Spokane Indians

From BR Bullpen

SpokaneIndians.jpg

Team History[edit]

The Spokane Indians, of the Northwest League and briefly in High-A West, wear a nickname that may have started out as something else entirely. The Colorado Rockies farmhands play their home games at Avista Stadium in Spokane, WA.

"Spokane Indians" may not actually be for the nearby Spokane Tribe. According to Eastern Washington University's Spokane Historical project, the 1903 Spokane baseball club was to adopt the nickname Inlanders after it won a contest sponsored by The Spokesman-Review. Despite naming it the winner, the newspaper soon changed it to Indians[1]. The name has stuck to Spokane baseball ever since, through a variety of leagues and affiliations.

However the nickname originated, the team and the tribe for which the city is named today work closely, co-marketing the brand and merchandise including a jersey that reads Sp'q'n'i - Spokane in the tribe's language, Salish. Federal recognition of tribes as now practiced started in 1934; Spokane earned it in 1954.

The Brooklyn Dodgers bought the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League in 1957, moving them north to make way for their own move to LA. Triple-A baseball was successful in Spokane for decades, but eventually two PCL teams eventually moved away in 11 years - one because of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

In 1983, short-season baseball came to Spokane under the same brand but without a parent club. After two such seasons, brothers George Brett, Ken Brett, Bobby Brett and J.B. Brett bought those Indians and landed an affiliation with the San Diego Padres - setting them on another successful run.

Spokane and Indianapolis were the last minor league teams to use a big-league nickname that was not their parent's. Ironically, both are called "Indians" - which was officially vacated at the Major League level with the Cleveland Indians becoming the Cleveland Guardians after the 2021 season.

MLB's 2021 Minor League Reorganization raised the Tribe, and most of the Northwest League, two levels.

On June 24, 1946, the Western International League Spokane Indians were the victim of the worst sports transit accident in U.S. professional sports history. The team bus, carrying 16 players, crashed on Highway 10 in the Snoqualmie Pass on its way from Spokane to Bremerton, WA. The bus rolled into the ravine along the highway and caught fire, killing manager Mel Cole and eight players while severely injuring three others.

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Notes Hitting Coach Pitching Coach Coach
1903 82-68 2nd W.V. Garrett / C.H. Williams none
1904 73-57 2nd Charlie Reilly none
1905 20-19 3rd Charlie Reilly none PNL ended play June 20
27-20 (41-58 overall) 4th G.G. Howlett / Ed Hutchinson / Charles McIntyre none Victoria (NWL) moved to Spokane July 11
1906 37-50 4th Bill Hurley none
1907 68-76 5th E.E. Quinn none
1908 72-75 4th E.E. Quinn none
1909 100-66 2nd Robert Brown none
1910 96-65 1st Dan Dugdale none League Champs
1911 96-71 2nd Joseph Cohen none
1912 95-72 2nd Harry Ostdiek none
1913 70-97 6th Harry Ostdiek / Watt Powell / Mike Lynch none
1914 84-68 3rd Mike Lynch none
1915 81-74 3rd Bob Wicker
1916 79-48 1st Nick Williams none League Champs
1917 36-41 4th Nick Williams none
1918 9-16 -- Nick Williams Team disbanded May 26
1920 56-58 5th Cliff Blankenship none
1940 84-59 1st Eddie Leishman Lost League Finals
1941 89-44 1st Ray Jacobs none League Champs (Lost series to All-Star team)
1942 58-83 4th Ray Jacobs none
1946 54-78 7th Mel Cole (28-32) / Ben Geraghty (2-1) / Mel Cole (2-2) / Ben Geraghty (22-52) none
1947 87-67 2nd Ben Geraghty none
1948 102-64 1st Buddy Ryan (57-52) / Dolph Camilli (45-12) none League Champs
1949 78-71 3rd Jim Brillheart Lost in 1st round
1950 63-85 7th Alan Strange none
1951 93-49 1st Alan Strange none League Champs
1952 91-64 2nd Don Osborn none
1953 75-67 5th Don Osborn League Champs
1954 30-24 -- Don Osborn team disbanded on June 21
1955 47-80 7th Eddie Lake
1956 56-77 7th Joe Rossi none
1958 68-85 7th Goldie Holt (32-45) / Bobby Bragan (36-40) none
1959 77-77 5th Bobby Bragan none
1960 92-61 1st Preston Gomez none, League Champs
1961 68-86 7th Preston Gomez none
1962 58-96 8th Preston Gomez none
1963 98-60 1st Danny Ozark Lost League Finals
1964 85-73 5th Danny Ozark
1965 57-90 11th Bill Brenzel (3-8) / Duke Snider (6-8) / Pete Reiser (1-1) / Duke Snider (47-73)
1966 75-73 7th Roy Hartsfield
1967 80-68 2nd Roy Hartsfield Lost League Finals
1968 85-60 2nd Roy Hartsfield Lost League Finals
1969 71-73 2nd Tommy Lasorda
1970 94-52 1st Tommy Lasorda League Champs
1971 92-56 3rd Tommy Lasorda
1972 42-36 2nd Bill Berrier
1973 81-63 2nd Del Wilber League Champs
1974 78-64 1st Del Wilber League Champs
1975 64-78 7th Del Wilber
1976 65-78 7th Frank Howard
1977 75-69 4th John Felske
1978 64-75 8th John Felske
1979 68-79 9th Rene Lachemann
1980 60-80 8th Rene Lachemann
1981 56-84 10th Rene Lachemann (11-9) / Ken Pape (45-75)
1982 78-65 3rd Moose Stubing Lost League Finals
1983 23-46 8th Ed Olsen
1984 35-39 6th (t) Jack Maloof
1985 33-41 6th (t) Jack Maloof
1986 39-35 5th Rob Picciolo
1987 54-22 1st Rob Picciolo League Champs
1988 42-34 3rd (t) Steve Lubratich League Champs
1989 41-34 1st Bruce Bochy League Champs
1990 49-27 2nd Gene Glynn League Champs
1991 24-52 8th Gene Glynn
1992 32-44 8th Ed Romero
1993 35-41 6th (t) Tim Flannery
1994 30-46 7th Ty Waller
1995 36-40 6th Al Pedrique
1996 37-39 5th Bob Herold
1997 45-31 2nd Jeff Garber
1998 47-29 1st (t) Jeff Garber
1999 44-32 1st Kevin Long League Champs
2000 38-38 5th Tom Poquette
2001 22-54 8th Tom Poquette
2002 29-47 7th Tom Poquette
2003 50-26 1st Darryl Kennedy League Champs
2004 41-35 3rd (t) Darryl Kennedy
2005 37-39 4th Greg Riddoch League Champs
2006 26-50 8th Mike Micucci
2007 33-42 7th Tim Hulett
2008 51-25 1st Tim Hulett League Champs
2009 37-39 4th Tim Hulett
2010 43-33 2nd (t) Tim Hulett Lost League Finals
2011 35-41 6th Tim Hulett
2012 28-48 8th Tim Hulett
2013 38-38 5th Tim Hulett
2014 40-36 4th Tim Hulett Lost in 1st round Jose Jaimes
2015 34-42 6th(t) Tim Hulett Jose Jaimes
2016 32-43 7th Tim Hulett Lost in 1st round
2017 39-37 4th (t) Matt Hagen Lost in 1st round
2018 38-38 3rd (t) Kenny Holmberg Lost League Finals
2019 45-31 3rd Kenny Hook Lost in 1st round
2020 Season cancelled
2021 67-49 2nd Scott Little Lost League Finals . Ryan Kibler . Fred Ocasio
2022 Scott Little

Further Reading[edit]

  • Beth Mary Bollinger: Until The End Of The Ninth, Rooftop Publishing, 2007 (a novel based on the true story of the 1946 bus crash and its aftermath).
  • Jim Price: "Devastating crash reverberates 60 years later", in Mark Armour, ed.: Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest, Society for American Baseball Research, Cleveland, OH, 2006, pp. 92-94.
  • Jim Price: "Stars leapt to bigs through Spokane", in Mark Armour, ed.: Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest, Society for American Baseball Research, Cleveland, OH, 2006, pp. 84-91.

Related Sites[edit]

Current teams of the High-A West section of the Professional Development League
Eugene Emeralds · Everett AquaSox · Hillsboro Hops · Spokane Indians · Tri-City Dust Devils · Vancouver Canadians
Colorado Rockies minor league affiliates
AAA Albuquerque Isotopes Triple-A West
AA Hartford Yard Goats Double-A Northeast
High-A Spokane Indians High-A West
Low-A Fresno Grizzlies Low-A West
Complex ACL Rockies Arizona Complex League
DSL Rockies Dominican Summer League
DSL Colorado Dominican Summer League
Franchise   Former Affiliates
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