The Boise Yankees were a
minor league baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
team in the
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
United States, based in
Boise, Idaho
Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown ar ...
. They played in the
Class C Pioneer League in 1952 and 1953 as an affiliate of the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
, and their home venue was
Joe Devine Airway Park, named for the late Yankee scout
Joe Devine in 1952.
History
The team was previously known as the unaffiliated
Boise Pilots from 1939 to 1951 (except for three years during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
when the league did not operate), while the Yankees' affiliates in the Pioneer League were previously the
Twin Falls Cowboys (1946–51)
and the
Idaho Falls Russets (1940–41). The Yankees pulled out of the Pioneer League and the western U.S. after the 1953 season.
The Boise team's name reverted to Pilots for 1954, then was the
Boise Braves (affiliated with the
Milwaukee Braves) from 1955 to 1963.
A notable Boise Yankee was future country music star
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. His greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he was the best-selling performer for RCA Rec ...
.
Season records
Notable players
*
Woodie Held
Woodson George "Woodie" Held (March 25, 1932 – June 11, 2009) was a shortstop/outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Baltimore Orioles, ...
*
Ken Hunt
*
Johnny James
*
Bob Martyn
Robert Gordon Martyn (August 15, 1930 – December 2, 2015) was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Athletics in parts of three seasons spanning 1957–1959. Listed at 6' 0", 176 lb., Martyn batted left-handed ...
*
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. His greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he was the best-selling performer for RCA Rec ...
See also
*
Boise Yankees players
References
External links
Baseball Reference– Boise teams
{{coord, 43.602, -116.186, type:event, display=title
Defunct Pioneer League (baseball) teams
Baseball teams established in 1952
Professional baseball teams in Idaho
New York Yankees minor league affiliates
1952 establishments in Idaho
Baseball teams disestablished in 1953
1953 disestablishments in Idaho
Sports in Boise, Idaho
Defunct baseball teams in Idaho