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California League

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Template:Short description Template:Infobox sports league

The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league temporarily operated for the 2021 season as the Low-A West before re-assuming its original moniker in 2022.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, league attendance continued to increase each season, with over one million fans attending games per year, part of a general nationwide growth and expansion to smaller towns, cities, and regions below those in the National League or American League with Minor League Baseball at various levels of play in growing popularity in the last few decades.

HistoryEdit

There were various attempts in the late 1800s and early 1900s to form a "California League" on the West Coast, considering the distance of the two current major leagues which generally had teams only in the Northeast and were restricted at first until World War I by long-distance train travel. The first organized California League lasted from 1887 to 1889, then another followed in 1891, and 1893, and finally in 1899–1902. After the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, an organization of minor leagues was formed in 1902, (following the "truce" and agreements between the older National League of 1876 and the newly "upstart" American League of 1901), the California League operated outside the NAPBL system as an independent league in 1902 and again from 1907 to 1909. This led to huge differences in the quality of teams competing with each other. In 1907, the San Francisco team was 3–34, while later in 1908 San Francisco was 9–67 and Oakland was 4–71. Oakland and San Francisco competed in every year of these various state leagues, with San Francisco having two teams during 1887–88.

The latest version of the California League was founded in 1941, and included teams in Anaheim, Bakersfield, Fresno, Merced, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Stockton. The following year, as a result of World War II, the league dropped to four teams, then ceased and suspended operations altogether, although major league baseball and some minor leagues continued as much as possible with limited availability of players during the war years. It reorganized and came back in 1946, adding teams in Visalia, San Jose, and Ventura by 1947. Further east, Reno, Nevada joined the league in 1955 with the movement of the old Channel Cities Oilers in Santa Barbara and continued as a member for 37 years.

Though nicknames and affiliations shifted, the California League's postwar configuration was largely stable by the late 1950s; four of the six cities in the league in 1960 would still be part of the league 50 years later. The league reached eight clubs in 1966 and would hold that for ten years, briefly dipped to six before wavering between eight and nine clubs in the early eighties, then reached ten in 1986 and held that configuration for thirty-one seasons. From 1996 to 2016, the league had a remarkably stable alignment for Class A baseball, with no teams moving or folding for twenty-one years. After the 2016 season, the Bakersfield Blaze, long dogged by inadequate facilities and unable to negotiate significant repairs, and the High Desert Mavericks, suffering from falling attendance and a lease dispute with the city of Adelanto, were folded; the High-A level replaced them by expanding the Carolina League to ten teams.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=2020can>Template:Cite news</ref> As part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, the California League was demoted to Low-A and temporarily renamed the "Low-A West" for the 2021 season.<ref name=JMayo2-12-2021>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, the Low-A West was renamed the California League, and the Low-A classification was renamed Single-A effective with the 2022 season.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Current teamsEdit

California League teams
Division Team MLB affiliation City Stadium Capacity
North Fresno Grizzlies Colorado Rockies Fresno, California Chukchansi Park 10,650
Modesto Nuts Seattle Mariners Modesto, California John Thurman Field 4,000
San Jose Giants San Francisco Giants San Jose, California Excite Ballpark 4,200
Stockton Ports Athletics Stockton, California Banner Island Ballpark 5,300
South Inland Empire 66ers Los Angeles Angels San Bernardino, California San Manuel Stadium 8,000
Lake Elsinore Storm San Diego Padres Lake Elsinore, California Lake Elsinore Diamond 7,866
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Los Angeles Dodgers Rancho Cucamonga, California LoanMart Field 6,200
Visalia Rawhide Arizona Diamondbacks Visalia, California Valley Strong Ballpark 2,468

Template:OSM Location map

League championsEdit

Year by Year list of league champions: Template:Main article

Complete team list (1941–1942, 1946–present)Edit

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The Los Angeles area, Riverside, San Bernardino, Palm Springs, Yuma (AZ) and Las Vegas (NV) were also major league spring training site cities, as well possessed California League teams on different occasions.

Cities that have had California League teamsEdit

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  • Adelanto (1991–2016)
  • Anaheim (1941)
  • Atwater (1960s)
  • Bakersfield (1941–42, 1946–1975, 1978–79, 1982–2016)
  • Fresno (1941–42, 1946–1988, 2021–present)
  • Lake Elsinore (1994–present)
  • Lancaster (1996–2020)
  • Las Vegas, Nevada (1958)
  • Lodi (1966–1984)
  • Merced (1941)
  • Modesto (1946–1964, 1966–present)
  • Palm Springs (1986–1993)
  • Rancho Cucamonga (1993–present)
  • Reno, Nevada (1955–1964, 1966–1992)
  • Riverside (1941, 1988–1990, 1993–1995)
  • Rohnert Park (1980–1985)
  • Salinas (1954–1958, 1963–1965, 1973–1980, 1982–1987, 1989–1992)
  • San Bernardino (1941, 1987–present)
  • San Jose (1942, 1947–1958, 1962–1976, 1979–present)
  • Santa Barbara (1941–42, 1946–1953, 1962–1967)
  • Santa Clara (1979)
  • Stockton (1941, 1946–1972, 1978–present)
  • Ventura (1947–1955, 1986)
  • Visalia (1946–1962, 1968–1975, 1977–present)

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Modesto has hosted a California League team longer than any other city, hosting a team in all but seven of the CL's 82 seasons.

League timelineEdit

<timeline> DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:1600 height:auto barincrement:25 Period = from:01/01/1941 till:12/31/2021 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:20 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<# Colors = id:barcolor 

id:line  value:pink
id:bg  value:white
         id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member
         id:Past value:rgb(0.4,0.80,0.67) # Use to indicate a former team
         id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another current league

PlotData= 

  width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1  color:Past from:01/01/1941 till:12/31/1941 text:Anaheim Aces (1941)
bar:2  color:Past from:01/01/1941 till:06/28/1942 text:Bakersfield Badgers 
bar:2  color:Past from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1975 text: /Indians / Boosters / Bears / Dodgers (1941-42, 1946-75)
bar:2  color:Past from:01/01/1978 till:12/31/1979 text:/Outlaws 
bar:2  color:Past from:01/01/1982 till:12/31/2016 text:Bakersfield Mariners / Dodgers / Blaze (1978-79, 1982-2016)
bar:3  color:Past from: 01/01/1941 till:06/28/1942 text:Fresno Cardinals / Sun Sox / Giants / Suns  (1941-42, 1946-88, 2021-present)
bar:3 color:Past from: 01/01/1946 till:12/31/1988
bar:4  color:Past from:01/01/1941 till:12/31/1941 text:Merced Bears (1941)
bar:5  color:Past from:01/01/1941 till:12/31/1941 text:Riverside Reds (1941)
bar:5  color:Past from:01/01/1988 till:12/31/1990 text:Riverside Red Wave / Pilots  / High Desert Mavericks (1988-90, 1993-2016)
bar:5 color:Past from: 01/01/1993 till:12/31/2016
bar:6  color:Past from:01/01/1941 till:12/31/1941 text:San Bernardino Stars (1941)
bar:6  color:Full from:01/01/1987 till:12/31/2020 text:San Bernardino Spirit / Stampede / Inland Empire 66ers (1987-present)
bar:7  color:Past from:01/01/1941 till:06/28/1942 text:Santa Barbara Saints
bar:7  color:Past from:01/01/1946 till:07/01/1955 text: / Dodgers / Channel City Oilers (1941-42, 1946-55)
bar:7  color:Past from:01/01/1962 till:12/31/1967 text:Santa Barbara Rancheros / Dodgers (1964-67)
bar:8  color:Past from:01/01/1941 till:12/31/1941 text:Stockton Fliers (1941)
bar:8  color:Past from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1972 text:     Stockton Ports (1946-72)
bar:8  color:Full from:01/01/1978 till:12/31/2020 text: Stockton Mariners / Ports / Mudville Nine / Stockton Ports (1978-present)
bar:9  color:Past from:01/01/1942 till:06/28/1942 text:San Jose Owls (1942)
bar:9  color:Past from:01/01/1947 till:05/25/1958 text:     San Jose Red Sox / JoSox / Pirates (1947-58)
bar:9  color:Past from:01/01/1962 till:12/31/1976 text:San Jose Bees / Missions (1962-76)
bar:9  color:Full from:01/01/1979 till:12/31/2020 text:San Jose Missions / Expos / Bees / Giants (1979-present)
bar:10  color:Past from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1964 text:Modesto Reds / Colts (1946-64)
bar:10  color:Full from:01/01/1966 till:12/31/2020 text:Modesto Reds / A's / Nuts (1966-present)
bar:11  color:Past from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1962 text:Visalia Cubs / Stars / Cubs / Redlegs / A's / White Sox (1946-62)
bar:11  color:Past from:01/01/1968 till:12/31/1975 text:Visalia Mets (1968-75)
bar:11  color:Full from:01/01/1977 till:12/31/2020 text:Visalia Oaks / Central Valley Rockies / Visalia Oaks / Visalia Rawhide (1977-present)
bar:12  color:Past from:01/01/1947 till:12/31/1953 text:Ventura Yankees / Braves / Oilers (1947-53)
bar:12  color:Past from:01/01/1986 till:12/31/1986 text:Ventura County Gulls (1986)
bar:13  color:Past from:01/01/1954 till:12/31/1958 text:Salinas Packers (1954-58)
bar:13  color:Past from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1965 text:Salinas Mets / Indians (1963-65)
bar:13  color:Past from:01/01/1973 till:12/31/1980 text:Salinas Packers / Angels (1973-80)
bar:13  color:Past from:01/01/1982 till:12/31/1987 text:Salinas Spurs (1982-87)
bar:13  color:Past from:01/01/1989 till:12/31/1992 text:Salinas Spurs (1989-92)
bar:14  color:Past from:07/01/1955 till:12/31/1964 text:Reno Silver Sox (1955-64)
bar:14  color:Past from:01/01/1966 till:12/31/1992 text:Reno Silver Sox / Padres / Silver Sox (1966-92)
bar:15  color:Past from:05/26/1958 till:12/31/1958 text:Las Vegas Wranglers (1958)
bar:16  color:Past from:01/01/1966 till:12/31/1984 text:Lodi Crushers / Padres / Orions / Lions / Orioles / Dodgers / Crushers (1966-84)
bar:17  color:Past from:01/01/1979 till:12/31/1979 text:Santa Clara Padres (1979)
bar:18  color:Past from:01/01/1980 till:12/31/1985 text:Redwood Pioneers (1980-85)
bar:19  color:Past from:01/01/1986 till:12/31/1993 text:Palm Springs Angels (1986-93)
bar:20  color:Full from:01/01/1993 till:12/31/2020 text:Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (1993-present)
bar:21  color:Full from:01/01/1994 till:12/31/2020 text:Lake Elsinore Storm (1994-presnt)
bar:22  color:Past from:01/01/1996 till:06/28/2019 text:Lancaster JetHawks (1996-2019)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:01/01/1945 TextData = 

   fontsize:L

   textcolor:black

   pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center)

text:^"California League Timeline"
  1. > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. Template:Font color Template:Font color <# </timeline>

Template:Font color Template:Font color

Team list (prior incarnations)Edit

1906–1909Edit

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1896, 1898–1902Edit

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1879–1893Edit

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California League Hall of FameEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The California League inducted its first class of 15 inductees into its Hall of Fame in 2016.<ref name=HallOfficial>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

AwardsEdit

Most Valuable PlayerEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The California League Most Valuable Player Award was established in 1941.

Pitcher of the YearEdit

For award winners, see footnote<ref name=awards/>

Rookie of the YearEdit

For award winners, see footnote<ref name=awards/>

Manager of the YearEdit

For award winners, see footnote<ref name=awards/>

Doug Harvey AwardEdit

The Doug Harvey Award—established in 2010—is for the umpire of the year.<ref name=awards>Go to the Template:Usurped (Minor League Baseball; retrieved on 2017-05-23), click on "About" and then "League Award Winners" and then scroll down through the five awards. The Doug Harvey Award is at the bottom.</ref>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:Sister project

{{#invoke:Navbox|navbox}} Template:Professional Baseball Template:Authority control

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