The Columbus Catfish
were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006. The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 2009 season.
The Catfish played home games at Golden Park. The team colors were royal blue, peach, and sand. The name "Catfish
" referred to the fish of the same name, which is commonly eaten in the South and is often harvested from the Chattahoochee River. The city of Columbus and Golden Park itself lies on the Chattahoochee. The peach in the Catfish logo implicates the state of Georgia, as it is called the "Peach State
." The peach is added to the logo to differentiate the team from the Columbus Clippers from the city of Columbus, Ohio.
In 2007, the Catfish swept the West Virginia Power in three games to win their first South Atlantic league championship.
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COLUMBUS CATFISH TICKETS
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History
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The Catfish, then known as the
Wilmington Waves as one of two South Atlantic League expansion teams in 2001, played their inaugural season in
Wilmington, North Carolina, as an affiliate of the
Los Angeles Dodgers. The team left Wilmington after one season due to the lack of a permanent
stadium. The Waves moved to
Albany, Georgia for one season until settling in the city of Columbus, which had lost the
RedStixx prior to the 2003 season. The team was known as the
South Georgia Waves during its single season in Albany and its first year in Columbus.
Relocation to Bowling Green
The team was sold to
New Hampshire Fisher Cats owner Art Solomon in April, 2008. Solomon would move the team to
Bowling Green, Kentucky, for the 2009 season, when the team will be known as the
Bowling Green Hot Rods.
Season-by-season records
Note:
W = Wins, L = Losses''
| Season
| W
| L
| Finish
| Postseason
|
| 2001
| 75
| 63
| 2nd
|
|
| 2002
| 75
| 63
| 2nd
|
|
| 2003
| 64
| 72
| 11th
|
|
| 2004
| 69
| 69
| 7th
|
|
| 2005
| 57
| 79
| 14th
|
|
| 2006
| 72
| 68
| 7th
|
|
| 2007
| 82
| 53
| 2nd 2
| League champions
Southern Division, 2 games to 0 over Augusta.
League Finals, 3 games to 0 over West Virginia.
|
| 2008
| 67
| 69
| 10th
|
|
2001: Wilmington Waves
2002: South Georgia Waves, Albany
2003: South Georgia Waves, Columbus
1- 1st half Southern division champions
2- 2nd half Southern division champions
Notable events
May 20,
2004: Catfish pitcher Chuck Tiffany pitched a 7-inning
perfect game against the
Greensboro Bats in game 2 of a
doubleheader.
Tommy Lasorda, Tiffany's boyhood idol, saw the performance.
June 10,
2004: Catfish pitcher Julio Pimentel set all-time Columbus records, outdueling
Rome Braves (and future
Atlanta Braves) pitcher
Chuck James by striking out the first 8 batters, and 16 total in game 1 (7 innings complete game) of doubleheader.
September 13,
2007: Catfish defeat West Virginia Power 6-0 in game 3 to clinch their first South Atlantic league championship in a three-game sweep