__NOTOC__
The Lethbridge Dodgers were a team in
Minor League Baseball based in
Lethbridge, Alberta
Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains contribute to ...
, that competed from 1975 to 1983. After the 1983 season, the team relocated to Idaho and became the
Pocatello Gems.
History
The Dodgers arrived in
Lethbridge
Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 Alberta municipal censuses, 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...
when the
Ogden Spikers moved to town, 65 years after the city had last hosted a professional baseball team. In their debut 1975 season the team went 35–37, third in the four-team
Pioneer League, under manager
Van Kelly.
Steve Ratzer
Steven Wayne Ratzer (born September 9, 1953) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player pitching for the Montreal Expos in 1980 and 1981.
Early years
Ratzer was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and is Jewish. He attended John Bowne H ...
(3-4, 5 saves, 2.33 ERA) was third in the league in ERA and second in saves for a team that seemingly played in a high-offense environment (league-high 403 runs and 437 runs allowed). First baseman
Ray Crowley
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gra ...
was second in the league in average and hit .338/~.495/.543. He did not make the All-Star team, but two outfielders did –
Andy Dyes
Andy may refer to:
People
*Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds
*Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and piano ...
(.324/~.393/.407, a league-high 58 RBI) and
Andre Dawson
Andre Nolan Dawson (born July 10, 1954), nicknamed "The Hawk" and "Awesome Dawson", is an American former professional baseball player and inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 21-year baseball career, he played for four different tea ...
(.330/~.389/.553, the league leader with 99 hits, 166 total bases and 13 homers and presumably the slugging leader as well).
In 1976
Walt Hriniak managed the team to a last-place (30-42) finish. They again led in runs (449) and allowed 434 (3rd), a positive
run differential despite their bad record. Third baseman
John Scoras
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
(.370/~.449/.619) led the league in batting average, hits (101), total bases (169), homers (13) and RBI (63) and tied for the doubles lead (17) in winning a Triple Crown, the only one in the Pioneer League between 1961 and 1997. He was joined on the All-Star team by catcher
Doug Simunic
Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) whic ...
(.244/~.371/.413).
David Palmer (0-5, 7.20) had a horrible year but went on to the best major-league career from the team.
In 1977, the Lethbridge Expos of the Pioneer League began an affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers and became known as the Lethbridge Dodgers. The team was an instant success, going 44–26 and capturing a championship for manager Gail Henley in its first season. Michael Zournas hit 21 home runs to lead the league, James Nobles paced the circuit with 9 wins, and catcher Jesse Baez and second baseman Don LeJohn were All-Stars. Jim Lefebvre took over as the club's skipper the next season, and the team fell to fifth place with a 33–35 record. Still, pitcher Roberto Alexander won 9 games to lead the league and third baseman German Rivera made the All-Star team.
Henley returned as the team's manager in 1979, and the Dodgers responded by going 38–30 and capturing another league title. Richard Rodas won the pitching Triple Crown with 12 wins, a 1.12 ERA, and 148 strikeouts, and was joined by first baseman Greg Brock on the All-Star team. Henley remained with the club in 1980, and they posted a league-best 52–18 record and repeated as champs. Pitcher Charles Jones struck out a league-high 115 batters, and first baseman Greg Smith, designated hitter Audie Cole, and pitcher Curtis Reade were All-Stars.
Gary LaRocque replaced Henley at the helm in 1981, and the Dodgers dropped to 43–27, missing out on the playoffs. A bright spot for the team was pitcher Sid Fernandez, who struck out 128 and posted a 1.54 ERA. LaRocque's club fell to 25–45 the next season, and not one player made the All-Star team. Henley returned for a third go-round as manager in 1983, and the Dodgers improved to 39–31, narrowly missing out on the postseason. Shortstop Jeff Hamilton and second baseman Ken Harvey were All-Stars, and pitcher Derek Lee tied for the league lead with 9 wins. However, after the season, the Dodgers relocated to Idaho and became the
Pocatello Gems.
The Pocatello Gems began play in the Pioneer League in 1984, when the Lethbridge Dodgers relocated to Pocatello, Idaho, and were members of the circuit for just two seasons. As an independent club in 1984, led by manager Ron Mihal, they posted the league's worst record (23-47). The next season they became an Oakland Athletics affiliate and improved slightly to 24–45 under manager Dave Hudgens, who led them to a third-place finish out of four clubs in the Southern Division. One bright spot that year was the play of shortstop Walt Weiss, who made the league's 1985 All-Star team. However, after the season, the Gems franchise suspended operations.
Notable alumni
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
Alumni
*
Andre Dawson
Andre Nolan Dawson (born July 10, 1954), nicknamed "The Hawk" and "Awesome Dawson", is an American former professional baseball player and inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 21-year baseball career, he played for four different tea ...
(1975) Inducted, 2010
Notable alumni
*
Greg Brock (1979)
*
Mariano Duncan
Mariano Duncan Nalasco (born March 13, 1963) is a retired second baseman and shortstop who played for several Major League Baseball teams during his 12-year career. He was the infield coach and first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers under ...
(1982) MLB All-Star
*
Sid Fernandez
Charles Sidney Fernandez (born October 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, and ...
(1981) 2 x MLB All-Star
*
Ron Kittle
Ronald Dale Kittle (born January 5, 1958) is an American former left fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was known for his home run hitting power, and was named the 1983 Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award, ...
(1977) MLB All-Star; 1983 AL Rookie of the Year
*
Jim Lefebvre
James Kenneth Lefebvre ( ; born January 7, 1942) is a former major league baseball player, coach, and manager. An infielder, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1962.
Baseball career Playing career
Lefebvre was th ...
(1977) MLB All-Star; 1965 NL Rookie of the Year
*
Candy Maldonado
Cándido Maldonado Guadarrama (born September 5, 1960) is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from to for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, C ...
(1978-1978)
*
Mike Marshall (1978) MLB All-Star
*
David Palmer (1976)
*
Steve Sax
Stephen Louis Sax (born January 29, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1994, most notably as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers with whom he wo ...
(1981) 5 x MLB All-Star; 1981 NL Rookie of the Year
*
Mitch Webster (1977-1978)
Year-by-year record
Sources
This article is based on th
"Lethbridge Expos"article at Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen. The Bullpen is a wiki, and its content is available under the
GNU Free Documentation License
The GNU Free Documentation License (GNU FDL or simply GFDL) is a copyleft license for free documentation, designed by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) for the GNU Project. It is similar to the GNU General Public License, giving readers the r ...
.
References
{{reflist
External links
Baseball Reference
Defunct Pioneer League (baseball) teams
Sport in Lethbridge
Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates
Montreal Expos minor league affiliates
Baseball teams in Alberta
1975 establishments in Alberta
1985 disestablishments in Alberta