so as well.

Yet for the third straight year, the Birds couldn’t make it out of the first round of the postseason. The eventual champs, the Salem Red Sox, swept the Pelicans with a pair of one-run wins.

The club was powered, once again, by the pitching staff. The Pelicans recorded the highest ERA of the Wood era, but it was still the Carolina League’s second-lowest ERA (3.71).

Alec Asher made the jump from Spokane for his first full professional season, leading the team and the circuit with 139 strikeouts. He also ranked among the league leaders in ERA (fourth, 2.90), WHIP (fourth, 1.20), and wins (tied for seventh, nine). Asher posted the most innings of any Pelicans hurler (133.1).

Jackson was the club’s Opening Day starter and also got the nod for the Carolina League in the Carolina- California League All-Star Game before his first promotion to Double-A on August 1.

Nick Martinez had the league’s third-lowest ERA (2.87) and 10th-most strikeouts (105). Texas promoted him along with Jackson on the same day.

The Rangers’ first selection in the 2013 draft, RHP Alex “Chi Chi” Gonzalez, would fill one of those vacancies in the rotation and make his final five starts of the season with Myrtle Beach, allowing just one run over 12.0 IP in his last three regular season outings.

The Pelicans’ offense was led by its middle infield combo of second baseman Rougned Odor and shortstop Luis Sardinas.

The 19-year-old Odor ranked among the CL leaders in batting (third, .305), doubles (tied for fifth, 33), and stolen bases (tied for fifth, 27) despite spending the final month of the season with Frisco.

Sardinas, who also joined Odor in Frisco in August, had the sixth-best average (.298) and tied for the fifth-most stolen bases (27) in the CL.

The Pelicans finished the season with the second-most wins in the Carolina League and had four different win streaks of at least six games, including a season-best eight games from May 7-14.

In addition to Jackson, the Pelicans had Asher, Martinez, Odor and Sardinas selected to the Carolina League-California League All-Star Game in San Jose, California.

Despite its offensive struggles, the Pelicans were able to return to the postseason for the second straight year. The Birds finished .500 or better in every month of the second half, including a 17-12 mark in June (first half ended June 17).

Because Winston-Salem posted the best record in the first and second half in the Southern Division, the Dash hosted all three postseason matchups with the Pelicans in the opening round. In 2012, the divisional series adopted a best-of-three format after being best-of-five for several years.

The series opened favorably for the Pelicans, who scored four sixth-inning runs and snatched game one by a 4-1 final. Tomas Telis tripled and knocked in three runs, while Luke Jackson struck out eight over five innings to claim the win. The Pelicans took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning of game two before the Dash took control.

The Pelicans would score just one more run in the series. A three-run seventh sparked the Dash to a 5-3 series-evening triumph. Facing elimination, the Pelicans were blanked in game three, falling by a 9-0 margin with all of the game’s runs coming in the second and third frames.

The 2011 season brought a new era as the Pelicans began a new partnership with the Texas Rangers. The Birds’ first season as the Rangers’ Class Advanced-A affiliate was a great success, with the club winning the Southern Division first-half title and qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2008.

On March 29, the Pelicans kicked-off the affiliation change, hosting the reigning AL champs for a preseason exhibition game against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. The Rangers won 6-2 in front of a sellout crowd.

In his first season with Myrtle Beach, Jason Wood made his managerial debut, piloting an Opening Day roster that featured eight of _Baseball America_’s top 30 Rangers’ prospects.

Neil Ramirez got the Opening Day start for the Pelicans and took a no-hitter into the fifth. He didn’t stay in town for long, as he was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock after just one start. Robbie Erlin dominated for the first two months of the season, putting up a 2.14 ERA with 62 strikeouts and only five walks in 54.2 innings, earning a promotion to Double-A Frisco. Robbie Ross was the league leader in wins at the break and was named an All-Star for the third straight season. The lefty was promoted to Double-A August 2, but was still named Carolina League Pitcher of the Year. Finally, Barret Loux made his professional debut in 2011, skipping all lower levels and starting with Myrtle Beach at High-A. In 109 innings, Loux racked up 127 strikeouts to rank second in the league.

It was a historic day on May 3, when the Birds rocked Potomac 20-6, surpassing the 20-run mark for the first time in three years. Catcher Zach Zaneski had a record-breaking game, setting the Pelicans’ single-game record with seven runs batted in and tying the club record with five hits and four runs scored. Jared Prince also scored four runs to tie the team record and Strausborger got into the record books by tying the club mark with two triples. A day later, the Pelicans got a remarkable performance on the pitchers’ mound, as Joe Wieland took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. He struck out 13 Nationals in six shutout innings.

June 12 was the longest day of the season for the Pelicans, playing a 23-inning marathon against Kinston. It was the longest contest in the 66-year history of the Carolina League. The extra innings were highlighted by spectacular relief performances from Zach Osborne, who put up four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six, while Chad Bell, who struck out eight and held the Indians to one hit in five shutout frames. In the bottom of the 23rd inning, six hours and 27 minutes after the first pitch, Kinston’s Casey Frawley singled off Kasey Kiker to score Roberto Perez with the winning run and beat the Birds 3-2. Zaneski caught all 23 innings for Myrtle Beach.

The first-half race came down to the final weekend. With the help of Wieland’s pitching on June 17 against Frederick, the Birds came out on top to edge the Indians by two games and clinch the club’s first playoff berth since 2008, setting off a wild celebration in front of the home fans. The Pelicans enjoyed playing in front of that crowd, going 23-9 on the Grand Strand in the first half.

The 2008 season will also be remembered as a tremendous time of loss for both the Pelicans and Braves organizations. In May, the only pitching coach in franchise history, Bruce Dal Canton, left the team after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer. It marked the first time that Dal Canton wasn’t in the Pelicans dugout. Unfortunately, he would not return. Dal Canton lost his battle with cancer after the season. The Pelicans retired his number 43 on Opening Day of the 2009 season.

The 2008 Pelicans were a record-breaking unit. Boasting the most prolific offense in franchise history, the Pelicans broke notable offensive marks: team batting average (.260), runs scored (764), home runs (153) and doubles (298). Additionally, Mejia broke the single-season records for doubles (47), RBIs (93) and at-bats (519).

Outfielder Willie Cabrera was named 2008 Myrtle Beach Pelicans MVP. Cabrera, a fiery outfielder from Los Angeles, batted .290 with 16 home runs and 78 RBI and was the vocal leader in the Birds’ clubhouse.

Southpaw Scott Diamond led the Birds’ pitching staff to the lowest ERA in the league (3.48) and was named Pelicans Pitcher of the Year. A league-best six Pelicans were midseason all-stars and a circuit-leading five were postseason selections. Wheeler was named Carolina League Manager of the Year and Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America, while Pelicans General Manager North Johnson was voted Carolina League Executive of the Year. The hardware continued to pile up when head groundskeeper Chris “Butter” Ball took home his third consecutive Sports Turf Manager of the Year award for maintaining the finest playing surface in the league. To cap off the season, the Pelicans were awarded the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce’s 2008 Community Service Award, representing the culmination of the team’s re-dedication to its outstanding fan base and the Myrtle Beach community.

Not content with just a new look, the 2007 season brought a revitalization of the Pelicans home park, spearheaded by Greensons Baseball, LP. The group’s $2.5-million investment in the ballpark began with the installation of a brand new, state-of-the-art video board that would bring a big league feel to the Pelicans’ ballpark. Then, the Pelicans added the only left-field bleacher seating in the Carolina League and the Pelicans Beach. The boost by Greensons Baseball made the park one of the premier venues in all of Minor League Baseball.

In their first full season under Greensons Baseball, the Pelicans reached new heights. In late May, the Pelicans were awarded the 2008 California/Carolina League All-Star Game. In addition, the Pelicans were a finalist for the prestigious Larry MacPhail Promotional Trophy, awarded to the minor league team that displays extraordinary promotions both on and off the field. The Pelicans’ front office staff increased in size from eight to 20 full-time personnel, all with the distinct goal of making Pelicans baseball the best family entertainment option on the Grand Strand. The club added positions such as director of promotions, director of community relations and director of in-game entertainment.

A memorable April 21st: Donnie Hood hits for the cycle and Justin Jones, Westin O’Brien, Mark Carter combine to throw the first no-hitter in franchise history, blanking Dayton, 15-0. The season gets better from there: Keith Butler collects three hits in three at-bats and drives in the game-winning run in the All-Star Game to be named the Star of Stars. The Lugnuts win their second league championship in dominating fashion, sweeping South Bend in two games, Battle Creek in two games, and Beloit in three games. Starters Anderson Tavares, Carlos Vásquez and Andy Sisco lead the way, with lights-out closer Jason Wylie saving a franchise record 29 games to go along with 1.38 ERA.

After a year absence, the Pelicans were back in the postseason in 2002, this time under the direction of a new field manager. Randy Ingle took the reins in Myrtle Beach after the club’s first three unforgettable seasons under manager Brian Snitker. With Ingle leading the charge, the Pelicans jumped out to a 43- 27 record to clinch the first half Southern Division title. With a playoff spot already secure, however, the Pelicans fell behind the Kinston Indians and finished four games out of first in the second half. The K-Tribe steamrolled into the playoffs, sweeping the Pelicans in the opening round on their way to the 2002 Carolina League title.

Aided by another strong season on the mound, the Pelicans finished 79-61. Pitcher Bubba Nelson dealt his way to the best ERA in the league (1.72). Teammate Daniel Curtis was not far behind, finishing with the third-best mark in the circuit (2.53) to go along with a league-high three complete games. Another standout on the mound was future World Series champion, Adam Wainwright, who led the league in with 9 home runs and 36 runs batted in.