Las Vegas Wranglers (baseball)
Encyclopedia
The Las Vegas Wranglers were a minor league baseball
team that played in various leagues in the 1940s and 1950s. They were Las Vegas
' first professional team in any sport.
in 1947. Despite Paul Zaby's league-leading .402 batting average
and a historic offensive season from Calvin Felix, the Wranglers (a Boston Braves
affiliate) finished just 73-67, third place, and were beaten in the semifinals by Riverside, California
. Las Vegas was managed by ex-major leaguer Newt Kimball
, who also won 14 games as a pitcher for the Wranglers that year.
The 21-year-old Felix led the Sunset League in nearly every offensive category in 1947, including 52 home runs, the second-most ever hit in a pro league by such a young player (Tony Lazzeri
, also then 21, hit 60 HR for Salt Lake City in 1925, but his team played 200 games). Felix was sold to the Class AAA Hollywood Stars
of the Pacific Coast League
after the season, but never played for them; instead he wound up with the unaffiliated Denver Bears of the Western League
in 1948, and with Santa Barbara (a Dodgers
affiliate) in 1949. By 1953, Felix was with the AAA Montreal Royals
, but was sent down to the Texas League
in '54; he never played in the majors. http://minors.sabrwebs.com/cgi-bin/person.php?milbID=felix-001cal
Actor Cameron Mitchell
pitched one game for the '47 Wranglers; Las Vegas, needing all the pitching help they could get in the offense-minded Sunset League, signed Mitchell after he shut out the Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
for four innings in an exhibition game. But the actor was shelled, allowing eleven runs in less than an inning to the Ontario, California
Orioles. http://www.paperofrecord.com/paper_view.asp?PaperId=834&RecordId=4&PageId=7748032&iZyNetId={8CC838E0-3C0C-46AF-A0D0-3E1D1BF88628}&iOrder=2&iOrderDir=0&iCurrentBlock=1
. However, the team drew only around 600 fans per game (Las Vegas' population was less than 10,000 then) and faced a $15,000 deficit at season's end, partially because they were no longer affiliated with the Braves. In 1949, however, the Wranglers blew the league away with a 88-38 record and easily claimed the pennant, with attendance climbing to over 1,000 per contest. Due to budget cuts, there were no playoffs that year, and the '49 Wranglers had claimed Las Vegas' first pro sports championship (and last one for 37 years, until the Las Vegas Stars
won the PCL crown in 1986). After a third-place finish in 1950, the top teams in the Sunset League merged with the Arizona-Mexico League
to form the new Southwest International League
in 1951.
Declining attendance vexed minor-league ball throughout the country in the early 1950s, and Las Vegas was no exception: despite two more winning seasons in 1951-52, the Wranglers (along with the rest of the SWIL) died after the 1952 season.
Baseball returned to Las Vegas in 1957, but the new team (also called the Wranglers) finished fourth in the Arizona-Mexico League, then folded. On May 26, 1958, however, the San Jose
Pirates of the California League
shifted operations to Las Vegas, renaming themselves (once again) the Wranglers. But the team finished a poor seventh and disbanded after the season when the Cal League contracted from eight teams to six.
Las Vegas would not have another professional baseball team for a quarter-century, until the Las Vegas Stars
joined the Pacific Coast League
in 1983.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team that played in various leagues in the 1940s and 1950s. They were Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
' first professional team in any sport.
The first year
The Wranglers were one of the charter franchises of the Class C Sunset LeagueSunset League
The Sunset League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1947 through 1950. For the 1951 season, the league merged with the Arizona-Texas League to form the Southwest International League.- Former :...
in 1947. Despite Paul Zaby's league-leading .402 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and a historic offensive season from Calvin Felix, the Wranglers (a Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
affiliate) finished just 73-67, third place, and were beaten in the semifinals by Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
. Las Vegas was managed by ex-major leaguer Newt Kimball
Newt Kimball
Newell W. Kimball was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.Born in Logan, Utah, Kimball was signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1934, winning twenty games for their Class C Ponca City, Oklahoma affiliate as a nineteen-year-old...
, who also won 14 games as a pitcher for the Wranglers that year.
The 21-year-old Felix led the Sunset League in nearly every offensive category in 1947, including 52 home runs, the second-most ever hit in a pro league by such a young player (Tony Lazzeri
Tony Lazzeri
Anthony Michael "Tony" Lazzeri was an American Major League Baseball player during the 1920s and 1930s, predominantly with the New York Yankees. He was part of the famed "Murderers' Row" Yankee batting lineup of the late 1920s , along with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Bob Meusel...
, also then 21, hit 60 HR for Salt Lake City in 1925, but his team played 200 games). Felix was sold to the Class AAA Hollywood Stars
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
after the season, but never played for them; instead he wound up with the unaffiliated Denver Bears of the Western League
Western League (defunct minor league)
The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American minor league baseball. Its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League...
in 1948, and with Santa Barbara (a Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
affiliate) in 1949. By 1953, Felix was with the AAA Montreal Royals
Montreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, that existed from 1897–1917 and from 1928–60 as a member of the International League and its progenitor, the original Eastern League...
, but was sent down to the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
in '54; he never played in the majors. http://minors.sabrwebs.com/cgi-bin/person.php?milbID=felix-001cal
Actor Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell (actor)
Cameron Mitchell was an American film, television and Broadway actor with close ties to one of Canada's most successful families, and considered, by Lee Strasberg, to be one of the founding members of The Actor's Studio in New York City.-Early life and career:Born Cameron MacDowell Mitzel in...
pitched one game for the '47 Wranglers; Las Vegas, needing all the pitching help they could get in the offense-minded Sunset League, signed Mitchell after he shut out the Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
The Los Angeles Angels were a team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957, after which they transferred to Spokane, Washington to become the Spokane Indians. Los Angeles would later become the host city to a Major League Baseball team, the...
for four innings in an exhibition game. But the actor was shelled, allowing eleven runs in less than an inning to the Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
Orioles. http://www.paperofrecord.com/paper_view.asp?PaperId=834&RecordId=4&PageId=7748032&iZyNetId={8CC838E0-3C0C-46AF-A0D0-3E1D1BF88628}&iOrder=2&iOrderDir=0&iCurrentBlock=1
Later years
Las Vegas continued to be one of the circuit's top teams the next three years. In 1948, the Wranglers moved up to second place and made to the championship series before losing to RenoReno
Reno is the fourth most populous city in Nevada, US.Reno may also refer to:-Places:Italy*The Reno River, in Northern ItalyCanada*Reno No...
. However, the team drew only around 600 fans per game (Las Vegas' population was less than 10,000 then) and faced a $15,000 deficit at season's end, partially because they were no longer affiliated with the Braves. In 1949, however, the Wranglers blew the league away with a 88-38 record and easily claimed the pennant, with attendance climbing to over 1,000 per contest. Due to budget cuts, there were no playoffs that year, and the '49 Wranglers had claimed Las Vegas' first pro sports championship (and last one for 37 years, until the Las Vegas Stars
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
won the PCL crown in 1986). After a third-place finish in 1950, the top teams in the Sunset League merged with the Arizona-Mexico League
Arizona-Texas League
The Arizona-Texas League was a low-level circuit in American minor league baseball that existed from 1928-32, 1937-41, 1947-50 and 1952-54. The Arizona-Texas loop merged with the Sunset League to form the Southwest International League in 1951...
to form the new Southwest International League
Southwest International League
The Southwest International League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1951 through 1952. The league was formed through the merger of the Sunset League and Arizona-Texas League in 1951.- Former :...
in 1951.
Declining attendance vexed minor-league ball throughout the country in the early 1950s, and Las Vegas was no exception: despite two more winning seasons in 1951-52, the Wranglers (along with the rest of the SWIL) died after the 1952 season.
Baseball returned to Las Vegas in 1957, but the new team (also called the Wranglers) finished fourth in the Arizona-Mexico League, then folded. On May 26, 1958, however, the San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
Pirates of the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
shifted operations to Las Vegas, renaming themselves (once again) the Wranglers. But the team finished a poor seventh and disbanded after the season when the Cal League contracted from eight teams to six.
Las Vegas would not have another professional baseball team for a quarter-century, until the Las Vegas Stars
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
joined the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in 1983.
Year-by-year record
| Year | League | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Sunset League Sunset League The Sunset League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1947 through 1950. For the 1951 season, the league merged with the Arizona-Texas League to form the Southwest International League.- Former :... |
73-67 | 3rd | Newt Kimball Newt Kimball Newell W. Kimball was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.Born in Logan, Utah, Kimball was signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1934, winning twenty games for their Class C Ponca City, Oklahoma affiliate as a nineteen-year-old... |
Lost in 1st round | |
| 1948 | Sunset League Sunset League The Sunset League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1947 through 1950. For the 1951 season, the league merged with the Arizona-Texas League to form the Southwest International League.- Former :... |
78-62 | 2nd | Ken Meyers | Lost League Finals | |
| 1949 | Sunset League Sunset League The Sunset League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1947 through 1950. For the 1951 season, the league merged with the Arizona-Texas League to form the Southwest International League.- Former :... |
88-38 | 1st | Ken Meyers | none League Champs | |
| 1950 | Sunset League Sunset League The Sunset League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1947 through 1950. For the 1951 season, the league merged with the Arizona-Texas League to form the Southwest International League.- Former :... |
76-69 | 3rd | Ed Wheeler Ed Wheeler (1940s infielder) Edward Raymond Wheeler was a Major League Baseball infielder who played for one season. He played in 46 games for the Cleveland Indians during the 1945 Cleveland Indians season, splitting time as a third baseman and shortstop.... |
Lost in 1st round | |
| 1951 | Southwest International League Southwest International League The Southwest International League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1951 through 1952. The league was formed through the merger of the Sunset League and Arizona-Texas League in 1951.- Former :... |
72-71 | 5th | Newt Kimball Newt Kimball Newell W. Kimball was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.Born in Logan, Utah, Kimball was signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1934, winning twenty games for their Class C Ponca City, Oklahoma affiliate as a nineteen-year-old... |
||
| 1952 | Southwest International League Southwest International League The Southwest International League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1951 through 1952. The league was formed through the merger of the Sunset League and Arizona-Texas League in 1951.- Former :... |
70-66 | 3rd | William DeCarlo | none | |
| 1957 | Arizona-Mexico League Arizona-Texas League The Arizona-Texas League was a low-level circuit in American minor league baseball that existed from 1928-32, 1937-41, 1947-50 and 1952-54. The Arizona-Texas loop merged with the Sunset League to form the Southwest International League in 1951... |
62-74 | 4th | Red Marion Red Marion John Wyeth "Red" Marion was briefly an outfielder in American Major League Baseball and a longtime manager at the minor league level. A native of Richburg, South Carolina, he was the older brother of Marty Marion, the longtime star shortstop of the St... |
none | |
| 1958 | California League California League The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth... |
54-81 overall | 7th | Jack Paepke Jack Paepke Jack Paepke was a minor league baseball pitcher and manager as well as a player-manager. He later was a major league baseball coach and scout. He was born in Provo, Utah.... |
San Jose San Jose Pirates The San Jose Pirates are an expansion teams in the AIHL new Pacific North Division.-External links:*... moved to Las Vegas May 26 |
|