California League
Classification | Single-A(2022–present) Low-A(2021) Class A-Advanced(1990–2020) |
---|---|
Sport | Baseball |
Founded | 1941 |
No. of teams | 8 |
Country | United States |
Most recent champion(s) | Modesto Nuts(2024) |
Most titles | San Jose Giants(12) |
TheCalifornia Leagueis aMinor League Baseballleague that operates inCalifornia.Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated atClass A-Advancedfrom 1990 until its demotion toSingle-AfollowingMajor League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league temporarily operated for the 2021 season as theLow-A Westbefore reassuming its original moniker in 2022.
Before theCOVID-19 pandemic,league attendance continued to increase each season, with over one million fans attending games per year, part of a general nationwide growth and expansion to smaller towns, cities, and regions below those in theNational LeagueorAmerican Leaguewith Minor League Baseball at various levels of play in growing popularity in the last few decades.
History
[edit]There were various attempts in the late 1800s and early 1900s to form a "California League" on theWest Coast,considering the distance of the two currentmajor leagueswhich generally had teams only in the Northeast and were restricted at first until World War I by long-distance train travel. The first organized California League lasted from 1887 to 1889, then another followed in 1891, and 1893, and finally in 1899–1902. After theNational Association of Professional Baseball Leagues,an organization ofminor leagueswas formed in 1902, (following the "truce" and agreements between the olderNational Leagueof 1876 and the newly "upstart"American Leagueof 1901), the California League operated outside the NAPBL system as anindependent leaguein 1902 and again from 1907 to 1909. This led to huge differences in the quality of teams competing with each other. In 1907, the San Francisco team was 3–34, while later in 1908 San Francisco was 9–67 and Oakland was 4–71. Oakland and San Francisco competed in every year of these various state leagues, with San Francisco having two teams during 1887–88.
The latest version of the California League was founded in 1941, and included teams inAnaheim,Bakersfield,Fresno,Merced,Riverside,San Bernardino,Santa Barbara,andStockton.The following year, as a result of World War II, the league dropped to four teams, then ceased and suspended operations altogether, although major league baseball and some minor leagues continued as much as possible with limited availability of players during the war years. It reorganized and came back in 1946, adding teams inVisalia,San Jose,andVenturaby 1947. Further east,Reno, Nevadajoined the league in 1955 with the movement of the oldChannel Cities Oilersin Santa Barbara and continued as a member for 37 years.
Though nicknames and affiliations shifted, the California League's postwar configuration was largely stable by the late 1950s; four of the six cities in the league in 1960 would still be part of the league 50 years later. The league reached eight clubs in 1966 and would hold that for ten years, briefly dipped to six before wavering between eight and nine clubs in the early eighties, then reached ten in 1986 and held that configuration for thirty-one seasons. From 1996 to 2016, the league had a remarkably stable alignment for Class A baseball, with no teams moving or folding for twenty-one years. After the 2016 season, theBakersfield Blaze,long dogged by inadequate facilities and unable to negotiate significant repairs, and theHigh Desert Mavericks,suffering from falling attendance and a lease dispute with the city ofAdelanto,were folded; the High-A level replaced them by expanding theCarolina Leagueto ten teams.[1]
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemicbefore ultimately being cancelled on June 30.[2][3]As part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, the California League was demoted to Low-A and temporarily renamed the "Low-A West" for the 2021 season.[4]Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, the Low-A West was renamed the California League and reclassified as a Single-A league effective with the 2022 season.[5]
Current teams
[edit]Division | Team | MLB affiliation | City | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
North | Fresno Grizzlies | Colorado Rockies | Fresno, California | Chukchansi Park | 10,650 |
Modesto Nuts | Seattle Mariners | Modesto, California | John Thurman Field | 4,000 | |
San Jose Giants | San Francisco Giants | San Jose, California | Excite Ballpark | 4,200 | |
Stockton Ports | Oakland Athletics | Stockton, California | Banner Island Ballpark | 5,300 | |
South | Inland Empire 66ers | Los Angeles Angels | San Bernardino, California | San Manuel Stadium | 8,000 |
Lake Elsinore Storm | San Diego Padres | Lake Elsinore, California | Lake Elsinore Diamond | 7,866 | |
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes | Los Angeles Dodgers | Rancho Cucamonga, California | LoanMart Field | 6,200 | |
Visalia Rawhide | Arizona Diamondbacks | Visalia, California | Valley Strong Ballpark | 2,468 |
League champions
[edit]Year by Year list of league champions:
Complete team list (1941–1942, 1946–present)
[edit]- Anaheim Aces:1941
- Bakersfield Badgers:1941–1942
- Bakersfield Bears:1957–1967
- Bakersfield Blaze:1995–2016
- Bakersfield Boosters:1956
- Bakersfield Indians:1946–1955
- Bakersfield Boosters:1956
- Bakersfield Dodgers:1968–1975; 1984–1994
- Bakersfield Mariners:1982–1983
- Bakersfield Outlaws:1978–1979
- Central Valley Rockies:1993–1994
- Channel Cities Oilers:1954–1955
- Fresno Cardinals:1941–1942
- Fresno Giants:1958–1987
- Fresno Grizzlies:2021–present
- Fresno Suns:1988
- Fresno SunSox:1957
- High Desert Mavericks:1991–2016
- Inland Empire 66ers:2003–present
- Lake Elsinore Storm:1994–present
- Lancaster JetHawks:1996–2020
- Las Vegas Wranglers:1958
- Lodi Crushers:1966–1969; 1984
- Lodi Dodgers:1976–1983
- Lodi Orioles:1974–1975
- Lodi Lions:1973
- Lodi Orions:1972
- Lodi Padres:1970–1971
- Merced Bears:1941
- Modesto A's:1975–2004
- Modesto Colts:1962–1964
- Modesto Nuts:2005–present
- Modesto Reds:1946–1961; 1966–1974
- Mudville Nine:2000–2001
- Palm Springs Angels:1986–1993
- Rancho Cucamonga Quakes:1993–present
- Redwood Pioneers:1980–1985
- Reno Padres:1982–1987
- Reno Silver Sox:1955–1964; 1966–1981; 1988–1992
- Riverside Pilots:1993–1995
- Riverside Reds:1941
- Riverside Red Wave:1988–1990
- Salinas Angels:1976–1980
- Salinas Packers:1954–1958; 1973–1975
- Salinas Indians:1965
- Salinas Mets:1963–1964
- Salinas Packers:1954–1958; 1973–1975
- Salinas Spurs:1982–1987; 1989–1992
- San Bernardino Stampede:1996–2002
- San Bernardino Stars:1941
- San Bernardino Spirit:1987–1995
- San Jose Bees:1962–1976; 1983–1987
- San Jose Expos:1982
- San Jose Giants:1988–present
- San Jose JoSox:1956–1957
- San Jose Missions:1979–1981
- San Jose Owls:1942
- San Jose Pirates:1958
- San Jose Red Sox:1946–1953
- Santa Barbara Dodgers:1947–1953; 1964–1967
- Santa Barbara Rancheros:1962–1963
- Santa Barbara Saints:1941–1942
- Santa Clara Padres:1979
- Stockton Flyers:1941
- Stockton Mariners:1978
- Stockton Ports:1946–1972; 1979–1999; 2002–present
- Ventura Braves:1950–1952
- Ventura County Gulls:1985–1986
- Ventura Oilers:1953
- Ventura Yankees:1947–1949
- Visalia A's:1960–1961
- Visalia Cubs:1946–1952; 1954–1956
- Visalia Mets:1968–1975
- Visalia Rawhide:2009–present
- Visalia Redlegs:1957–1959
- Visalia Oaks:1977–1992; 1995–2008
- Visalia Stars:1953
- Visalia White Sox:1962
The Los Angeles area, Riverside, San Bernardino, Palm Springs, Yuma (AZ) and Las Vegas (NV) were also major leaguespring trainingsite cities, as well possessed California League teams on different occasions.
Cities that have had California League teams
[edit]- Adelanto (1991–2016)
- Anaheim (1941)
- Atwater (1960s)
- Bakersfield (1941–42, 1946–1975, 1978–79, 1982–2016)
- Fresno (1941–42, 1946–1988, 2021–present)
- Lake Elsinore (1994–present)
- Lancaster (1996–2020)
- Las Vegas, Nevada (1958)
- Lodi (1966–1984)
- Merced (1941)
- Modesto (1946–1964, 1966–present)
- Palm Springs (1986–1993)
- Rancho Cucamonga (1993–present)
- Reno, Nevada (1955–1964, 1966–1992)
- Riverside (1941, 1988–1990, 1993–1995)
- Rohnert Park (1980–1985)
- Salinas (1954–1958, 1963–1965, 1973–1980, 1982–1987, 1989–1992)
- San Bernardino (1941, 1987–present)
- San Jose (1942, 1947–1958, 1962–1976, 1979–present)
- Santa Barbara (1941–42, 1946–1953, 1962–1967)
- Santa Clara (1979)
- Stockton (1941, 1946–1972, 1978–present)
- Ventura (1947–1955, 1986)
- Visalia (1946–1962, 1968–1975, 1977–present)
Modesto has hosted a California League team longer than any other city, hosting a team in all but seven of the CL's 82 seasons.
League timeline
[edit]Active teamFormer team
Team list (prior incarnations)
[edit]1906–1909
[edit]- Alameda Grays/Alameda Encinals1906–1908
- Fresno Tigers/Fresno Raisin Growers1908–09
- Oakland Commuters1906–1909
- Sacramento Cordovas/Sacramento Senators 1906–1908
- San Francisco Orphans1906–1909
- San Jose Prune Pickers1906–1909
- Santa Cruz Sand Crabs1908–09
- Stockton Millers1906–1909
1896, 1898–1902
[edit]- California of San Francisco1896
- Fresno1898
- Imperials of San Francisco1896
- Los Angeles Angels1901–02
- Oakland1896
- Oakland Reliance/Oaks/Commuters/Clamdiggers1898–1902
- Sacramento Gilt Edges1899–1902
- San Francisco Metropolitans1896, 1898
- San Francisco A's1899
- San Jose1896, 1898
- San Jose Brewers/San Francisco Brewers1899–1900
- San Francisco 1902
- Santa Cruz Sand Crabs1899
- Stockton 1896, 1898
- Stockton Wasps/San Francisco Wasps1900–1901
- Watsonville Hayseeds1899
1879–1893
[edit]- Los Angeles Seraphs/Los Angeles Angels1892–1893
- Oakland Colonels1889–1893
- Oakland Greenhood & Morans1886–1888
- Oakland Pioneers1879
- Sacramento Altas1886–1887, 1889
- Sacramento Senators1890–1891
- San Francisco 1880, 1884–1885
- San Francisco Athletics1879–1881
- San Francisco Bay City1880
- San Francisco Californias1879–1880, 1882–1883
- San Francisco Friscos/Metropolitans1891–1893
- San Francisco Haverlys1883–1890
- San Francisco Knickerbockers1881
- San Francisco Nationals1882
- San Francisco Mutuals1879
- San Francisco Niantic1883
- San Francisco Occidental1884–1885
- San Francisco Pioneers1886–1888
- San Francisco Reddingtons1883
- San Francisco Reno1881–82
- San Francisco Star1884–1886
- San Jose Dukes1891–1892
- Stockton 1888–1890
- Stockton River Pirates/Sacramento Senators1893
California League Hall of Fame
[edit]The California League inducted its first class of 15 inductees into itsHall of Famein 2016.[7]
Awards
[edit]Most Valuable Player
[edit]TheCalifornia League Most Valuable Player Awardwas established in 1941.
Pitcher of the Year
[edit]For award winners, see footnote[8]
Rookie of the Year
[edit]For award winners, see footnote[8]
Manager of the Year
[edit]For award winners, see footnote[8]
Doug Harvey Award
[edit]The Doug Harvey Award—established in 2010—is for theumpireof the year.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Cal League to downsize in 2017".California League.Minor League Baseball. August 22, 2016.RetrievedJuly 7,2017.
- ^"A Message From Pat O'Conner".Minor League Baseball. March 13, 2020.RetrievedMay 5,2020.
- ^"2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved".Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020.RetrievedJuly 1,2020.
- ^Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021)."MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues".Major League Baseball.RetrievedFebruary 12,2021.
- ^"Historical League Names to Return in 2022".Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022.RetrievedMarch 16,2022.
- ^"California League (Adv A) Encyclopedia and History".
- ^"California League League Hall of Fame".California League.Minor League Baseball.RetrievedMay 23,2017.
- ^abcdGo totheCalifornia League website(Minor League Baseball; retrieved on 2017-05-23),click on"About"and then"League Award Winners" and then scroll down through the five awards. The Doug Harvey Award is at the bottom.