Pacific Coast League
 Pacific Coast League logo | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1903 |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Country |  United States |
| Most recent champion(s) | Sacramento River Cats |
| Official website | www.pclbaseball.com |
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a minor league baseball league operating in the West and Midwest of the United States. It is one of two leagues, along with the International League, playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.
History
The PCL has had a long tradition on the West Coast, with teams with evocative names such as the Hollywood Stars, Los Angeles Angels, Mission Reds (representing San Francisco's Mission District), Oakland Oaks, Portland Beavers, Sacramento Solons, Salt Lake Bees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Seals, Seattle Rainiers, Vancouver Canadians, and Vernon Tigers.
A near-major league
In the first half of the 20th century, the Pacific Coast League developed into one of the premier regional baseball leagues. The cities enfranchised by the other two high-minor leagues, the International League and the American Association, were generally interwoven geographically with the major leagues. Such was not the case with the PCL. With no major league baseball team existing west of St. Louis, the PCL was unrivaled as the vehicle for American west coast baseball. Although never recognized as a true major league, the quality of play was considered very high. Drawing from a strong pool of talent in the area, the PCL produced a number of outstanding players, including future major-league stars Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Tony Lazzeri, Paul Waner, Earl Averill, and Ernie Lombardi.
While many PCL stars went on to play in the major leagues, teams in the league were often successful enough that they could offer competitive salaries to avoid being outbid for their stars' services. Some players made a career out of the minor leagues. One of the better known of those was Frank Shellenback, whose major league pitching career was brief [1] but who compiled a record PCL total of 295 wins, against 178 losses. [2]
In addition, the mild climate of the West Coast, especially in California, allowed the league to play longer seasons, sometimes starting in late February and ending as late as the beginning of December. This allowed players to potentially hone their skills more sharply, and also to earn an extra month or two worth of pay and reduce the need to find offseason work, something which even some major league players found necessary because of the low salaries, by today's standards. The longer playing season also provided room for additional games on the schedule, giving team owners a chance at generating more revenue.
Teams sometimes played over 200 games in a single season. The high-water mark was the 1905 season, in which the San Francisco Seals set the all-time PCL record by playing in 230 games (PCL Record Book, p.30). Even just prior to the 1958 reshuffling, the league was playing 170-180 games per season. One consequence of such lengthy seasons was that a number of the all-time minor league records for season statistical totals are held by players from the PCL.
In 1952, the PCL became the only minor league in history to be given the "Open" classification, a step above the AAA level. This limited the rights of major league clubs to draft players from the PCL, and was seen as a step toward the circuit becoming a third major league.
Sudden decline
The shift to the Open classification came just as minor league teams from coast to coast suffered a sharp drop in attendance, primarily due to the availability of major league games on television. The hammer blow to the PCL's major league dreams came in 1958, when the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles and the New York Giants moved to San Francisco. As a result, three of the PCL's flagship teams (the Los Angeles Angels, the Hollywood Stars, and the San Francisco Seals) were immediately forced to relocate to smaller markets. Additionally, the PCL did not benefit from the comparison with the major leagues, which now occupied the same territory and drew away much of the attention of its former fans. The league never recovered from this blow. It reverted to AAA classification, and soon diminished in the public eye to nothing more than another minor league.
Of the cities represented in the PCL in its heyday, only Salt Lake City, Portland, and Sacramento remain, and even these are represented by different franchises than those that had originally called these cities home. The Oakland Oaks had moved to Canada two years before the arrival of the Giants. The San Diego Padres and Seattle Rainiers were displaced by Major League teams in 1969, but by this time the PCL's decline was already far advanced.
Recent expansion
In 1997, the Pacific Coast League agreed to take five teams from the disbanding American Association, which had operated in the Midwest; a sixth team was added to the league as an expansion team, thus providing the scheduling convenience of an even number of teams. The league now stretches from western Washington to Middle Tennessee.
The league is divided into two conferences, the American Conference and the Pacific Conference; after a realignment for 2005 necessitated by the move of the Edmonton Trappers to Round Rock, Texas, each is divided into a North Division and a South Division. The Trappers' move also ended the league's presence in Canada; as recently as 1999, the league had teams north of the border in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton, but they left for Sacramento in 2000, Albuquerque in 2003, and Round Rock in 2005 respectively. In 2005, the Pacific Coast League became the first minor league ever to achieve a season attendance of over 7 million.
Championship and interleague play
At the end of the season, the North and South Division winners within each conference meet in a best-of-five series to determine conference champions. Then, the American and Pacific Conference winners play a best-of-five series to determine a league champion.
Since 2006 the league champion has played against the International League champion in the Bricktown Showdown, a single game for the Triple-A Championship. Previously, the PCL champion also competed in the Triple-A World Series.
In further interleague play, in 1988, the three Triple-A leagues, the other being the American Association, met to play the first Triple-A All-Star Game. One team was made up of All-Stars from American League affiliates and the other of National League affiliates. Beginning in 1998, a team of PCL All-Stars faced off against a team of IL All-Stars.
Current teams
American Conference
| Division | Team | MLB Affiliation | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Iowa Cubs | Chicago Cubs | Des Moines, Iowa | Principal Park | 11,000 |
| Memphis Redbirds | St. Louis Cardinals | Memphis, Tennessee | AutoZone Park | 14,320 | |
| Nashville Sounds | Milwaukee Brewers | Nashville, Tennessee | Herschel Greer Stadium | 10,052 | |
| Omaha Royals | Kansas City Royals | Omaha, Nebraska | Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium | 23,100 | |
| South | Albuquerque Isotopes | Los Angeles Dodgers | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Isotopes Park | 12,215 |
| New Orleans Zephyrs | Florida Marlins | Metairie, Louisiana | Zephyr Field | 10,000 | |
| Oklahoma City RedHawks | Texas Rangers | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | AT&T Bricktown Ballpark1 | 13,166 | |
| Round Rock Express | Houston Astros | Round Rock, Texas | Dell Diamond | 10,000 |
- 1 Hosting 2008 Triple-A Championship Game
Pacific Conference
| Division | Team | MLB Affiliation | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Colorado Springs Sky Sox | Colorado Rockies | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Security Service Field | 9,000 |
| Portland Beavers | San Diego Padres | Portland, Oregon | PGE Park2 | 19,810 | |
| Salt Lake Bees | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Salt Lake City, Utah | Franklin Covey Field | 15,500 | |
| Tacoma Rainiers | Seattle Mariners | Tacoma, Washington | Cheney Stadium | 9,600 | |
| South | Fresno Grizzlies | San Francisco Giants | Fresno, California | Chukchansi Park | 12,500 |
| Las Vegas 51s3 | Toronto Blue Jays | Las Vegas, Nevada | Cashman Field | 10,000 | |
| Reno Aces | Arizona Diamondbacks | Reno, Nevada | Sierra Nevada Stadium | TBA | |
| Sacramento River Cats | Oakland Athletics | West Sacramento, California | Raley Field | 14,680 |
- 2 Hosting 2009 Triple-A All-Star Game
- 3 The 51s will be renamed in 2009.
Current team rosters
Final 2008 season standings
American Conference North Division
| American Conference North | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Cubs | 83 | 59 | .585 | — |
| Memphis Redbirds | 75 | 67 | .528 | 8 |
| Omaha Royals | 63 | 81 | .438 | 21 |
| Nashville Sounds | 59 | 81 | .421 | 23 |
American Conference South Division
| American Conference South | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma RedHawks | 78 | 68 | .528 | — |
| Albuquerque Isotopes | 68 | 75 | .476 | 7½ |
| New Orleans Zephyrs | 66 | 75 | .468 | 8½ |
| Round Rock Express | 64 | 79 | .448 | 11½ |
Pacific Conference North Division
| Pacific Conference North | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake Bees | 83 | 60 | .580 | — |
| Tacoma Rainiers | 80 | 64 | .556 | 3½ |
| Colorado Springs Sky Sox | 71 | 72 | .497 | 12 |
| Portland Beavers | 70 | 74 | .486 | 13½ |
Pacific Conference South Division
| Pacific Conference South | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento River Cats | 83 | 61 | .576 | — |
| Las Vegas 51s | 74 | 69 | .517 | 8½ |
| Fresno Grizzlies | 67 | 76 | .469 | 15½ |
| Tucson Sidewinders | 60 | 81 | .426 | 21½ |
Playoffs
2008
| Conference Championships | PCL Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | Iowa Cubs | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Oklahoma RedHawks | 3 | |||||||
| Oklahoma RedHawks | 1 | ||||||||
| Sacramento RiverCats | 3 | ||||||||
| 3 | Salt Lake Bees | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Sacramento RiverCats | 3 | |||||||
Teams timeline
Note: Teams in italics are PCL "classic" teams from the league's height in the 1950s.
- Los Angeles Angels (1903–1957) → Spokane Indians (1958–1971) → Albuquerque Dukes (1972–2000) → Portland Beavers (2001–present)
- Memphis Redbirds (1998–present)
- Oakland Oaks (1903–1955) → Vancouver Mounties (1956–1962) → Dallas Rangers (1963–1964) → Vancouver Mounties (1965–1969) → Salt Lake City Angels (1970–1974) → Salt Lake City Gulls (1975–1984) → Calgary Cannons (1985–2002) → Albuquerque Isotopes (2003–present)
- Portland Beavers (1903–1917)1 → Sacramento Senators (1918-1935) → Sacramento Solons (1936–1960) → Hawaii Islanders (1961–1987) → Colorado Springs Sky Sox (1988–present)
- Portland Beavers (1919–1972) → Spokane Indians (1973–1982) → Las Vegas Stars (1983–2000) → Las Vegas 51s (2001–2008, to be renamed in 2009)
- Portland Beavers (1978–1993) → Salt Lake Buzz (1994–2001) → Salt Lake Stingers (2002-2005) → Salt Lake Bees (2006-present)
- Sacramento Sacts/Senators (1903) → Tacoma Tigers (1904-1905)→ Sacramento Senators (1905)2 → Fresno Raisin Eaters (1906) → Sacramento Solons (1909–1914)3 → Salt Lake Bees (1915–1925) → Hollywood Stars (1926–1935) → San Diego Padres (1936–1968) → Eugene Emeralds (1969–1973) → Sacramento Solons (1974–1976) → San Jose Missions (1977-1978) → Ogden A's (1979–1980) → Edmonton Trappers (1981–2004) → Round Rock Express (2005–present)
- San Francisco Seals (1903–1957) → Phoenix Giants (1958–1959) → Tacoma Giants (1960–1965) → Phoenix Giants (1966–1985) → Phoenix Firebirds (1986–1997) → Fresno Grizzlies (1998–present)
- Seattle Indians (1903–1906, 1919-1938)4 → Seattle Rainiers (1938–1964) → Seattle Angels (1965–1968) → Tucson Toros (1969–1997) → Tucson Sidewinders (1998–2008)→ Reno PCL Team (2009– (name and logo TBA September 23, 2008)) [1] [2]
- Vancouver Canadians (1978–1999) → Sacramento River Cats (2000–present)
- Vernon Tigers (1909–1925) → Mission Reds (1926–1937) → Hollywood Stars (1938–1957) → Salt Lake Bees (1958–1965) → Tacoma Cubs (1966–1971) → Tacoma Twins (1972–1977) → Tacoma Yankees (1978) → Tacoma Tugs (1979) → Tacoma Tigers (1980–1994) → Tacoma Rainiers (1995–present)
1The 1917 Portland Beavers folded operations, and its slot in the PCL was offered to Sacramento.
2The 1905 Tacoma Tigers were moved back to Sacramento in the middle of the 1905 season due to poor play, then were moved again to Fresno the following season.
3The 1907-08 Sacramento Solons played in the California League after returning from Fresno.
4The 1907-1918 Seattle Indians played in the Class B Northwest League.
Former American Association teams
Five current league teams were acquired by the PCL following the disbandment of the American Association after the 1997 season.
- Evansville Triplets (1970–1984) → Nashville Sounds (1985–present)
- Houston Buffaloes (1959–1961) → Oklahoma City 89ers (1962–1996)5 → Oklahoma RedHawks (1997–2008) → Oklahoma City RedHawks (2008–future)
- Iowa Oaks (1969–1981) → Iowa Cubs (1982–present)
- Kansas City Cowboys (1900-1903) → Kansas City Blues (1904–1954) → Denver Bears6 (1955–1984) → Denver Zephyrs (1985–1992) → New Orleans Zephyrs (1993–present)
- Omaha Royals (1969–1998) → Omaha Golden Spikes (1999-2001) → Omaha Royals (2002- present)
5The Oklahoma City 89ers were a member of the Pacific Coast League from 1963-1968.
6The Denver Bears were a member of the Pacific Coast League from 1963-1968.
Presidents of the PCL
- 1903–1906 Eugene F. Bert
- 1907–1909 J. Cal Ewing
- 1910–1911 Judge 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
- 1955–1955 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 Rickey III
See also
Sources
- Pacific Coast Baseball League Record Book 1903-1969, compiled by William J. Weiss, League Statistician; published by the PCL, 1969.
References
- ^ "PCL approves Sidewinders sale; Reno gets site." The Arizona Daily Star. 13 July 2007. 4 February 2008.
- ^ Reno's Triple-A Team to be Announced Sept. 23 (Reno PCL website, September 15, 2008)
External links