Norfolk Tides

The franchise's most enduring partnership was its 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets, which lasted from 1969 to 2006. During this extraordinary run, the team was known as the Tidewater Tides (1969-1992) before becoming the Norfolk Tides in 1993 when Harbor Park opened.

The Mets years produced an incredible parade of talent. Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and other members of the Mets' 1986 World Series championship team all came through Hampton Roads. In later years, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and other cornerstones of the Mets' 2000s core developed at Harbor Park. The Tides won the International League championship in 1972, 1975, and 1983 during this era.

Harbor Park opened in 1993, replacing aging Metropolitan Memorial Park and giving the franchise a modern waterfront home. The $16 million facility, funded by the City of Norfolk, transformed the game-day experience and anchored the downtown waterfront district.

The Norfolk Tides became the Baltimore Orioles' Triple-A affiliate in 2007, ending the historic Mets partnership. The switch made geographic sense — Norfolk is just a four-hour drive from Baltimore — and the Orioles valued Harbor Park's quality and Norfolk's favorable climate.

The early years of the Orioles affiliation coincided with some lean times for the parent club, but the pipeline still produced important contributors. Manny Machado, who debuted in 2012, passed through Norfolk, as did Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, and other pitchers who would anchor Baltimore's rotation during their competitive window from 2012 to 2016.

The franchise changed hands during this period, with Ken Young's ownership group eventually giving way to new investors. On the field, the Tides were competitive without capturing any league titles, serving their primary purpose as a development hub for the rebuilding Orioles organization.