Editing Norfolk Tides (section)

===Carolina League (1963–1968)===

The [[Carolina League]], a Class A circuit, accepted the Tides as members for 1963.<ref>{{cite news|last=Karmosky|first=Charles|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82856900/seven-year-wait-over-pro-baseball-back/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Seven-Year Wait Over, Pro Baseball Back on Peninsula|work=Daily Press|location=Newport News|date=January 14, 1963|page=9}}</ref> At this point, the team became known as the Tidewater Tides, taking their geographic identifier from the [[Tidewater (region)|Tidewater]] region, and began playing their home games exclusively at Lawrence Stadium in Portsmouth.<ref name=BRNorfolk/><ref name=SCFDLStadium/> They were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team in their first Carolina League season.<ref name=BR1963>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=b08b09e0|title=1963 Carolina League|website=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Ed Stroud Senators.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|[[Ed Stroud]] won the 1964 [[Carolina League Most Valuable Player Award|Carolina League MVP Award]].]]

The Tides became the Class A affiliate of the [[Chicago White Sox]] in 1964. Under [[manager (baseball)|manager]] Allen Jones, they qualified for the playoffs that year for the first time in team history and defeated the [[Kinston Eagles (1962–1973)|Kinston Eagles]] in the semifinals to advance to the championship round where they lost to the [[Winston-Salem Red Sox]].<ref name=SC1964>{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-CARL/y-1964|title=1964 Carolina League|website=Stats Crew|access-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref> [[Outfielder]] [[Ed Stroud]] won the league's [[Carolina League Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] (MVP) Award.<ref name=CLawards>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/carolina/history/award-winners|title=Carolina League Award Winners|website=Carolina League|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref>  Jones led the team back to the postseason in 1965. After defeating the [[Peninsula Grays]] in the semifinals, the Tides won the [[List of Carolina League champions|Carolina League championship]] by sweeping the [[Durham Bulls]], 2–0.<ref name=SC1965>{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-CARL/y-1965|title=1965 Carolina League|website=Stats Crew|access-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref>

Tidewater became an affiliate of the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] in 1966.<ref name=BR1966>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=2b07a2e3|title=1966 Carolina League|website=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref> They made the postseason in 1967 and 1968, but they were defeated in the finals by Durham in 1967 and eliminated in the quarterfinals by the [[Raleigh-Durham Mets]] in 1968.<ref name=SC1967>{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-CARL/y-1967|title=1967 Carolina League|website=Stats Crew|access-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref><ref name=SC1968>{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-CARL/y-1968|title=1968 Carolina League|website=Stats Crew|access-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref>