Western Canada Miners
Encyclopedia
The Western Canada Miners (also known as just the Canada Miners) are a professional independent baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona
, and representing western Canada
. They play in the developmental Arizona Winter League
, a short-season instructional winter league affiliated with the North American League
and they play their home games at Desert Sun Stadium
in Yuma, as well as the San Diego Surf Dawgs
, Saskatchewan Silver Sox
, Team Canada and Yuma Scorpions
. The team uses the logo and uniforms of the now-defunct Mesa Miners
team and are owned by Diamond Sports & Entertainment.
On April 3, 2009, the Miners were announced as one of the three charter teams in the new Arizona Summer League
, an instructional league also affiliated with the Golden Baseball League
. The league was formed following the success of the AWL. In July 2009, after 14 games and no playoff, they were declared the very first ASL Champions. The ASL version was renamed the Bisbee Miners
for 2010 and the Mesa Miners
for 2011 and possibly beyond.
The NAL still owns the rights to the "Miners" brand (including name, logo and uniforms) and a future expansion team would have no ties to the original Mesa team. Some suggest that previously sought-after Canadian cities Kamloops
and Kelowna
should be the new home of the brand because of western Canada's rich mining history, similar to the Saskatchewan
team (Regina or Saskatoon are being sought to host the Silver Sox if they continue to express interest).
Arizona Summer League:
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....
, and representing western Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They play in the developmental Arizona Winter League
Arizona Winter League
The Arizona Winter League is the short-season instructional independent winter professional baseball league affiliated with the independent North American League...
, a short-season instructional winter league affiliated with the North American League
North American League
The North American League is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season...
and they 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, as well as the 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,...
, 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...
, Team Canada 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...
. The team uses the logo and uniforms of the now-defunct Mesa Miners
Mesa 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...
team and are owned by Diamond Sports & Entertainment.
On April 3, 2009, the Miners were announced as one of the three charter teams in the new Arizona Summer League
Arizona Summer League
The Arizona Summer League is a short-season instructional summer professional baseball league affiliated with the independent North American League...
, an instructional league also affiliated with the 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....
. The league was formed following the success of the AWL. In July 2009, after 14 games and no playoff, they were declared the very first ASL Champions. The ASL version was renamed the Bisbee Miners
Bisbee Miners
The Bisbee Miners were a season-season independent professional baseball team that played in the Arizona Summer League representing Bisbee, Arizona. They play their home games at Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma, Arizona, home of the North American League's Yuma Scorpions. They were one of two teams...
for 2010 and the Mesa Miners
Mesa 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...
for 2011 and possibly beyond.
The NAL still owns the rights to the "Miners" brand (including name, logo and uniforms) and a future expansion team would have no ties to the original Mesa team. Some suggest that previously sought-after Canadian cities Kamloops
Kamloops, British Columbia
Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River and near Kamloops Lake. It is the largest community in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the location of the regional district's offices. The surrounding region is more commonly...
and Kelowna
Kelowna, British Columbia
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
should be the new home of the brand because of western Canada's rich mining history, similar to the Saskatchewan
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...
team (Regina or Saskatoon are being sought to host the Silver Sox if they continue to express interest).
Season-by-season records
Arizona Winter League:| Season | W | L | Win % | Place | Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 13 | 8 | .619 | T-1st | Qualified. Lost to Yuma in the Championship Game. |
| 2008 | 11 | 8 | .579 | 2nd | Qualified. Lost to Blythe in the Championship Game. |
| 2009 | 6 | 14 | .300 | 4th | Did not qualify. |
Arizona Summer League:
| Season | W | L | Win % | Place | Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 9 | 5 | .600 | 1st | No playoff. Declared first champions. |