| Baseball returns to downtown Durham tonight as the Durham Bulls take on the Richmond Braves in their season opener. |
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Durham Bulls Manager
Bill Evers
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Baseball returns to downtown Durham tonight as the Durham Bulls take on the Richmond Braves in their season opener at home at 7:00pm. The weeklong game stand begins with Mayor Nick Tennyson declaring April 5, 2001, as “Bill Evers Day,” in celebration of the Bulls’ winning manager. The honor cites Evers for managing the Bulls to the most wins (244) of any Triple-A team over the last three seasons, becoming the second active manager to achieve 1000 wins in the minor leagues.
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| The evening will also include a 5:30pm pre-game performance by Chapel Hill-based band Runaway Cab. Seven-time Grammy winner and local performer Shirley Caesar will treat Bulls fans to a fantastic rendition of the National Anthem. Then the Bulls will take the field to defend their ranking as #1 in the International League. |
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The Bulls open the season with a stellar pitching staff, touted as “one of the more promising rotations at the Triple-A level” by Baseball America. The Bulls roster also includes three members of the Team U.S.A., the nation’s gold-medal winning baseball team in the Sydney Olympics last year. Catcher Pat Borders and Second Baseman Brent Abernathy played for the Bulls during last season, while pitcher Bobby Seay will be making his debut at the DBAP. Manager Bill Evers returns to manage the Bulls for a fourth season, the sole Bulls Manager in their history in Triple-A.
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| The Bulls Roster To Begin The 2001 Season: |
| Catcher |
Pat Borders |
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Pitcher |
Jason Standridge |
| Catcher |
Toby Hall |
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Pitcher |
Travis Phelps |
| 1st Base |
Ron Wright |
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Pitcher |
Jesus Colome |
| 2nd Base |
Brett Abernathy |
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Pitcher |
Bobby Seay |
| Shortstop |
Andy Sheets |
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Pitcher |
Mickey Callaway |
| 3rd Base |
Aubrey Huff |
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Pitcher |
Derrin Ebert |
| Outfielder |
Chris Hatcher |
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Pitcher |
Jeff Wallace |
| Outfielder |
Derrick Gibson |
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Pitcher |
Bill Pulsipher |
| Outfielder |
Alex Sanchez |
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Pitcher |
Paul Spoljaric |
| Outfielder |
Jason Tyner |
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Pitcher |
Tony Fiore |
| Pitcher |
Matt White |
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Pitcher |
Victor Zambrano |
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| The Durham Bulls have won three straight South Division titles in the International League since moving up to Triple-A in 1998. This includes 80 or more wins in each season.
The Bulls will play seven home games before traveling to Toledo to play the Mud Hens next Thursday night. Every game of this first week includes special promotions and famous faces as the Bulls celebrate their launch into 2001. The season’s ten fireworks nights will begin Friday, as will the season-long promotion celebrating the ten greatest homeruns in the history of major-league baseball.
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