Virginia is a state that is not often associated with professional baseball. Prior to the Montreal Expos' move to Washington D.C., they had considered making Northern Virginia their new home. While Virginia has no major league teams, they are home to several professional minor-league teams.
Norfolk Tides
The Tides are the Triple-A affiliate of the American League's Baltimore Orioles. They are Baltimore's highest-ranking minor league team and the proximity of Tidewater to Baltimore--less than a three-hour drive--allows the Orioles to call up players in the morning and have them in the lineup that evening. The Tides were located in Tidewater, Virginia for many years before relocating to a new stadium in Norfolk. Ticket prices ranged between $9 and $12 per game in 2010.
Class A Teams
Virginia is home to three A-level minor-league teams. In Major League Baseball's minor league system, teams are classified as Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A and Rookie League. The Lynchburg Hillcats are the minor-league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Potomac Nationals are the minor-league affiliate of the Washington Nationals and the Salem Red Sox are the minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Many top players start to demonstrate their ability at the Single-A level. Once a player is drafted, they usually play in the rookie league. After a season there, they get promoted to single-A where players. Prices at Single-A league games in Virginia ranged between $7 and $14 per game in 2010.
Rookie League
Virginia is the home to three rookie-league teams that have major-league affiliations. The Bristol White Sox are the rookie-league team of the Chicago White Sox, the Pulaski Mariners are the minor-league affiliate of the Seattle Mariners and the Danville Braves are the rookie league team of the Atlanta Braves. Rookie league ticket prices ranged between $2 and $7 in 2010.
Fan Friendly
Minor-league teams can't match major league stadiums for size or accommodations, but they try to make their games a memorable experience. In addition to lower prices, all the minor league teams in Virginia offer family seating, picnic areas and a chance to go on the field after the game on a once-per-week basis. Additionally, fans get to test their baseball skills in batting cages, base-running areas and they can also see how hard they can throw a baseball. Many of the minor-league teams offer postgame musical entertainment on a semi-regular basis.
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