Triple-A Baseball has announced Durham Bulls Athletic Park will be the host site of the 2012 Triple-A National Championship Game on Tuesday, September 18th broadcast live on Versus at 7:00 PM. The Triple-A National Championship Game pits the winner of the International League’s Governors’ Cup against the Pacific Coast League Champions in a one-game, winner take all championship. It is the first time a Triple-A Championship Game has been played east of the Mississippi River since the 1983 Triple-A World Series in Louisville, KY.
“It’s a tremendous honor for Triple-A Baseball to select Durham as the first International League city to host this amazing event,” Durham Bulls General Manager Mike Birling said, “The revitalization of Downtown Durham is something that needs to be showcased to the entire country, along with the rich baseball tradition here in the Triangle.”
The Bulls became the first International League team to win the Triple-A National Championship in 2009 when they defeated the Memphis Redbirds, 5-4 in Oklahoma City, OK. The Triple-A Championship began there in 2006 and remained through 2010 when defending International League Champion Columbus defeated Pacific Coast League Champion Tacoma. The 2011 game will be played in Albuquerque, NM.
Several Major League players have participated in the Triple-A Championship including Dusin Ackley, Allen Craig, David Freese, Jeremy Hellickson, John Jaso, Jon Jay, Desmond Jennings, Elliot Johnson, Matt Joyce, Ian Kennedy, Ryan Ludwick, Micah Owings and Fernando Salas.
The Triple-A National Championship also serves as a gathering for the leaders from all 30 Triple-A teams that attend for the joint International League-Pacific Coast League meetings. Other events surrounding the game will be announced in the near future, along with how you can purchase tickets to this historic event. According to the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, the event could generate around $2.5 million of economic activity for the city.
Triple-A National Championship History
- 2006 Tucson 5, Toledo 2
- 2007 Sacramento 7, Richmond 1
- 2008 Sacramento 4, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 1
- 2009 Durham 5, Memphis 4
- 2010 Columbus 12, Tacoma 6
Thanks to DBBC’s Matt DeMargel for this capcom story & photo.
