"Bull Durham"

The Ron Shelton baseball comedy "Bull Durham" about life in the minor leagues will be 20 years old soon. It was released on June 15, 1988. The film starred Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.
At the time of the film, the Durham Bulls were a Class A team in the Carolina League. The film caused some excitement in my hometown of Salem, Va., because the Bulls were shown facing the Salem Buccaneers, our minor league team which played the Bulls.
"Bull Durham" made the Bulls the most famous minor league team in America, replacing the Toledo Mudhens which had been made famous through "MASH." Here is the famous "I believe in" speech delivered by Costner (contains adult language):


The Durham Bulls are now a Class AAA team in the International League. They beat the Richmond Braves in Richmond, Va., for their sixth straight win yesterday thanks to a Fernando Perez triple in the sixth inning.
The Bulls return to Durham, NC, which recently held a 20th anniversary screening of the film at the main local library, on May 30 to face the Pawtucket Red Sox from Rhode Island.
The Bulls are 25-23 and trail Richmond by one game in their division. On May 31, The Bucket Boys, a group of youths who use buckets as drums, will perform during a game against Pawtucket. The Bulls also boast an extensive picnic area.
I've seen the Bulls in Durham twice. Once was when they were a Class A team, and the other was in 2005 when I saw them play the Columbus Clippers. And, I once worked for the Salem Avalanche, which replaced the Buccaneers several years ago.

Useful Links:

http://www.dbulls.com

http://www.salemavalanche.com

Tags: Minor League Baseball, Durham Bulls, Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Bull Durham