St. Petersburg Pelicans
Encyclopedia
The St. Petersburg Pelicans were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association
in 1989. The team went 42-30 in the regular season and won the Northern Division title. Steve Henderson
hit .352 for the club, and Lenny Randle
batted .349. Milt Wilcox
went 12-3, and Jon Matlack
added 10 wins. Led by Lamar Johnson
's home run and three RBI, the Pelicans went on to beat the West Palm Beach Tropics
12-4 to win the league's championship game. The St. Petersburg Pelicans returned for a second season but ceased operation when the league folded in December 1990.
The original St. Petersburg Pelicans were a team that played in the 1940s and 1950s in the Florida State Negro Baseball League. The Pelicans played at Campbell Park in St. Petersburg
.
Player/Manager
: Bobby Tolan
Coach
es: Dock Ellis
, Ozzie Virgil, Sr.
, Tom Zimmer
1989 Opening Day Roster:
On June 21, 2008 the Tampa Bay Rays
wore St. Petersburg Pelicans jerseys to honor the team in a game against the Houston Astros
.
Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...
in 1989. The team went 42-30 in the regular season and won the Northern Division title. Steve Henderson
Steve Henderson
Steven Curtis Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who is best remembered for being one of the players the New York Mets acquired in the infamous "Midnight Massacre."-Cincinnati Reds:...
hit .352 for the club, and Lenny Randle
Lenny Randle
Leonard Shenoff Randle is a former Major League Baseball player. He was the first-round pick of the Washington Senators in the secondary phase of the June 1970 Major League Baseball Draft, tenth overall.-Early years:...
batted .349. Milt Wilcox
Milt Wilcox
Milton Edward Wilcox was a pitcher who had a sixteen-year career from 1970 to 1975, 1977–1986. He played for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs of the National League and the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners of the American League...
went 12-3, and Jon Matlack
Jon Matlack
Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher...
added 10 wins. Led by Lamar Johnson
Lamar Johnson
Lamar Johnson Sr. is a retired professional baseball player who played infielder in the Major Leagues from 1974-1982...
's home run and three RBI, the Pelicans went on to beat the West Palm Beach Tropics
West Palm Beach Tropics
The West Palm Beach Tropics were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The club hired Dick Williams as manager and fielded a lineup that included slugger Dave Kingman and Rollie Fingers. The Tropics went 52-20 in the regular...
12-4 to win the league's championship game. The St. Petersburg Pelicans returned for a second season but ceased operation when the league folded in December 1990.
The original St. Petersburg Pelicans were a team that played in the 1940s and 1950s in the Florida State Negro Baseball League. The Pelicans played at Campbell Park in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
.
Player/Manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
: Bobby Tolan
Bobby Tolan
Robert Tolan is a former center and right fielder in Major League Baseball. Tolan, who batted and threw left-handed, played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Cincinnati Reds , San Diego Padres , Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates...
Coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
es: Dock Ellis
Dock Ellis
Dock Phillip Ellis, Jr. was a professional baseball player who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, among other teams in Major League Baseball. His best season was 1971, when he won 19 games for the World Series champion Pirates and was the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star...
, Ozzie Virgil, Sr.
Ozzie Virgil, Sr.
Osvaldo José Virgil broke the color barrier for Detroit in 1958. He served in the U.S. Marines from 1950 to 1952...
, Tom Zimmer
Tom Zimmer
Thomas Jeffrey Zimmer has held multiple roles in professional baseball. He played in the minor leagues non-consecutively from 1971 to 1979, coached for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976, managed in the minor leagues from 1977 through 1980 and coached the St. Petersburg Pelicans in 1989...
1989 Opening Day Roster:
- PitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
s: Dock EllisDock EllisDock Phillip Ellis, Jr. was a professional baseball player who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, among other teams in Major League Baseball. His best season was 1971, when he won 19 games for the World Series champion Pirates and was the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star...
, Al HollandAl HollandAlfred Willis Holland is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who mostly pitched in the Major Leagues from to ....
(also with St. Lucie), Randy LerchRandy LerchRandy Louis Lerch , is a former professional baseball pitcher who played in the major leagues for the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos, and San Francisco Giants from 1975 to 1986....
, Jon MatlackJon MatlackJonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher...
, Gerry PirtleGerry PirtleGerald Eugene "Gerry" Pirtle is an American former Major League Baseball player. A pitcher, Pirtle played for the Montreal Expos in...
, Dave RajsichDave RajsichDavid Christopher Rajsich is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1978 to 1980 for the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. He also played one season in Japan for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 1984...
, Joe SambitoJoe SambitoJoseph Charles Sambito is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Houston Astros , New York Mets and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw left-handed...
, Elias SosaElias SosaElías Sosa Martínez , is a former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent on March 4, 1968. He played for the Giants , St...
, Sammy StewartSammy StewartSamuel Lee "Sammy" Stewart , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1978-1987. He attended Owen High School in Asheville and Montreat College, and signed his first pro contract with the Baltimore Orioles in 1975...
(also with Bradenton), Milt WilcoxMilt WilcoxMilton Edward Wilcox was a pitcher who had a sixteen-year career from 1970 to 1975, 1977–1986. He played for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs of the National League and the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners of the American League...
, Mike Williams - CatcherCatcherCatcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
s: Butch BentonButch BentonAlfred Lee "Butch" Benton was a right-handed catcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland Indians from 1978 to 1985....
, Mark CoreyMark CoreyMark Franklin Corey is a retired American baseball pitcher. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 4th round of the draft....
, Dwight LowryDwight LowryDwight Lowry, born Dwight Lowery was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Detroit Tigers in 1984, 1986, and 1987, and for the Minnesota Twins in 1988.-Biography:...
- InfielderInfielderAn infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
s: Alan BannisterAlan BannisterAlan Bannister is a retired professional baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Houston Astros and Texas Rangers...
, Sergio FerrerSergio FerrerSergio Ferrer Marrero is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He played in parts of four seasons in the majors in two separate stints. He played for the Minnesota Twins in and , then spent two seasons in the minor leagues before returning to the majors to play for the New York Mets in and...
(also with St. Lucie), Luis Gomez, Roy HowellRoy HowellRoy Lee Howell , is a former professional baseball player who played third base in Major League Baseball from 1974-1984...
, Gary RajsichGary RajsichGary Louis Rajsich is an American Major League Baseball scout and a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of four seasons in the Majors from until , then played three additional seasons for the Chunichi Dragons from until...
, Lenny RandleLenny RandleLeonard Shenoff Randle is a former Major League Baseball player. He was the first-round pick of the Washington Senators in the secondary phase of the June 1970 Major League Baseball Draft, tenth overall.-Early years:...
- OutfielderOutfielderOutfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
s: Steve HendersonSteve HendersonSteven Curtis Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who is best remembered for being one of the players the New York Mets acquired in the infamous "Midnight Massacre."-Cincinnati Reds:...
, Steve KempSteve KempSteven F. Kemp is a former Major League Baseball outfielder from 1977 to 1986 and 1988. He is of Armenian heritage.-Professional career:...
, Jerry MartinJerry MartinJerry Lindsey Martin is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is the son of major league pitcher Barney Martin....
, Bake McBrideBake McBrideArnold Ray "Bake" McBride , also nicknamed "Shake n' Bake" and "The Callaway Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, known primarily as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies' teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He made his major league debut for the St...
(also with Orlando) - Disabled listDisabled listIn Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
: Ron LeFloreRon LeFloreRonald LeFlore is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Montreal Expos, retiring as a Chicago White Sox in . He stole 455 bases in his career, and was an American League All-Star selection in 1976...
(also with Bradenton), Pat ZachryPat ZachryPatrick Paul Zachry is a former Major League baseball pitcher who had a ten year career from to .-Cincinnati Reds:... - Other Players: Dick BosmanDick BosmanRichard Allen Bosman is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the Washington Senators , Texas Rangers , Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics . Bosman started the final game for the expansion Senators and the first game for the Texas Rangers...
, Nardi ContrerasNardi ContrerasArnaldo Juan Contreras is a former professional baseball pitcher and coach. His brief time in Major League Baseball, as well as the majority of his time as a coach, came with the Chicago White Sox...
, Ivan DeJesusIvan DeJesusIván Alvarez DeJesús is a former Major League Baseball player from 1974 to 1988 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Detroit Tigers. DeJesús was regarded as a good fielding but light hitting shortstop...
, Hoot Gibson, Lamar JohnsonLamar JohnsonLamar Johnson Sr. is a retired professional baseball player who played infielder in the Major Leagues from 1974-1982...
, Pete LaCockPete LaCockRalph Pierre "Pete" LaCock, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball first baseman/outfielder.In 1975, he hit the only grand slam of his career, on the final pitch ever thrown by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson.-Career:LaCock was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the 1970...
(also with Winter Haven), Ken LandreauxKen LandreauxKenneth Francis Landreaux is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball.After graduating from Dominguez High School in Compton, California, Landreaux carried on his education at Arizona State University before joining the California Angels in...
(also with Orlando), Jim Morley, Blue Moon OdomBlue Moon OdomJohnny Lee Odom was a Major League Baseball pitcher who won three consecutive World Series championships with the Oakland Athletics in , and .-Early years:...
, Bombo RiveraBombo RiveraJesus Manuel "Bombo" Rivera Torres is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. At the age of seven, his youth baseball manager started calling him “Bombo”, which meant “fly ball,” and the nickname stuck. Aside from baseball, Rivera also excelled in track and field. He ran the 100 meters and...
, Ozzie Virgil, Jr.Ozzie Virgil, Jr.Osvaldo José Virgil, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played with the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1980 to 1990. He was elected to the National League All-Star team twice in 1985 and 1987...
On June 21, 2008 the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
wore St. Petersburg Pelicans jerseys to honor the team in a game against the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
.