Reno Silver Sox
Encyclopedia
The Reno Silver Sox were a professional baseball team based in Reno, Nevada
, in the United States
. They were a member of the North Division of the independent Golden Baseball League
, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball
or Minor League Baseball
. From 2006 to 2008, they played their home games at William Peccole Park
, on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno
.
The team was the descendent of the original Reno Silver Sox
minor league baseball team that played with three different leagues from 1947 to 1992.
and Chicago White Sox
, the team has a sock as its logo.
actually began their legacy as a member of the class-C Sunset League in 1947. They won the league championship in 1948. The team would be downgraded to the Class-D Far West League
in 1950 and would play there until 1951 in an overall shoddily run league that would acquire the nickname the Far Worst League before it folded.
starting in 1947 as the Ventura Yankees and remained so until 1949. They changed their names several times starting with the Ventura Braves in 1950-52, the Ventura Oilers in 1953, the Channel Cities Oilers in 1954-55, then moved to Reno during 1955 season becoming the Reno Oilers in 1955 and finally became the Reno Silver Sox during that 1955 season. The team won the CL Championship on four different occasions before folding in the 1970s. They won the league championship on four separate occasions (1960, 1961, 1975, 1976) and were listed #55 among MinorLeagueBaseball.com's 100 Best Minor League Baseball Teams. They were a class-C (equivalent to today's single-A) affiliate of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
.
The third version was another California League team that was an affiliate of the San Diego Padres
from 1977 to 1987, then was unaffiliated from 1988 to their final season in 1992. They joined the league as the "new" Silver Sox then changed their name to the Reno Padres in 1982, then back to the Silver Sox when they were dropped as Padres affiliate in 1988. The team made the playoffs on two separate occasions, losing the CL Championship series in 1987.
in 2005. They played their home games at HoHoKam Park
in Mesa, Arizona
. They were one of the original eight GBL charter teams along with the Chico Outlaws
, Fullerton Flyers
, Long Beach Armada
and San Diego Surf Dawgs
in California; Surprise Fightin' Falcons
and Yuma Scorpions
in Arizona and the traveling Japan Samurai Bears
that began play in May 2005.
In their only year of play in Mesa, the team won the first ever GBL Arizona Division title and played in the Championship Game against the Surf Dawgs. Unfortunately, the Miners had the league's worst overall attendance, and was dropped from the GBL in November 2005. The league also dropped Surprise largely due to not having another team in central Arizona and to give the league an even number of six teams instead of seven. The low attendance numbers both teams received were due largely to the fact that many of their home games were played in the scorching night-time heat of central Arizona.
The GBL has said publicly that they would reconsider the Arizona market (Mesa and Surprise) if the league, the city of Mesa and the concessionaire at HoHoKam Park
could agree on a revenue sharing agreement for concessions sales. In 2005 the Miners received none of the sales proceeds from their own games. The Miners were the only team in the league without revenue sharing on concessions.
Much of the Miners' roster and coaching staff were carried over to the league's new Reno Silver Sox team in 2006. Playing at Peccole Park on the University of Nevada campus, the Silver Sox were instrumental in helping the college improve the facility and partnered in adding lights and an artificial all-weather turf field. While much better than the old and run-down Moana Field which housed the former professional Silver Sox, the University stadium still had much to be desired with its inadequate home locker rooms, no visitor locker rooms, and poorly thought out seating design that forced fans to go behind the bleachers to move through the ballpark The Silver Sox opened their inaugural campaign in Reno by winning the 2006 GBL Championship defeating the Fullerton Flyers
3-1 in the championship series. Les Lancaster
was named the GBL
Manager of the Year for the 2006 season., while the MVP of the team was catcher Marcus Jensen
a former major leaguer and member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Gold medal team. Solid attendance accompanied the championship team with sellout crowds on many occasions, including the series where Jose Canseco came in as a member of Long Beach Armada and appeared at one game and then faked a back injury to skip the next two games so he could stay up all night playing poker at the Grand Sierra. The team sold an independent league record nine players to major league organizations during 2006 and still managed to reload and win the title.
After a disappointing 2007 season when the Sox finished 9 games under .500, Lancester left the team and would be replaced by former San Francisco Giants
star Jeffrey Leonard
in 2008. They finished the season with an even more disappointing 30-58 record under Leonard. Midway through the season as it became apparent that the Triple-A Pacific Coast League would be re-locating to Reno, the Silver Sox had diminished fan and sponsor support and even saw some of the front office management start to lobby for and then moonlight with the AAA team.
's Reno Aces
, the Silver Sox were forced out and the search began for a new home ballpark and new owners. There were rumors about the team possibly moving south to Carson City, Nevada
, but there was no suitable ballpark to host the team or any interested investors who would bring the team there, so as a result, the franchise was sold to Tucson Baseball LLC and renamed the Tucson Toros
, who (like the original Reno Silver Sox
) were named after a former minor league team. The identity and history of the GBL Silver Sox remain the property of the league for a future expansion franchise.
's newest team, the Saskatchewan Silver Sox
, who play their home games at Desert Sun Stadium
in Yuma, Arizona
, the AWL's home base and home stadium of the Yuma Scorpions
. Supported by throngs of Saskatchewan residents wintering in Arizona, the dedicated fans who attended the team's games did catch the attention of GBL commissioner Kevin Outcalt. He said, "The Silver Sox are also a bit of a nod by the Golden League that we'd love to be up in Saskatchewan, too, in Saskatoon or in Regina or Moose Jaw, if we had the right ownership group and ballpark."
The Saskatchewan Silver Sox were immensely popular in Arizona and followed by the Saskatoon
media and fans from Canada as well. The alliterative allure of the name and the fact that there are significant silver deposits on the Saskatchewan/Manitoba Flin Flon
border beneath the Canadian Shield
could result in another resurrection of this storied baseball team name in the near future as the GBL continues to expand across Canada.
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They were a member of the North Division of the independent Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
or Minor League Baseball
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...
. From 2006 to 2008, they played their home games at William Peccole Park
William Peccole Park
William Peccole Park is a stadium in Reno, Nevada. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack baseball team. It originally opened in 1988. It holds 3,000 people. It played host to the Reno Silver Sox professional baseball team of the...
, on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
.
The team was the descendent of the original Reno Silver Sox
Reno Silver Sox (minor league team)
The Reno Silver Sox were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1947 to 1992. The team name is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". There was another baseball team known as the Reno Silver Sox who played in the Golden Baseball League...
minor league baseball team that played with three different leagues from 1947 to 1992.
History of the Silver Sox name
For obvious reasons, the name Silver Sox is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". Like MLB's Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, the team has a sock as its logo.
Sunset League/Far West League (1948-1951)
Before they became a part of the GBL, the Silver SoxReno Silver Sox (minor league team)
The Reno Silver Sox were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1947 to 1992. The team name is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". There was another baseball team known as the Reno Silver Sox who played in the Golden Baseball League...
actually began their legacy as a member of the class-C Sunset League in 1947. They won the league championship in 1948. The team would be downgraded to the Class-D Far West League
Far West League
The Far West League was a "Class C" league in Minor League Baseball that had eight teams and operated from 1948-1951.-Cities represented:*Eugene, OR – Eugene Larks *Klamath Falls, OR – Klamath Falls Gems...
in 1950 and would play there until 1951 in an overall shoddily run league that would acquire the nickname the Far Worst League before it folded.
California League (1955-1992)
The second incarnation were a member of the single-A California LeagueCalifornia 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...
starting in 1947 as the Ventura Yankees and remained so until 1949. They changed their names several times starting with the Ventura Braves in 1950-52, the Ventura Oilers in 1953, the Channel Cities Oilers in 1954-55, then moved to Reno during 1955 season becoming the Reno Oilers in 1955 and finally became the Reno Silver Sox during that 1955 season. The team won the CL Championship on four different occasions before folding in the 1970s. They won the league championship on four separate occasions (1960, 1961, 1975, 1976) and were listed #55 among MinorLeagueBaseball.com's 100 Best Minor League Baseball Teams. They were a class-C (equivalent to today's single-A) affiliate of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles 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...
.
The third version was another California League team that was an affiliate of the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
from 1977 to 1987, then was unaffiliated from 1988 to their final season in 1992. They joined the league as the "new" Silver Sox then changed their name to the Reno Padres in 1982, then back to the Silver Sox when they were dropped as Padres affiliate in 1988. The team made the playoffs on two separate occasions, losing the CL Championship series in 1987.
Beginning, Championship & End
The fourth, and current, Silver Sox franchise started as the Mesa MinersMesa Miners
The Mesa Miners are an independent professional baseball team that is based in Mesa, Arizona. They began as a member of the Arizona Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League in 2005...
in 2005. They played their home games at HoHoKam Park
HoHoKam Park
HoHoKam Stadium also known as Dwight W. Patterson Field and formerly HoHoKam Park, is a park with a baseball stadium located at 1235 N Center St in Mesa, Arizona . The stadium was built in January 1997 and holds 13,074 people. It is the home of the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League...
in Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
. They were one of the original eight GBL charter teams along with the Chico Outlaws
Chico Outlaws
The Chico Outlaws are a professional baseball team based in Chico, California, in the United States. The Outlaws are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
, Fullerton Flyers
Fullerton Flyers
The Fullerton Flyers are a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They are an independent franchise which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
, Long Beach Armada
Long Beach Armada
The Long Beach Armada was an independent professional baseball team based in Long Beach, California, in the United States. The Armada was a member of the North Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League, which was not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
and San Diego Surf Dawgs
San Diego Surf Dawgs
The San Diego Surf Dawgs are an independent professional baseball team representing San Diego, California, that play in the short-season instructional Arizona Winter League and Arizona Summer League, based out of Yuma, Arizona. They played for two seasons in the now-defunct Golden Baseball League,...
in California; Surprise Fightin' Falcons
Surprise Fightin' Falcons
The Surprise Fightin' Falcons are an inactive professional baseball team based in Surprise, Arizona. They played in the Arizona Division of the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
and Yuma Scorpions
Yuma Scorpions
The Yuma Scorpions are a professional baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, in the United States. The Scorpions are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League. From the 2005 season to the present, the Scorpions have played their home games at Desert Sun Stadium at the...
in Arizona and the traveling Japan Samurai Bears
Japan Samurai Bears
The Japan Samurai Bears are a defunct traveling professional baseball team that played in the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball. They were based in the Arizona Division...
that began play in May 2005.
In their only year of play in Mesa, the team won the first ever GBL Arizona Division title and played in the Championship Game against the Surf Dawgs. Unfortunately, the Miners had the league's worst overall attendance, and was dropped from the GBL in November 2005. The league also dropped Surprise largely due to not having another team in central Arizona and to give the league an even number of six teams instead of seven. The low attendance numbers both teams received were due largely to the fact that many of their home games were played in the scorching night-time heat of central Arizona.
The GBL has said publicly that they would reconsider the Arizona market (Mesa and Surprise) if the league, the city of Mesa and the concessionaire at HoHoKam Park
HoHoKam Park
HoHoKam Stadium also known as Dwight W. Patterson Field and formerly HoHoKam Park, is a park with a baseball stadium located at 1235 N Center St in Mesa, Arizona . The stadium was built in January 1997 and holds 13,074 people. It is the home of the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League...
could agree on a revenue sharing agreement for concessions sales. In 2005 the Miners received none of the sales proceeds from their own games. The Miners were the only team in the league without revenue sharing on concessions.
Much of the Miners' roster and coaching staff were carried over to the league's new Reno Silver Sox team in 2006. Playing at Peccole Park on the University of Nevada campus, the Silver Sox were instrumental in helping the college improve the facility and partnered in adding lights and an artificial all-weather turf field. While much better than the old and run-down Moana Field which housed the former professional Silver Sox, the University stadium still had much to be desired with its inadequate home locker rooms, no visitor locker rooms, and poorly thought out seating design that forced fans to go behind the bleachers to move through the ballpark The Silver Sox opened their inaugural campaign in Reno by winning the 2006 GBL Championship defeating the Fullerton Flyers
Fullerton Flyers
The Fullerton Flyers are a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They are an independent franchise which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
3-1 in the championship series. Les Lancaster
Les Lancaster
Lester Lancaster , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1987–1993 and is currently the manager of the Sioux City Explorers....
was named the GBL
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
Manager of the Year for the 2006 season., while the MVP of the team was catcher Marcus Jensen
Marcus Jensen
Marcus Christian Jensen is a former professional baseball player. He played catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, St...
a former major leaguer and member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Gold medal team. Solid attendance accompanied the championship team with sellout crowds on many occasions, including the series where Jose Canseco came in as a member of Long Beach Armada and appeared at one game and then faked a back injury to skip the next two games so he could stay up all night playing poker at the Grand Sierra. The team sold an independent league record nine players to major league organizations during 2006 and still managed to reload and win the title.
After a disappointing 2007 season when the Sox finished 9 games under .500, Lancester left the team and would be replaced by former San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
star Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey N. Leonard is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball with a 14-year career from to...
in 2008. They finished the season with an even more disappointing 30-58 record under Leonard. Midway through the season as it became apparent that the Triple-A Pacific Coast League would be re-locating to Reno, the Silver Sox had diminished fan and sponsor support and even saw some of the front office management start to lobby for and then moonlight with the AAA team.
The End of the Reno era
With the pending arrival of the Pacific Coast LeaguePacific 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...
's Reno Aces
Reno Aces
The Reno Aces are a minor league baseball franchise based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. The team is a member of the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, the Silver Sox were forced out and the search began for a new home ballpark and new owners. There were rumors about the team possibly moving south to Carson City, Nevada
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
, but there was no suitable ballpark to host the team or any interested investors who would bring the team there, so as a result, the franchise was sold to Tucson Baseball LLC and renamed the Tucson Toros
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
, who (like the original Reno Silver Sox
Reno Silver Sox (minor league team)
The Reno Silver Sox were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1947 to 1992. The team name is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". There was another baseball team known as the Reno Silver Sox who played in the Golden Baseball League...
) were named after a former minor league team. The identity and history of the GBL Silver Sox remain the property of the league for a future expansion franchise.
Arizona Winter League version
In 2009, the Silver Sox name, uniforms and caps became used by the Arizona Winter LeagueArizona Winter League
The Arizona Winter League is the short-season instructional independent winter professional baseball league affiliated with the independent North American League...
's newest team, the Saskatchewan Silver Sox
Saskatchewan Silver Sox
The Saskatchewan Silver Sox are an independent professional baseball team based in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They play in the developmental Arizona Winter League, a short-season instructional winter league affiliated with the North American League and compete in the International...
, who play their home games at Desert Sun Stadium
Desert Sun Stadium
Desert Sun Stadium is a stadium in Yuma, Arizona. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the North American League's Yuma Scorpions minor league baseball team and plays host to the Arizona Winter League and Arizona Summer League. The stadium, which originally opened in 1969,...
in Yuma, Arizona
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
, the AWL's home base and home stadium of the Yuma Scorpions
Yuma Scorpions
The Yuma Scorpions are a professional baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, in the United States. The Scorpions are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League. From the 2005 season to the present, the Scorpions have played their home games at Desert Sun Stadium at the...
. Supported by throngs of Saskatchewan residents wintering in Arizona, the dedicated fans who attended the team's games did catch the attention of GBL commissioner Kevin Outcalt. He said, "The Silver Sox are also a bit of a nod by the Golden League that we'd love to be up in Saskatchewan, too, in Saskatoon or in Regina or Moose Jaw, if we had the right ownership group and ballpark."
The Saskatchewan Silver Sox were immensely popular in Arizona and followed by the Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
media and fans from Canada as well. The alliterative allure of the name and the fact that there are significant silver deposits on the Saskatchewan/Manitoba Flin Flon
Flin Flon
Flin Flon is a Canadian mining city located on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within Manitoba.- Founding :...
border beneath the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
could result in another resurrection of this storied baseball team name in the near future as the GBL continues to expand across Canada.
California League
- see Reno Silver SoxReno Silver Sox (minor league team)The Reno Silver Sox were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1947 to 1992. The team name is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". There was another baseball team known as the Reno Silver Sox who played in the Golden Baseball League...
(minor league version)
Golden Baseball League
| Season | W | L | Win % | Place | Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 (in Mesa) | 51 | 36 | .589 | 1st, Arizona Division | Won Arizona Division. Lost to San Diego in the Championship Series. |
| 2006 | 47 (25/22) | 33 (15/18) | .588 | 1st/3rd | Qualified. Defeated Fullerton in the Championship Series. |
| 2007 | 33 (18/15) | 42 (19/23) | .440 | 5th/6th | Did not qualify |
| 2008 | 30 (17/13) | 58 (27/31) | .341 | 4th/4th, North Division | Did not qualify |
- 1 Season in Progress
See also
- Reno Silver SoxReno Silver Sox (minor league team)The Reno Silver Sox were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1947 to 1992. The team name is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". There was another baseball team known as the Reno Silver Sox who played in the Golden Baseball League...
(original minor league team) - Mesa MinersMesa MinersThe Mesa Miners are an independent professional baseball team that is based in Mesa, Arizona. They began as a member of the Arizona Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League in 2005...
- Reno AcesReno AcesThe Reno Aces are a minor league baseball franchise based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. The team is a member of the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks....
- Saskatchewan Silver SoxSaskatchewan Silver SoxThe Saskatchewan Silver Sox are an independent professional baseball team based in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They play in the developmental Arizona Winter League, a short-season instructional winter league affiliated with the North American League and compete in the International...
(AWL team)