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San Francisco Seals (PCL)
Encyclopedia
The San Francisco Seals were a minor league baseball
team in San Francisco, California
, that played in the Pacific Coast League
from 1903 until 1957 before transferring to Phoenix, Arizona
. They were named for the abundant California Sea Lion
and Harbor Seal populations in the Bay Area.
, Portland Beavers
, Oakland Oaks
, Sacramento Solons
, and Seattle Indians
, the Seals were charter members of the Pacific Coast League which was founded in 1903. The team played its home games at Recreation Park
at Harrison and 8th Streets until it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.
The mild climate of the West Coast allowed the PCL to play a much longer season than the majors and the other eastern professional baseball leagues. Seasons often ran 200 games or more, especially in the early years. In the 1905 season, the Seals set the all-time PCL record by playing in 230 games (Pacific Coast Baseball League Record Book 1903-1969, compiled by William J. Weiss, League Statistician; published by the PCL, 1969; p. 30).
The Seals finished out the 1906 season playing home games at Freeman's Park in Oakland. A new Recreation Park was constructed at 14th and Valencia Streets for the 1907 season. The Seals won their first PCL pennant in 1909, finishing 13½ games over the runner-up Beavers. They won flags also in 1915, 1917, 1922, 1923 and 1925.
During the 1914 season, the Sacramento Solons
were moved to San Francisco, where they finished out the season playing as the San Francisco Missions, supposedly representing the city’s Mission District. The idea of a second team in San Francisco remained alive and, after the 1925 season, the Vernon Tigers
were purchased by a group headed by San Francisco businessman Herbert Fleishhacker
and moved to San Francisco and renamed the Mission Reds
or simply the "Missions," again purportedly representing the "Mission" as this team played its games five blocks away from Mission San Francisco de Asís
. From 1926 through 1930, they played their home games at Recreation Park, playing at home while the Seals were on the road.
In 1918, financially strapped owner Henry Berry put the San Francisco Seals up for sale and Charles H. Strub
, George Alfred (Alfie) Putnam and Charles H. Graham
each acquired a one-third share in the team.
In 1931, the Seals moved to their own park, Seals Stadium
, an 18,600-seat facility located at 16th and Bryant Streets. Seals Stadium was unusual in that it boasted not two but three clubhouses: one for the visitors, one for the Seals, and one for the Missions, who moved there with the Seals and were the Seals' tenants from 1931 through 1937, after which the team moved back to Los Angeles to become the Hollywood Stars
in 1938.
There were three breweries on the adjoining North West corners of Seals Stadium, which included Hamm’s
, Budweiser and Lucky Lager.
The Seals celebrated their inaugural year in Seals Stadium by winning the PCL pennant in 1931. The following year, Seals outfielder Vince DiMaggio
arranged a tryout for his younger brother Joe
. In 1933, Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 61 straight games, a harbinger of his 56-game hitting streak for the New York Yankees
in 1941. The team won the pennant again in 1935.
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In 1945, a controlling interest in the team was purchased by businessman Paul Fagan, with the stated intention of bringing major league baseball
to the West Coast by having the Pacific Coast League becoming the nation’s third major league. He spent thousands of dollars upgrading Seals Stadium to perceived major league standards. He hired former major league player Lefty O'Doul
, a native San Franciscan and fan favorite, as manager. Though the Seals won the pennant in 1946, subsequent teams under Fagan’s watch did not fare so well, typically finishing in the second division. Rival clubs did not buy into Fagan’s major league ambitions. Rather, they established working agreements with major league teams, and fared better than did the independent Seals.
Fagan gave up and sold his interest in the Seals, who became an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
. After their Bay Area rival, the Oakland Oaks
, moved to Vancouver
after the 1955 season, the Seals won their last PCL pennant in 1957, which proved to be their final year as well. During the 1957 season, the New York Giants
announced their move to San Francisco for the 1958 season, and the Seals were forced to relocate as a result.
The Seals moved to Phoenix, Arizona
, for the 1958 season. The team became a minor league affiliate of the new San Francisco Giants
, and were renamed the Phoenix Giants
. This franchise then moved to Tacoma, Washington, from 1960 to 1965; but returned to Phoenix for the 1966 season. The team remained in Phoenix until the MLB expanded in 1998 with the Diamondbacks. This forced a move of the former Seals franchise. In a complicated deal the franchise became the Tucson Sidewinders
, displacing the existing Tucson Toros
, and affiliated with the Diamondbacks. The Giants' affiliation was transferred to the displaced Tucson AAA franchise, which became today's Fresno Grizzlies
. In 2009, the Tucson Sidewinders franchise moved to Reno, Nevada
. They retained their affiliation with the Arizona Diamondbacks as the Reno Aces
, and play their home games at Aces Ballpark. The Tucson Toros returned under the same ownership that owned the Sidewinders, but are not affiliated with a major league club, and play their home games at Hi Corbett Field
.
The Giants played their 1958 and 1959 home games in Seals Stadium, moving to Candlestick Park in 1960. Seals Stadium was subsequently torn down to make way for a White Front store. When this chain of stores went out of business, the building stayed empty for some years. It was finally turned into a car dealership and later a Safeway
grocery store. The legacy of the Seals lives on in the Giants' mascot Lou Seal, as well as in a statue of the Seals' cartoon mascot (c. 1947) at AT&T Park
.
farm systems except for the following affiliations:
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 in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, that played in 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...
from 1903 until 1957 before transferring to Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. They were named for the abundant California Sea Lion
California Sea Lion
The California sea lion is a coastal sea lion of western North America. Their numbers are abundant , and the population continues to expand about 5% annually. They are quite intelligent and can adapt to man-made environments...
and Harbor Seal populations in the Bay Area.
Early history
Along with the Los Angeles AngelsLos 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...
, Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
, Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
, Sacramento Solons
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
, and Seattle Indians
Seattle Rainiers
The Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels, were a minor league baseball team in Seattle, Washington, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903-06 and 1919-68...
, the Seals were charter members of the Pacific Coast League which was founded in 1903. The team played its home games at Recreation Park
Recreation Park (San Francisco)
Recreation Park was the name applied to several former baseball parks in San Francisco, California in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century....
at Harrison and 8th Streets until it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.
The mild climate of the West Coast allowed the PCL to play a much longer season than the majors and the other eastern professional baseball leagues. Seasons often ran 200 games or more, especially in the early years. In the 1905 season, the Seals set the all-time PCL record by playing in 230 games (Pacific Coast Baseball League Record Book 1903-1969, compiled by William J. Weiss, League Statistician; published by the PCL, 1969; p. 30).
The Seals finished out the 1906 season playing home games at Freeman's Park in Oakland. A new Recreation Park was constructed at 14th and Valencia Streets for the 1907 season. The Seals won their first PCL pennant in 1909, finishing 13½ games over the runner-up Beavers. They won flags also in 1915, 1917, 1922, 1923 and 1925.
During the 1914 season, the Sacramento Solons
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
were moved to San Francisco, where they finished out the season playing as the San Francisco Missions, supposedly representing the city’s Mission District. The idea of a second team in San Francisco remained alive and, after the 1925 season, the Vernon Tigers
Vernon Tigers
The Vernon Tigers were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1909 through 1925. Vernon, California, was and is a small town in Los Angeles County. The Tigers, together with the Sacramento Solons, joined the PCL as new teams in 1909 as the league expanded from...
were purchased by a group headed by San Francisco businessman Herbert Fleishhacker
Herbert Fleishhacker
Herbert Fleishhacker , son of Aaron Fleishhacker and Delia Fleishhacker, was an American businessman, civic leader and philanthropist. He built Fleishhacker Pool, the world's largest swimming pool, in 1924....
and moved to San Francisco and renamed the Mission Reds
Mission Reds
The Mission Reds were a minor league baseball team located in San Francisco, California, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1926 through 1937.-Original Missions:...
or simply the "Missions," again purportedly representing the "Mission" as this team played its games five blocks away from Mission San Francisco de Asís
Mission San Francisco de Asís
Mission San Francisco de Asís, or Mission Dolores, is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco and the sixth religious settlement established as part of the California chain of missions...
. From 1926 through 1930, they played their home games at Recreation Park, playing at home while the Seals were on the road.
In 1918, financially strapped owner Henry Berry put the San Francisco Seals up for sale and Charles H. Strub
Charles H. Strub
Dr. Charles Henry Strub was an American dentist and entrepreneur who built and owned Santa Anita Park racetrack in Arcadia, California and was president and partner of the San Francisco Seals baseball club of the Pacific Coast League.Charles Strub was born in Hollister, California as the only...
, George Alfred (Alfie) Putnam and Charles H. Graham
Charlie Graham
Charles Henry Graham [Uncle Charlie] was a baseball catcher, manager and team owner. Listed at 6' 0", 190 lb., Graham batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Santa Clara, California....
each acquired a one-third share in the team.
In 1931, the Seals moved to their own park, Seals Stadium
Seals Stadium
Seals Stadium was a minor league baseball stadium that stood in San Francisco from 1931 through 1959.Built during the depression, Seals Stadium opened on April 7, 1931, It cost $600,000 to construct, and Seals President "Doc" Strub described how laborers would leap onto the running boards of his...
, an 18,600-seat facility located at 16th and Bryant Streets. Seals Stadium was unusual in that it boasted not two but three clubhouses: one for the visitors, one for the Seals, and one for the Missions, who moved there with the Seals and were the Seals' tenants from 1931 through 1937, after which the team moved back to Los Angeles to become the 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 :...
in 1938.
There were three breweries on the adjoining North West corners of Seals Stadium, which included Hamm’s
Hamm's Brewery
Hamm's is the name of a former American brewery in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Hamm's breweries were also found in other cities, such as San Francisco.-History:...
, Budweiser and Lucky Lager.
The Seals celebrated their inaugural year in Seals Stadium by winning the PCL pennant in 1931. The following year, Seals outfielder Vince DiMaggio
Vince DiMaggio
Vincent Paul "Vince" DiMaggio was a Major League Baseball center fielder. During a 10-year baseball career, he played for the Boston Bees , Cincinnati Reds , Pittsburgh Pirates , Philadelphia Phillies , and New York Giants...
arranged a tryout for his younger brother Joe
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
. In 1933, Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 61 straight games, a harbinger of his 56-game hitting streak for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in 1941. The team won the pennant again in 1935.
Change of control
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...
to the West Coast by having the Pacific Coast League becoming the nation’s third major league. He spent thousands of dollars upgrading Seals Stadium to perceived major league standards. He hired former major league player Lefty O'Doul
Lefty O'Doul
Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul was an American Major League Baseball player who went on to become an extraordinarily successful manager in the minor leagues, and also a vital figure in the establishment of professional baseball in Japan.-Player:Born in San Francisco, California, O'Doul began his...
, a native San Franciscan and fan favorite, as manager. Though the Seals won the pennant in 1946, subsequent teams under Fagan’s watch did not fare so well, typically finishing in the second division. Rival clubs did not buy into Fagan’s major league ambitions. Rather, they established working agreements with major league teams, and fared better than did the independent Seals.
Fagan gave up and sold his interest in the Seals, who became an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
Boston 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"...
. After their Bay Area rival, the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
, moved to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
after the 1955 season, the Seals won their last PCL pennant in 1957, which proved to be their final year as well. During the 1957 season, the New York Giants
History of the New York Giants (NL)
The history of the New York Giants, before the franchise moved to San Francisco, lasted from 1883 to 1957. It featured five of the franchise's six World Series wins and 17 of its 21 National League pennants...
announced their move to San Francisco for the 1958 season, and the Seals were forced to relocate as a result.
The Seals moved to Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, for the 1958 season. The team became a minor league affiliate of the new 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....
, and were renamed the Phoenix Giants
Phoenix Firebirds
The Phoenix Firebirds, formerly the Phoenix Giants, were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Phoenix, Arizona, USA from 1958-1959, and 1966 until 1997....
. This franchise then moved to Tacoma, Washington, from 1960 to 1965; but returned to Phoenix for the 1966 season. The team remained in Phoenix until the MLB expanded in 1998 with the Diamondbacks. This forced a move of the former Seals franchise. In a complicated deal the franchise became the Tucson Sidewinders
Tucson Sidewinders
The Tucson Sidewinders were a minor league baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona. The team, which played in the Pacific Coast League, was the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major-league club....
, displacing the existing 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....
, and affiliated with the Diamondbacks. The Giants' affiliation was transferred to the displaced Tucson AAA franchise, which became today's Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
. In 2009, the Tucson Sidewinders franchise moved to Reno, Nevada
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...
. They retained their affiliation with the Arizona Diamondbacks as the 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....
, and play their home games at Aces Ballpark. The Tucson Toros returned under the same ownership that owned the Sidewinders, but are not affiliated with a major league club, and play their home games at Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field is a baseball stadium located in Tucson, Arizona. The stadium holds approximately 9,500 people. It was the spring training home of the Colorado Rockies, and is currently home to the Tucson Toros...
.
The Giants played their 1958 and 1959 home games in Seals Stadium, moving to Candlestick Park in 1960. Seals Stadium was subsequently torn down to make way for a White Front store. When this chain of stores went out of business, the building stayed empty for some years. It was finally turned into a car dealership and later a Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
grocery store. The legacy of the Seals lives on in the Giants' mascot Lou Seal, as well as in a statue of the Seals' cartoon mascot (c. 1947) at AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
.
Affiliations
The Seals were largely independent of major leagueMajor 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...
farm systems except for the following affiliations:
| Year | Affiliation(s) |
|---|---|
| 1936; 1945 | New York 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.... |
| 1942 | Brooklyn 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... |
| 1951 | New York Yankees New York Yankees The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division... |
| 1956-57 | Boston Red Sox Boston 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"... |
Notable alumni
- Harry FeldmanHarry FeldmanHarry "Hank" Feldman was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Giants from 1941 to 1946. In 1962, at age 42, the 6' 0",...
, Major League Baseball pitcher - Frank Crosetti, Major League Baseball infielder
- Joe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggioJoseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, Major League Baseball outfielder - Jack MealeyJack MealeyMaurice F. "Jack" Mealey was a long-time minor league baseball catcher, who also managed in the minor leagues and served as president of the Sooner State League for five years.-Playing career:...
(born 1899), minor league baseball catcher, who also managed in the minor leagues and served as president of the Sooner State League
External links
- Minor League Baseball's "Top 100 Teams" entry on the 1925 San Francisco Seals (team #10)
- Minor League Baseball's "Top 100 Teams" entry on the 1922 San Francisco Seals (team #44)
- Minor League Baseball's "Top 100 Teams" entry on the 1928 San Francisco Seals (team #50)
- Minor League Baseball's "Top 100 Teams" entry on the 1909 San Francisco Seals (team #71)