Pacific Coast League
From BR Bullpen
The Pacific Coast League has been one of the three strongest minor leagues for almost a century. The league played as an independent league in 1903 before joining the NA in 1904 and for a half-century had strongholds in Los Angeles (the Angels and the Hollywood Stars), San Francisco (the Seals and Missions), Oakland (the Oaks), Seattle (the Rainiers), and San Diego (the Padres) - all five cities were lost to big-league expansion; the only traditional cities to have maintained a foothold in the PCL were the Portland Beavers and Sacramento (formerly home to the Solons, now home to the River Cats). The PCL has generally received much more publicity than the International League and American Association - until the '50s, it was home to the best baseball on the west coast and it also featured bigger cities than the other top-tier minors. As a result some have proclaimed it the top minor league, especially in its pre-1957 "heyday." A brief study of the rosters of the PCL, AA and IL for these years would seem to indicate that the talent level was probably pretty equivalent.
The PCL was the only minor league ever to be given the classification of "Open" - an experiment conducted from 1952-57 to have a tier nominally above AAA. The PCL had hoped to become a third major league. This plan was abandoned when major league owners discovered the riches on the west coast. This was the period when Steve Bilko won three straight MVPs and home run titles. The PCL of this time had very few prospects, mostly consisting of over-the-hill ex-major-leaguers like Max West, Eddie Basinski and Elmer Singleton.
The PCL is currently a class AAA minor league.
Contents |
[edit] Current Teams and Affiliations
| American Conference | ||||||
| North Division | South Division | |||||
| Team | Manager | Affiliation | Team | Manager | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Cubs | Buddy Bailey | Chicago Cubs | Albuquerque Isotopes | Dean Treanor | Florida Marlins | |
| Memphis Redbirds | Chris Maloney | St. Louis Cardinals | New Orleans Zephyrs | Ken Oberkfell | New York Mets | |
| Nashville Sounds | Frank Kremblas | Milwaukee Brewers | Oklahoma RedHawks | Bobby Jones | Texas Rangers | |
| Omaha Royals | Mike Jirschele | Kansas City Royals | Round Rock Express | Dave Clark | Houston Astros | |
| Pacific Conference | ||||||
| North Division | South Division | |||||
| Team | Manager | Affiliation | Team | Manager | Affiliation | |
| Colorado Springs Sky Sox | Tom Runnells | Colorado Rockies | Fresno Grizzlies | Dan Rohn | San Francisco Giants | |
| Portland Beavers | Randy Ready | San Diego Padres | Las Vegas 51s | Lorenzo Bundy | Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Salt Lake Bees | Brian Harper | Los Angeles Angels | Sacramento River Cats | Tony DeFrancesco | Oakland Athletics | |
| Tacoma Rainiers | Daren Brown | Seattle Mariners | Tucson Sidewinders | Bill Plummer | Arizona Diamondbacks | |
[edit] League Champions
2 The championship series were cancelled for financial reasons.
3 The championship series cancelled because of weather at semifinal series. The Albuquerque Dukes had won one semifinal series, but the other between the Tacoma Yankees and Portland Beavers was tied at two games apiece when heavy rain washed-out the rest of the series. League president Roy Jackson, named the Albuquerque and Tacoma teams co-champions, as Tacoma had a better record.
4 All Minor League Baseball championships were cancelled because of terrorist attacks on September 11, both the New Orleans Zephyrs and Tacoma Rainiers had already won their conference finals.
[edit] Most Valuable Players
[edit] League Presidents
- 1903-1906: Eugene F. Bert
- 1907-1909: J. Cal Ewing
- 1910-1911: Thomas F. Graham
- 1912-1919: Allan T. Baum
- 1920-1923: William H. McCarthy
- 1924-1931: Harry A. Williams
- 1932-1935: Hyland H. Baggerly
- 1936-1943: William C. Tuttle
- 1944-1954: Clarence H. Rowland
- 1955: Claire V. Goodwin
- 1956-1959: Leslie M. O' Connor
- 1960-1968: Dewey Soriano
- 1968-1973: William B. McKechnie, Jr.
- 1974-1978: Roy Jackson
- 1979-1997: William S. Cutler
- 1998-present: Branch B. Rickey
[edit] Cities Represented
[edit] Alberta
- Calgary, AB: Calgary Cannons 1985-2002
- Edmonton, AB: Edmonton Trappers 1981-2004
[edit] Arizona
- Phoenix, AZ:
- Phoenix Giants 1958-1959, 1966-1985
- Phoenix Firebirds 1986-1997
- Tucson, AZ:
- Tucson Toros 1969-1997
- Tucson Sidewinders 1998-present
[edit] Arkansas
- Little Rock, AR: Arkansas Travelers 1964-1965
[edit] British Columbia
- Vancouver, BC:
- Vancouver Mounties 1956-1962, 1965-1969
- Vancouver Canadians 1978-1999
[edit] California
- Fresno, CA:
- Fresno Raisin Eaters 1906
- Fresno Grizzlies 1998-present
- Hollywood, CA: Hollywood Stars 1926-1935, 1938-1957
- Los Angeles, CA: Los Angels Angels 1903-1957
- Oakland, CA: Oakland Oaks: 1903-1955
- Sacramento, CA:
- Sacramento Senators 1903
- Sacramento Sacts 1909-1914
- Sacramento Senators 1918-1935
- Sacramento Solons 1936-1960
- Sacramento Solons 1974-1976
- San Diego, CA San Diego Padres 1936-1968
- San Francisco, CA:
- San Francisco Seals 1903-1957
- Mission Wolves 1914
- Mission Bells 1926-1927
- Mission Reds 1928-1937
- San Jose, CA: San Jose Missions 1977-1978
- Venice, CA: Venice Tigers 1913-1915
- Vernon, CA: Vernon Tigers 1909-1912, 1915-1925
- West Sacramento, CA: Sacramento River Cats 2000-present
[edit] Colorado
- Colorado Springs, CO: Colorado Springs Sky Sox 1988-present
- Denver, CO: Denver Bears 1963-1968, moved from American Association, moved to American Association
[edit] Hawaii
- Honolulu, HI: Hawaii Islanders 1961-1987
[edit] Indiana
- Indianapolis, IN: Indianapolis Indians 1964-1968, moved to American Association
[edit] Iowa
- Des Moines, IA: Iowa Cubs 1998-present, moved from American Association
[edit] Louisiana
- New Orleans, LA: New Orleans Zephyrs 1998-present, moved from American Association
[edit] Nebraska
- Omaha, NE:
- Omaha Royals 1998 moved from American Association, 2003-present
- Omaha Golden Spikes 1999-2002
[edit] Nevada
- Las Vegas, NV:
- Las Vegas Stars 1983-2000
- Las Vegas 51s 2001-present
[edit] New Mexico
- Albuquerque, NM:
- Albuquerque Dukes 1972-2000
- Albuquerque Isotopes 2003-present
[edit] Oklahoma
- Oklahoma City, OK:
- Oklahoma City 89ers 1963-1968, moved from American Association, moved to American Association
- Oklahoma Redhawks 1998-present
- Tulsa, OK: Tulsa Oilers 1966-1968 moved to American Association
[edit] Oregon
- Eugene, OR: Eugene Emeralds 1969-1973
- Portland, OR:
- Portland Browns 1903-1904
- Portland Giants 1905
- Portland Beavers 1906-1917, 1919-1972, 1978-1993, 2001-present
[edit] Tennessee
- Memphis, TN: Memphis Redbirds 1998-present
- Nashville, TN: Nashville Sounds 1998-present, moved from American Association
[edit] Texas
- Dallas, TX & Fort Worth, TX:
- Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers 1963, moved from American Association 1960-1962;
- Dallas Rangers 1964
- Round Rock, TX: Round Rock Express 2005-present
[edit] Utah
- Ogden, UT: Ogden A's 1979-1980
- Salt Lake City, UT:
- Salt Lake City Bees 1915-1925, 1958-1965, 1970
- Salt Lake City Angels 1971-1974
- Salt Lake City Gulls 1975-1984
- Salt Lake Buzz 1994-2000
- Salt Lake Stingers 2001-2005
- Salt Lake Bees 2006-present
[edit] Washington
- Seattle, WA:
- Seattle Siwashes 1903-1906
- Seattle Rainiers 1919-1921, 1938-1964
- Seattle Indians 1922-1937
- Seattle Angels 1965-1968
- Spokane, WA: Spokane Indians 1958-1971, 1973-1982
- Tacoma, WA:
- Tacoma Tigers 1904-1905, 1980-1994
- Tacoma Giants 1960-1965
- Tacoma Cubs 1966-1971
- Tacoma Twins 1972-1977
- Tacoma Yankees 1978
- Tacoma Tugs 1979
- Tacoma Rainiers 1995-present
[edit] Hall of Fame Alumni
- Earl Averill, 1926-1928 San Francisco Seals 1941 Seattle Rainiers
- Dave Bancroft, 1912 & 1914 Portland Beavers
- Steve Carlton, 1966 Tulsa Oilers
- Mickey Cochrane, 1924 Portland Beavers
- Stan Coveleski, 1915 Portland Beavers
- Sam Crawford, 1918-1921 Los Angeles Angels
- Joe DiMaggio, 1932-1935 San Francisco Seals
- Larry Doby, 1960 San Diego Padres
- Bobby Doerr, 1934-1935 Hollywood Stars; 1936 San Diego Padres
- Lefty Gomez, 1929 San Francisco Seals
- Tony Gwynn, 1982 Hawaii Islanders; 1983 Las Vegas Stars
- Harry Heilmann, 1915 San Francisco Seals
- Billy Herman, 1950 Oakland Oaks
- Harry Hooper, 1927 Mission Bells
- Fergie Jenkins, 1964-1965 Arkansas Travelers
- George Kelly, 1933 Oakland Oaks
- Tony Lazzeri, 1922-1925 Salt Lake City Bees; 1941 San Francisco Seals
- Bob Lemon, 1958 San Diego Padres
- Ernie Lombardi, 1926-1930, 1948 Oakland Oaks; 1948 Sacramento Solons
- Juan Marichal, 1960 Tacoma Giants
- Bill Mazeroski, 1955-1956 Hollywood Stars
- Willie McCovey, 1958-1959 Phoenix Giants; 1960 Tacoma Giants
- Joe McGinnity, 1914 Venice Tigers
- Phil Niekro, 1964 Denver Bears
- Satchel Paige, 1961 Portland Beavers
- Tony Perez, 1963-1964 San Diego Padres
- Gaylord Perry, 1960-1963 Tacoma Giants
- Brooks Robinson, 1959 Vancouver Mounties
- Mike Schmidt, 1972 Eugene Emeralds
- Warren Spahn, 1967 Tulsa Oilers
- Don Sutton, 1968 Spokane Indians
- Dazzy Vance, 1919 Sacramento Senators
- Arky Vaughan, 1949 San Francisco Seals
- Rube Waddell, 1902 Los Angeles Angels
- Lloyd Waner, 1925-1926 San Francisco Seals
- Paul Waner, 1923-1925 San Francisco Seals
- Hoyt Wilhelm, 1971 Spokane Indians
- Ted Williams, 1936-1937 San Diego Padres
[edit] Further Reading
- Bill O'Neal: The Pacific Coast League, Eakin Press, Austin, TX, 1990.
- Dennis Snelling: The Pacific Coast League: A Statistical History, 1903-1957, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 1995.
- Larry Stone: "Those were the most wonderful days I believe I ever had", in Mark Armour, ed.: Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest, Society for American Baseball Research, Cleveland, OH, 2006, pp. 99-107.
- Paul J. Zingg and Mark D. Medeiros: Runs, Hits, and an Era: The Pacific Coast League, 1903-1958, 1994.
