Delmarva Shorebirds
Minor League Baseball team based in Salisbury, Maryland.
The Delmarva Shorebirds are a Minor League Baseball team from Salisbury, Maryland, and play as the Single-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles in the Carolina League. Their home field is Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. From 1996 through 2020, the club competed in the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL), then spent 2021 in the Low-A East before that league was renamed the Carolina League and reclassified as Single-A in 2022. The Shorebirds have won two SAL championships, in 1997 and 2000, and in 1997 they also received Baseball America’s Bob Freitas Award for Class A baseball.
The push to bring a professional team to Maryland’s Eastern Shore came from Frank Perdue, who wanted a franchise in Salisbury. The idea gained traction when Perdue joined the Maryland Baseball Limited Partnership, which already owned the Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys. In the fall of 1995, the partnership bought the Albany Polecats from Richard M. Holtzman, moved the team to Salisbury, and renamed it the Delmarva Shorebirds. The name refers to the marine waterfowl of the Delmarva Peninsula and was suggested by seven-year-old Katie Duffy of Newark, Delaware. The Shorebirds played their first game at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on April 17, 1996, beating the Columbus RedStixx 4–2 in front of 5,787 fans. After a two-year Player Development Contract with the Montreal Expos, they became an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles on September 26, 1996. In 2006, Tom Volpe’s 7th Inning Stretch LLC bought the team from Comcast Spectacor. The Shorebirds hosted the 2011 SAL “Strike Out Hunger” All-Star Game on June 21, 2011, partnering with Perdue Farms, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, and three regional food banks; Perdue and the foundation donated $20 to the food banks for every strikeout by a Shorebirds pitcher that season. In 2019, managed by Kyle Moore, the team clinched its first postseason berth since 2005 by winning the SAL Northern Division first-half title with a 48–21 record, the best midseason mark in the minors. They finished the regular season at a franchise-best 90–48, becoming the 14th SAL team since 1980 to reach 90 wins and the first since the 2006 Augusta GreenJackets. Their season ended when the Hickory Crawdads swept them in the best-of-three Northern Division Championship Series.
The Shorebirds’ radio home is Fox Sports 960 AM, the flagship station since 2005. Will DeBoer
- League
- Carolina League (Single-A)
- Affiliation
- Baltimore Orioles
- Home stadium
- Arthur W. Perdue Stadium
- Founded
- 1996 (relocated from Albany Polecats)
- SAL championships
- 1997, 2000
- Bob Freitas Award
- 1997 (Class A)
Lore & Background
Frank Perdue's desire for a professional baseball team based in Maryland's Eastern Shore was the driving force in bringing a franchise to Salisbury. Joining the Maryland Baseball Limited Partnership, owners of the Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys, set the concept in motion. By Autumn 1995 Maryland Baseball purchased the Albany Polecats from Richard M. Holtzman, relocated the franchise to Salisbury and renamed it the Delmarva Shorebirds. The name 'Shorebirds' refers to the marine waterfowl of the Delmarva Peninsula. The team name was chosen by 7-year-old Katie Duffy of Newark, Delaware.
The Shorebirds' first-ever game at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium was a 4–2 win over the Columbus RedStixx before a crowd of 5,787 on April 17, 1996. After fulfilling its two-year Player Development Contract with the Montreal Expos, it officially became an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles on September 26, 1996. In 2006, 7th Inning Stretch LLC, owned by Tom Volpe, purchased the team from Comcast Spectacor. The Shorebirds hosted the 2011 South Atlantic League 'Strike Out Hunger' All-Star Game on June 21, 2011, partnering with Perdue Farms and local food banks.
Reader's Guide
The Delmarva Shorebirds represent a key link in the Baltimore Orioles' player development system, operating as a Single-A affiliate in the Carolina League. Their significance lies in their role as a community-focused franchise on Maryland's Eastern Shore, originating from Frank Perdue's vision. The team's two South Atlantic League championships (1997 and 2000) and the 1997 Bob Freitas Award highlight early success. The 2019 season, under manager Kyle Moore, saw the team achieve a franchise-best 90–48 record and a first-half division title, though they were swept in the championship series. The franchise's relocation from Albany and name chosen by a child reflect its grassroots identity. The team's radio presence on Fox Sports 960 AM and its community partnerships, such as the 'Strike Out Hunger' initiative, underscore its local engagement. The Shorebirds' legacy includes being part of Minor League Baseball's restructuring in 2021–2022, transitioning from the Low-A East to the Carolina League.
Did You Know?
- The team name 'Shorebirds' was chosen by 7-year-old Katie Duffy of Newark, Delaware.
- The Shorebirds won the Bob Freitas Award for Class A baseball in 1997.
- In 2011, the Shorebirds partnered with Perdue Farms to donate $20 to food banks for each strikeout by a Shorebirds pitcher.
- The 2019 Shorebirds posted a franchise-best 90–48 regular-season record.
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