Tampa Tarpons
Encyclopedia
The Tampa Tarpons were a minor league baseball
team based in Tampa, Florida
. They played in the Class A Florida State League
from 1957–1988, when they were sold, relocated, and renamed the Sarasota White Sox. During their run in Tampa, they won two FSL league championship in 1957 and 1961.
, then a Class D minor league. Tampa
had been without a professional baseball team since 1954, when the Florida International League
had folded, taking with it the Tampa Smokers
. From their inception, the Tarpons played all their home games at Al Lopez Field
in Tampa, which had been built in 1955.
The Tarpons were affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies
from 1957-1960. In 1961 they began a long affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds
. They won two league championships, in 1957 and 1961. In 1964 minor league baseball was realigned, and the Florida State League became a Class A league (now Class A-Advanced).
During the 1980s talk spread of a major league team coming to the Tampa Bay Area
, which would threaten the viability of the Tarpons and other minor league teams in the region. Prior to the 1988 season the Reds moved their spring training
to Plant City, Florida
, and moved their Class A franchise to Greensboro, North Carolina
(the Greensboro Hornets). The Chicago White Sox subsequently moved their Class A affiliation to Tampa for the 1988 season, amid rumors that the White Sox themselves would be moving to the area. That season the Tarpons, alternately known as the Tampa White Sox, drew 55,900 fans, seventh in the 14-team FSL, and went 35-35 in the first half before they won the western division second-half title at 36-24. They fell in the second round of the playoffs to the St. Lucie Mets
2 games to 0. The club was managed by Marv Foley
and had one FSL All-Star, pitcher Jerry Kutzler
. Foley won FSL Manager of the Year honors.
After the 1989 season, owner Mitchell Mick sold his franchise to the Chicago White Sox, who relocated the club to Sarasota, Florida
as the Sarasota White Sox.. The franchise exchanged major league affiliates and nicknames several times before 2010, when they became an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
and were moved and renamed the Bradenton Marauders
.
Meanwhile, Tampa was without professional baseball until the Tampa Yankees
joined the Florida State League in 1994.
led the 1st place Tarpons in 1961 with a .331 batting average, a record 30 triples (still a FSL record), and a team-high number of fielding errors. Other Reds players from that era who started with the Tarpons include Ken Griffey, Sr.
, Johnny Bench
, Dan Driessen
, Rawly Eastwick
, and Dave Concepcion
.
When the Reds won their next world series in 1990
with manager (and Tampa native) Lou Piniella
, they again had several former Tarpons on the roster, including Tom Browning
, Rob Dibble
, and Paul O’Neill.
Another notable former Tarpon was Randy Poffo, who finished a nondescript minor league baseball career with the team in 1974. Poffo went on to a much more successful career in professional wrestling
, where he came to fame while using the name "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
". More radical name choices were discussed, one of them being the "Tampa Bay Tarpons".
The Rays have worn Tampa Tarpons uniforms for several "Turn Back the Clock"
games:
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 based in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. They played in the Class A Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
from 1957–1988, when they were sold, relocated, and renamed the Sarasota White Sox. During their run in Tampa, they won two FSL league championship in 1957 and 1961.
History
The team was established in 1957 to join the Florida State LeagueFlorida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
, then a Class D minor league. Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
had been without a professional baseball team since 1954, when the Florida International League
Florida International League
The Florida International League was a lower- to mid-level circuit in American and Cuban minor league baseball that existed from 1946 through July 27, 1954. It was designated Class C for its first three seasons, then upgraded to Class B in 1949 for the final 5½ years of its existence.The FIL...
had folded, taking with it the Tampa Smokers
Tampa Smokers
The Tampa Smokers was a name used from 1919 to 1954 by a series of minor league and semi-professional baseball teams based in Tampa, Florida. The nickname was a nod to the local cigar industry, which was the most important industry in Tampa during the years in which the Smokers were active.-Florida...
. From their inception, the Tarpons played all their home games at Al Lopez Field
Al Lopez Field
Al Lopez Field was a spring training and Minor League baseball park in Tampa, Florida, United States. It was named for Tampa native and Baseball Hall of Famer Al Lopez....
in Tampa, which had been built in 1955.
The Tarpons were affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
from 1957-1960. In 1961 they began a long affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. They won two league championships, in 1957 and 1961. In 1964 minor league baseball was realigned, and the Florida State League became a Class A league (now Class A-Advanced).
During the 1980s talk spread of a major league team coming to the Tampa Bay Area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
, which would threaten the viability of the Tarpons and other minor league teams in the region. Prior to the 1988 season the Reds moved their spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
to Plant City, Florida
Plant City, Florida
Plant City is a city in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. The population was 34,721 at the 2010 census....
, and moved their Class A franchise to Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
(the Greensboro Hornets). The Chicago White Sox subsequently moved their Class A affiliation to Tampa for the 1988 season, amid rumors that the White Sox themselves would be moving to the area. That season the Tarpons, alternately known as the Tampa White Sox, drew 55,900 fans, seventh in the 14-team FSL, and went 35-35 in the first half before they won the western division second-half title at 36-24. They fell in the second round of the playoffs to the St. Lucie Mets
St. Lucie Mets
The St. Lucie Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Port St. Lucie, Florida.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club.The team plays at Digital Domain Park...
2 games to 0. The club was managed by Marv Foley
Marv Foley
Marvis Edwin Foley is a former Major League Baseball catcher and coach, former minor league baseball coach and manager, and current minor league baseball instructor. In the majors, he played all or part of five seasons, between 1978 and 1984, for the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers...
and had one FSL All-Star, pitcher Jerry Kutzler
Jerry Kutzler
Jerry Scott Kutzler is an American former baseball pitcher. A right-handed starting pitcher, Kutzler appeared in seven games for Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox in the 1990 season. He posted a 2–1 won–loss record and a 6.03 earned run average.-References:...
. Foley won FSL Manager of the Year honors.
After the 1989 season, owner Mitchell Mick sold his franchise to the Chicago White Sox, who relocated the club to Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
as the Sarasota White Sox.. The franchise exchanged major league affiliates and nicknames several times before 2010, when they became an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
and were moved and renamed the Bradenton Marauders
Bradenton Marauders
The Bradenton Marauders are a minor league baseball team based in Bradenton, Florida that plays in the Florida State League. The Marauders are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their home games are played at McKechnie Field, which also serves as the Pirates' spring training...
.
Meanwhile, Tampa was without professional baseball until the Tampa Yankees
Tampa Yankees
The Tampa Yankees are a minor league baseball team based in Tampa, Florida. They are currently members of the Florida State League and are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball team. Home games are played at George M. Steinbrenner Field, a miniature replica of...
joined the Florida State League in 1994.
Famous players
The Tarpons had many famous players that went on to play in the major leagues, including many who eventually became important parts of Cincinnati's Big Red Machine of the 1970s. Pete RosePete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
led the 1st place Tarpons in 1961 with a .331 batting average, a record 30 triples (still a FSL record), and a team-high number of fielding errors. Other Reds players from that era who started with the Tarpons include Ken Griffey, Sr.
Ken Griffey, Sr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He currently serves as Manager for the Bakersfield Blaze, the Reds' Single A minor league affiliate. He is the father of former professional outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. and former minor leaguer Craig Griffey. He and his...
, Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
, Dan Driessen
Dan Driessen
Daniel Driessen is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for five teams in his eighteen year career, and is best known as a member of the Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine" of the 1970s....
, Rawly Eastwick
Rawly Eastwick
Rawlins Jackson "Rawly" Eastwick is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1975 to 1981.-Career:...
, and Dave Concepcion
Dave Concepción
David Ismael Concepción Benitez , better known as Dave Concepción, is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was born in Ocumare de la Costa, Aragua State, Venezuela...
.
When the Reds won their next world series in 1990
1990 World Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 16, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioUntil , this was the last World Series to be scheduled to begin play on a Tuesday, and the first since . The schedule called for the seven-game series to be held Tue–Wed, Fri–Sat–Sun, Tue–Wed. Games 5, 6, and 7, however...
with manager (and Tampa native) Lou Piniella
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...
, they again had several former Tarpons on the roster, including Tom Browning
Tom Browning
Thomas Leo Browning is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals...
, Rob Dibble
Rob Dibble
Robert Keith Dibble is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and television analyst.-Personal life:Dibble is a graduate of Southington High School in Southington, Connecticut...
, and Paul O’Neill.
Another notable former Tarpon was Randy Poffo, who finished a nondescript minor league baseball career with the team in 1974. Poffo went on to a much more successful career in professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, where he came to fame while using the name "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
Contemporary connections
In, 2006, the "Tampa Bay Devil Rays" dropped the "Devil" to officially shorten their name to simply "Tampa Bay RaysTampa 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...
". More radical name choices were discussed, one of them being the "Tampa Bay Tarpons".
The Rays have worn Tampa Tarpons uniforms for several "Turn Back the Clock"
Throwback uniform
Throwback uniforms and jerseys are one-time or limited-time variations on a sports team's uniforms styled to resemble uniforms from that team's past. They have proven popular in all major pro and college sports in the USA, not only with fans, but with the teams' marketing and merchandising...
games:
- On July 17, 1999, the Devil Rays wore 1960 Tarpons uniforms against the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, who wore uniforms reminiscent of those worn by their 1969 championship team1969 New York Mets seasonThe New York Mets season was the eighth season for the Mets franchise, which played its home games at Shea Stadium. Managed by Gil Hodges, the team went 100-62, finishing first in the newly-established National League East by eight games over the Chicago Cubs...
. - On June 24, 2006, the Devil Rays wore 1975 Tarpon uniforms against the Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe 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....
, who wore their 19751975 Atlanta Braves season- Offseason :* November 2, 1974: Hank Aaron was traded by the Braves to the Milwaukee Brewers for Dave May and a player to be named later. The Brewers completed the deal by sending Roger Alexander to the Braves on December 2....
road uniforms. Coincidentally, two Rays coaches, third-base coach Tom Foley and hitting coach 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:...
, had both played for the Tarpons in the mid-1970s. - On August 13, 2010, the Rays wore 1970 Tarpons uniforms against the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, who wore all-orange road uniforms used occasionally by their 1971 pennant-winning squad1971 Baltimore Orioles seasonIn , the Baltimore Orioles finished first in the American League East, with a record of 101 wins and 57 losses. As of 2010, the 1971 Orioles are the last Major League Baseball club to have four 20-game winners in a season: Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson.- Offseason :*...
See also
- Former Tarpon players
- Baseball in the Tampa Bay area