Meet Gary Pellant, the only switch-hitter to show up Mickey Mantle in a Single-A game.
Sometimes, all it takes is one season to make history.
The Single-A Alexandria Dukes were born out of a frenzied attempt to populate the fledgling Carolina League; in 1978, the league entertained only four franchises, too few to merit separate divisions. Because of the rush to establish the new club, the Dukes were forced to play their first season without the backing of a major league affiliate. It didn’t help that their ballpark, Municipal Stadium at Four Mile Run Park, was owned by the local school district and located across the street from an elementary school, effectively preventing any alcohol sales at games.