Chattanooga Lookouts at Rocket City Trash Pandas
Knoxville Smokies at Rocket City Trash Pandas
Knoxville Smokies at Rocket City Trash Pandas
Knoxville Smokies at Rocket City Trash Pandas
Knoxville Smokies at Rocket City Trash Pandas
Knoxville Smokies at Rocket City Trash Pandas
Team: Mobile BayBears
Affiliation: Los Angeles Angels
Class: Double-A
League: Southern League
Location: Madison, Ala.
Beginning in 2020, the Double-A affiliate for the Los Angeles Angels will be the Rocket City Trash Pandas. The franchise had been known as the Mobile BayBears since they were founded in 1997. The BayBears experienced early success during their 10-year tenure as the Double-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. They made the playoffs in their first season of existence and won the Southern League title in year two. After one more championship in 2004, the BayBears became the affiliate for the Arizona Diamondbacks before the 2007 season. During the 10-year run with the Diamondbacks, the BayBears made it to five postseasons and won consecutive Southern League titles in 2011 and 2012. The Los Angeles Angels became the parent organization of the BayBears after the 2016 season. It was announced at the end of the 2019 season that the BayBears would be relocating from Mobile to Madison and dropping the BayBears moniker in favor of the Trash Pandas. Get your 2020 Rocket City Trash Pandas tickets at StubHub.
While 2020 will be the franchise's first year as the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the 23 seasons the team spent as the Mobile BayBears featured an All-Star team roster. Sluggers like Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Gonzalez and Justin Upton all spent time in Mobile on their way to the Big Leagues. You could build a formidable pitching rotation out of former BayBears aces with names like Archie Bradley, Patrick Corbin, Wade Miley, Max Scherzer and Trevor Bauer, all of whom took the mound for the BayBears on their way to the Majors.
It is projected that the Trash Pandas' brand-new $46 million stadium will be completed in time for opening day on April 15, 2020. The 7500-seat stadium will offer fans a multitude of seating options, including a general admission grassy berm in the right-field corner and a bar/restaurant just beyond the right-field wall. It has already been announced that the stadium will be known as Toyota Field.
When they were playing as the Mobile BayBears, the franchise had established rivalries with both the
Biloxi Shuckers
and the
Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
However, both of these rivalries were primarily based on location and the teams' proximity to one another. It will be interesting to see if the Trash Pandas establish any new rivalries this year as they move into northern Alabama or if the divisional battles with the Blue Wahoos and the Shuckers are still as heated as they have been.
Jay Bell has been named as the first manager of the Rocket City Trash Pandas. Bell spent 18 seasons as a Major League player, spending time with five franchises over the course of his career. Bell's career as a player was filled with achievements, including two All-Star game selections, a gold glove and a World Series Championship. Before being named the manager for the Rocket City Trash Pandas, Bell worked as a manager in the New York Yankees farm system.
You can get your tickets to see the Rocket City Trash Pandas and the rest of the Southern League at the world's largest online ticket marketplace, StubHub. StubHub offers multiple ticket delivery options, 360-degree seating previews and a secure checkout process designed to protect your private information.