Editing Denver Zephyrs (section)

==History==
===Origins===
[[Denver, Colorado]], had been the home of numerous [[minor league baseball]] teams dating back to 1885 with an unnamed team of the [[Colorado State League]]. Off and on from 1901 to 1954, the city was represented by the [[Denver Bears (Western League)|Denver Bears]] of the [[Western League (1900–1958)|Western League]]. In 1955, the [[Class A (baseball)|Class A]] Bears were replaced by a [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] team of the [[American Association (1902–1997)|American Association]].<ref name=BR-Denver>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Denver&state=CO&country=US|title=Denver, Colorado Encyclopoedia|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> This came about when the [[Kansas City Blues (American Association)|Kansas City Blues]] were forced to relocate after the [[American League]]'s [[1954 Philadelphia Athletics season|Philadelphia Athletics]] moved to [[Kansas City, Missouri]], to become the [[1955 Kansas City Athletics season|Kansas City Athletics]].<ref name=replkc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LfpXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oPYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6880%2C4626243 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Denver replaces Kansas City in American Association |date=November 29, 1954 |page=17}}</ref>

===Denver Bears (1955–1983)===
[[File:Denver Bears uniform, History Colorado Center, 2018.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|A Denver Bears uniform]]

Although naming a team for its uniform color had been popular in the 19th century, it was not fashionable in the 20th. As Denver had no connection to the original Blues, and in recognition of the new location in the [[Rocky Mountains|Rockies]], the team became known as Bears.<ref name=BR-Denver/>

The new Denver team played at what became known later as [[Mile High Stadium]], but was originally known as Bears Stadium, after the team. This ballpark was one of the largest venues in history to host minor league baseball on a routine basis, and had the additional draw of being in one of the largest minor league markets at the time. For many years, the biggest crowds were on [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] [[fireworks]] nights, and the American Association scheduled the Bears for a home game every year. It was on these nights that the Bears drew the largest crowds in minor league baseball history. On July 4, 1982, the Bears drew an all-time minor league record of 65,666 for a game against the [[Omaha Storm Chasers|Omaha Royals]], breaking their own record of 59,691 set on July 4 of the previous year.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stivers |first1=Melinda |title=Denver Bears doing well, but city still wants a big league baseball team |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1982/0811/081130.html |access-date=23 March 2023 |work=Christian Science Monitor |date=August 11, 1982}}</ref>

The Triple-A Bears were affiliated with the [[New York Yankees]] at the outset, with [[Ralph Houk]] [[manager (baseball)|managing]] many players who would reach the majors and play in the [[World Series]]. The team had some early success, winning the [[List of American Association (1902–1997) champions|American Association championship]] in 1957.<ref name=AAChamps>{{cite web|url=http://www.tripleabaseball.com/PostSeasonAA.jsp|title=American Association Playoff Results|work=Triple-A Baseball.com|publisher=Triple-A Baseball|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> [[American Association (1902–1997) Most Valuable Player Award|League MVPs]] in this period included [[Marv Throneberry]] in 1956 and [[Steve Boros]] in 1960.<ref name=AAMVP>{{cite web|url=http://www.tripleabaseball.com/AAAwards.jsp|title=American Association Special Award Winners|work=Triple-A Baseball.com|publisher=Triple-A Baseball|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref>

Although the team had been a member of the American Association since the league's inception 60 years before, it was a Midwestern circuit, so for the 1963 season, the Bears transferred to the [[Pacific Coast League]].<ref name=BR-Denver/> The mid-1960s Bears included such future big-leaguers as [[César Tovar]] and [[Ted Uhlaender]], but lacked overall success. It also turned out that with the PCL otherwise all but confined to the actual [[West Coast of the United States|Pacific Coast]], Denver was now located too far east. In 1969, the franchise returned to the American Association.<ref name=BR-Denver/>

The Denver Bears had some good teams from the 1970s to the mid-1980s, producing such players as [[Andre Dawson]], [[Tim Wallach]], [[Warren Cromartie]], [[Tim Raines]], [[Graig Nettles]], [[Terry Francona]], [[Wallace Johnson (baseball)|Wallace Johnson]], [[Danny Morris]], [[Pat Rooney (baseball)|Pat Rooney]], and [[Bill Gullickson]]. Denver players [[Richie Scheinblum]] (1971), [[Cliff Johnson (baseball)|Cliff Johnson]] (1973), [[Roger Freed]] (1976), [[Frank Ortenzio]] (1977), and [[Randy Bass]] (1980) were league MVPs.<ref name=AAMVP/> The managing careers of both [[Billy Martin]] and [[Felipe Alou]] began with the Bears. The team won the Association's championship with some regularity, topping the league in 1971, 1976, 1977, 1981, and 1983.<ref name=AAChamps/> The 1980 Bears were recognized as one of the [[The National Baseball Association's top 100 minor league teams|100 greatest minor league teams of all time]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.milb.com/milb/history/top100.jsp?idx=37 |title=Top 100 Teams |website=Minor League Baseball |date=2001 |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref>

===Denver Zephyrs (1984–1992)===
[[File:Denver Mile High Stadium postcard (c. 1970s-1980s).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|The Zephyrs played at [[Mile High Stadium]], shown here configured for an [[National Football League|NFL]] game.]]
In 1984, the team name was changed to the Denver Zephyrs,<ref name=BR-Denver/> after the famous [[Denver Zephyr|passenger train]]. [[Barry Larkin]] (1986) was league MVP while with the Zephyrs, as were [[Greg Vaughn]] (1989), [[Jim Olander]] (1991), and [[Jim Tatum (baseball)|Jim Tatum]] (1992).<ref name=AAMVP/> [[ESPN]] broadcaster [[Orestes Destrade]] also played for the Zephyrs. On June 3, 1987, Zephyrs player [[Joey Meyer (baseball)|Joey Meyer]] hit the longest verified home run in American professional baseball history at 582 feet.<ref name="mlbcom-2021">{{cite news |last1=Monagan |first1=Matt |title=Longest HR ever is not one you think |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/the-longest-home-run-ever |access-date=3 March 2021 |work=MLB.com |date=March 2, 2021}}</ref>

The Zephyrs' only championship under the new nickname was the 1991 American Association title.<ref name=AAChamps/> They went on to win the 1991 [[Triple-A Classic]] against the [[International League]]'s [[Columbus Clippers]], 4–1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.triple-abaseball.com/PostSeasonOthers.jsp|title=Triple-A Baseball Interleague Post-Season Play Results|website=Triple-A Baseball|access-date=May 20, 2016|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415031051/https://www.triple-abaseball.com/PostSeasonOthers.jsp|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

[[Major League Baseball]] came to Denver with the arrival of the [[Colorado Rockies]] [[expansion team]] of the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] in 1993. After 39 seasons of play, the Zephyrs relocated to [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], after the 1992 season where they continued as the [[New Orleans Zephyrs]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=New%20Orleans&state=LA&country=US|title=New Orleans, Louisiana Encyclopoedia|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref>