The California League is a
Minor League Baseball league that operates in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at
Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
from 1990 until its demotion to
Single-A
Class A, also known as Single-A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classif ...
following
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league temporarily operated for the 2021 season as the Low-A West before reassuming its original moniker in 2022.
Before the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, 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
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
or
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
with Minor League Baseball at various levels of play in growing popularity in the last few decades.
History
There were various attempts in the late 1800s and early 1900s to form a "California League" on the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
, 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
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
was formed in 1902, (following the "truce" and agreements between the older
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
of 1876 and the newly "upstart"
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor 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
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
,
Bakersfield
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
,
Fresno
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
,
Merced
Merced (; Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1 ...
,
Riverside
Riverside may refer to:
Places Australia
* Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania
Canada
* Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon
* Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta
* Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...
,
San Bernardino
San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...
,
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
Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 42nd most populous in California, and 192nd in ...
,
San Jose, and
Ventura by 1947. Further east,
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
joined the league in 1955 with the movement of the old
Channel Cities Oilers
The Channel Cities Oilers were a minor league baseball team in the California League that played in 1954 and 1955. They were based in Ventura, California, and also in the neighboring resort town of Santa Barbara, California. They played their home ...
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
The Bakersfield Blaze were a minor league baseball team in Bakersfield, California. They played in the Class A – Advanced California League. They played their home games at Sam Lynn Ballpark. Opened in 1941, the stadium is well known for facin ...
, long dogged by inadequate facilities and unable to negotiate significant repairs, and the
High Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks were an American Minor League Baseball team in Adelanto, California, that played their home games at Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium. They played in the Class A-Advanced California League. The franchise had eigh ...
, suffering from falling attendance and a lease dispute with the city of
Adelanto
Adelanto (Spanish for "Advance") is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is approximately northwest of Victorville in the Victor Valley area of the Mojave Desert, in the northern region of the Inland Empire.Lint ...
, were folded; the High-A level replaced them by expanding the
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
to ten teams.
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
before ultimately being cancelled on June 30.
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.
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 reclassified as a Single-A league effective with the 2022 season.
Current teams
League champions
Year by Year list of league champions:
Complete team list (1941–1942, 1946–present)
*
Anaheim Aces
The Anaheim Aces were a charter member of baseball's California League, founded in 1941 as a Class "C" minor league. The other charter teams were the Bakersfield Badgers, Fresno Cardinals, Merced Bears, Riverside Reds, San Bernardino Stars, S ...
: 1941
*
Bakersfield Badgers: 1941–1942
*
Bakersfield Bears
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley (California), Central Valley r ...
: 1957–1967
*
Bakersfield Blaze
The Bakersfield Blaze were a minor league baseball team in Bakersfield, California. They played in the Class A – Advanced California League. They played their home games at Sam Lynn Ballpark. Opened in 1941, the stadium is well known for facin ...
: 1995–2016
*
Bakersfield Boosters: 1956
*
Bakersfield Indians
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
: 1946–1955
*
Bakersfield Boosters: 1956
*
Bakersfield Dodgers
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
: 1968–1975; 1984–1994
*
Bakersfield Mariners
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley (California), Central Valley r ...
: 1982–1983
*
Bakersfield Outlaws: 1978–1979
*
Central Valley Rockies: 1993–1994
*
Channel Cities Oilers
The Channel Cities Oilers were a minor league baseball team in the California League that played in 1954 and 1955. They were based in Ventura, California, and also in the neighboring resort town of Santa Barbara, California. They played their home ...
: 1954–1955
*
Fresno Cardinals
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
: 1941–1942
*
Fresno Giants
The Fresno Giants were a minor league baseball team that played in the California League from 1941 to 1988. The team was based in Fresno, California.
First teams
The city of Fresno had professional baseball as far back as 1898 when it had a team ...
: 1958–1987
*
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in do ...
: 2021–present
*
Fresno Suns
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, makin ...
: 1988
*
Fresno SunSox: 1957
*
High Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks were an American Minor League Baseball team in Adelanto, California, that played their home games at Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium. They played in the Class A-Advanced California League. The franchise had eigh ...
: 1991–2016
*
Inland Empire 66ers
The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The 66ers are based in San Bernardino, California, and play at San Manuel Stadium.
Franchise ...
: 2003-present
*
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays their home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond (Pete Lehr Field), which opened in 1994; the park se ...
: 1994–present
*
Lancaster JetHawks
The Lancaster JetHawks were a baseball team located in Lancaster, California. They were named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and played their home games at The Hangar. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League ...
: 1996–2020
*
Las Vegas Wranglers: 1958
*
Lodi Crushers
The Lodi Crushers were a collegiate woodbat baseball team based in Lodi, California. They were charter members of the Great West League and played their home games at Tony Zupo Field
Tony Zupo Field, originally known as Lawrence Park, is a st ...
: 1966–1969; 1984
*
Lodi Dodgers
Lodi may refer to:
Places Canada
* Lodi, Ontario, a community in North Stormont, Ontario, Canada
Italy
* Lodi, Lombardy, in the Province of Lodi of the Lombardy region
** Treaty of Lodi, 1454 between Italian city-states
** Battle of Lodi, 1796 i ...
: 1976–1983
*
Lodi Orioles: 1974–1975
*
Lodi Orions: 1972
*
Lodi Padres: 1970–1971
*
Merced Bears: 1941
*
Modesto A's
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton ...
: 1975–2004
*
Modesto Colts: 1962–1964
*
Modesto Nuts
The Modesto Nuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Modesto, California, and are named for the several types of nuts grown in the region. They play the ...
: 2005–present
*
Modesto Reds
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...
: 1946–1961; 1966–1974
*
Mudville Nine: 2000–2001
*
Palm Springs Angels
The Palm Springs Angels were a minor league baseball team of the Class A California League from 1986 to 1993 and an affiliate of the California Angels. Following the 1993 season the franchise relocated to Lake Elsinore, California to become the L ...
: 1986–1993
*
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes: 1993–present
*
Redwood Pioneers: 1980–1985
*
Reno Padres
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
: 1982–1987
*
Reno Silver Sox
The Reno Silver Sox were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1947 to 1992. The team name is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". There was another baseball team known as the Reno Silver Sox who played i ...
: 1955–1964; 1966–1981; 1988–1992
*
Riverside Pilots: 1993–1995
*
Riverside Reds: 1941
*
Riverside Red Wave
The Riverside Red Wave were a Minor League Baseball team in Riverside, California. The Red Wave were Class A-Advanced California League affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Plagued by poor attendance, the franchise moved to Adelanto following the ...
: 1988–1990
*
Salinas Angels
Salinas may refer to:
People
*Salinas (surname)
Places
Americas
Latin America
* Salinas (ancient lake), in the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
* Salinas, Minas Gerais, a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil
* Playa Grande, Costa Ric ...
: 1976–1980
*
Salinas Packers
Salinas may refer to:
People
*Salinas (surname)
Places
Americas
Latin America
* Salinas (ancient lake), in the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
* Salinas, Minas Gerais, a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil
* Playa Grande, Costa Ri ...
: 1954–1958; 1973–1975
*
Salinas Indians: 1965
*
Salinas Mets: 1963–1964
*
Salinas Packers
Salinas may refer to:
People
*Salinas (surname)
Places
Americas
Latin America
* Salinas (ancient lake), in the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
* Salinas, Minas Gerais, a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil
* Playa Grande, Costa Ri ...
: 1954–1958; 1973–1975
*
Salinas Spurs
Several minor league baseball teams have been based in Salinas, California and played in the California League.
Salinas Spurs
The Salinas Spurs were a California League team that played from 1982 to 1987 and again from 1989 to 1992. Located ...
: 1982–1987; 1989–1992
*
San Bernardino Stampede: 1996–2002
*
San Bernardino Stars: 1941
*
San Bernardino Spirit: 1987–1995
*
San Jose Bees: 1962–1976; 1983–1987
*
San Jose Expos: 1982
*
San Jose Giants
The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark.
Games
San Jose Giants ga ...
: 1988–present
*
San Jose JoSox: 1956–1957
*
San Jose Missions
The San Jose Missions were a minor league baseball team located in San Jose, California. The Missions played from 1977 to 1978 as members of the AAA Pacific Coast League. The Missions name returned in 1979 under a new franchise that played in the ...
: 1979–1981
*
San Jose Owls: 1942
*
San Jose Pirates: 1958
*
San Jose Red Sox
The San Jose Red Sox were a Boston Red Sox affiliate from 1947 to 1955, located in San Jose, California. They competed in the California League and they played at San Jose Municipal Stadium and won league championships in 1949 and 1953. After the ...
: 1946–1953
*
Santa Barbara Dodgers
The Santa Barbara Dodgers was the main nickname of minor league baseball teams in the Class A California League based in the Pacific Ocean coastal resort city of Santa Barbara, California.
History
The Santa Barbara Dodgers were an affiliate of th ...
: 1947–1953; 1964–1967
*
Santa Barbara Rancheros: 1962–1963
*
Santa Barbara Saints
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
: 1941–1942
*
Santa Clara Padres
The Santa Clara Padres were a Minor League Baseball team in the Class A-Short Season California League, based in Santa Clara, California. The franchise played a single season as an independent club before moving north to become the Redwood Pion ...
: 1979
*
Stockton Flyers: 1941
*
Stockton Mariners: 1978
*
Stockton Ports
The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at Ba ...
: 1946–1972; 1979–1999; 2002–present
*
Ventura Braves
Ventura (Italian, Portuguese and Spanish for "fortune") may refer to:
Places
; Brazil
* Boa Ventura de São Roque, a municipality in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil
* Boa Ventura, Paraíba, a municipality in the state of Paraíba, in the ...
: 1950–1952
*
Ventura County Gulls
The Ventura County Gulls were a minor league baseball team in Ventura, California. They were a Class A-Advanced team that played in the California League, and were a farm team of the Toronto Blue Jays for the franchise's only year as the Gulls. ...
: 1985–1986
*
Ventura Oilers
The Ventura Oilers were a California League baseball team based in Ventura, California, USA that played from 1947 to 1953. They were affiliated with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1953, the Boston Braves from 1950 to 1952 a ...
: 1953
*
Ventura Yankees: 1947–1949
*
Visalia A's 1960–1961
*
Visalia Cubs: 1946–1952; 1954–1956
*
Visalia Mets: 1968–1975
*
Visalia Rawhide
The Visalia Rawhide are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Visalia, California, and have played their home games at Valley Strong Ballpark since thei ...
: 2009–present
*
Visalia Redlegs
Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 42nd most populous in California, and 192nd in ...
: 1957–1959
*
Visalia Oaks
Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 42nd most populous in California, and 192nd in ...
: 1977–1992; 1995–2008
*
Visalia Stars: 1953
*
Visalia White Sox: 1962
The Los Angeles area, Riverside, San Bernardino, Palm Springs, Yuma (AZ) and Las Vegas (NV) were also major league
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
site cities, as well possessed California League teams on different occasions.
Cities that have had California League teams
*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)
Modesto has hosted a California League team longer than any other city, hosting a team in all but two of the CL's 65 seasons.
League 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
The Anaheim Aces were a charter member of baseball's California League, founded in 1941 as a Class "C" minor league. The other charter teams were the Bakersfield Badgers, Fresno Cardinals, Merced Bears, Riverside Reds, San Bernardino Stars, S ...
(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
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
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
The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at Ba ...
(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
The Ventura County Gulls were a minor league baseball team in Ventura, California. They were a Class A-Advanced team that played in the California League, and were a farm team of the Toronto Blue Jays for the franchise's only year as the Gulls. ...
(1986)
bar:13 color:Past from:01/01/1954 till:12/31/1958 text:Salinas Packers
Salinas may refer to:
People
*Salinas (surname)
Places
Americas
Latin America
* Salinas (ancient lake), in the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
* Salinas, Minas Gerais, a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil
* Playa Grande, Costa Ri ...
(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
Several minor league baseball teams have been based in Salinas, California and played in the California League.
Salinas Spurs
The Salinas Spurs were a California League team that played from 1982 to 1987 and again from 1989 to 1992. Located ...
(1982-87)
bar:13 color:Past from:01/01/1989 till:12/31/1992 text:Salinas Spurs
Several minor league baseball teams have been based in Salinas, California and played in the California League.
Salinas Spurs
The Salinas Spurs were a California League team that played from 1982 to 1987 and again from 1989 to 1992. Located ...
(1989-92)
bar:14 color:Past from:07/01/1955 till:12/31/1964 text:Reno Silver Sox
The Reno Silver Sox were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1947 to 1992. The team name is derived from the nickname of Nevada, the "Silver State". There was another baseball team known as the Reno Silver Sox who played i ...
(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
The Santa Clara Padres were a Minor League Baseball team in the Class A-Short Season California League, based in Santa Clara, California. The franchise played a single season as an independent club before moving north to become the Redwood Pion ...
(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
The Palm Springs Angels were a minor league baseball team of the Class A California League from 1986 to 1993 and an affiliate of the California Angels. Following the 1993 season the franchise relocated to Lake Elsinore, California to become the L ...
(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
The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays their home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond (Pete Lehr Field), which opened in 1994; the park se ...
(1994-presnt)
bar:22 color:Past from:01/01/1996 till:06/28/2019 text:Lancaster JetHawks
The Lancaster JetHawks were a baseball team located in Lancaster, California. They were named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and played their home games at The Hangar. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League ...
(1996-2019)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:01/01/1945
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text:^"California League Timeline"
#> 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. <#
Team list (prior incarnations)
1906–1909
*
Alameda Grays
Several different minor league baseball teams played in the city of Alameda, California from 1906 to 1915.
These included:
*The Alameda Grays (1906–1907) and Alameda Encinals (1908) of the California League
*The Alameda Alerts (1910–1911), Al ...
/
Alameda Encinals
An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to:
Places Canada
*Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan
** Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan
Chile
* Alameda (Santiag ...
1906–1908
*
Fresno Tigers/
Fresno Raisin Growers
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, makin ...
1908–09
*
Oakland Commuters
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
1906–1909
*
Sacramento Cordovas/Sacramento Senators 1906–1908
*
San Francisco Orphans 1906–1909
*
San Jose Prune Pickers 1906–1909
*
Santa Cruz Sand Crabs 1908–09
*
Stockton Millers
The Stockton Millers were a minor league baseball team located in Stockton, California. They competed primarily in the California League
The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classif ...
1906–1909
1896, 1898–1902
*
California of San Francisco
A number of different minor league baseball teams have played in San Francisco, California from 1878 through the arrival of the Major League San Francisco Giants in 1958. The most notable team was the San Francisco Seals (baseball), San Francisco S ...
1896
*
Fresno
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
1898
*
Imperials of San Francisco 1896
*
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
1901–02
*
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
1896
*
Oakland Reliance
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
/
Oaks/
Commuters
Commuting is periodically recurring travel between one's place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regul ...
/
Clamdiggers 1898–1902
*
Sacramento Gilt Edges
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
1899–1902
*
San Francisco Metropolitans 1896, 1898
*
San Francisco A's 1899
*San Jose 1896, 1898
*
San Jose Brewers/
San Francisco Brewers 1899–1900
*San Francisco 1902
*
Santa Cruz Sand Crabs 1899
*Stockton 1896, 1898
*
Stockton Wasps/
San Francisco Wasps 1900–1901
*
Watsonville Hayseeds
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, located in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 according to the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self-d ...
1899
1879–1893
*
Los Angeles Seraphs/
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
1892–1893
*
Oakland Colonels
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
1889–1893
*
Oakland Greenhood & Morans 1886–1888
*
Oakland Pioneers 1879
*
Sacramento Altas
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
1886–1887, 1889
*Sacramento Senators 1890–1891
*San Francisco 1880, 1884–1885
*
San Francisco Athletics 1879–1881
*
San Francisco Bay City 1880
*
San Francisco Californias 1879–1880, 1882–1883
*
San Francisco Friscos/
Metropolitans 1891–1893
*
San Francisco Haverlys 1883–1890
*
San Francisco Knickerbockers 1881
*
San Francisco Nationals 1882
*
San Francisco Mutuals 1879
*
San Francisco Niantic 1883
*
San Francisco Occidental 1884–1885
*
San Francisco Pioneers 1886–1888
*
San Francisco Reddingtons 1883
*
San Francisco Reno 1881–82
*
San Francisco Star 1884–1886
*
San Jose Dukes 1891–1892
*Stockton 1888–1890
*
Stockton River Pirates/Sacramento Senators 1893
California League Hall of Fame
The California League inducted its first class of 15 inductees into its
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
in 2016.
Awards
Most Valuable Player
The
California League Most Valuable Player Award was established in 1941.
Pitcher of the Year
For award winners, see footnote
[
]
Rookie of the Year
For award winners, see footnote[
]
Manager of the Year
For award winners, see footnote[
]
Doug Harvey Award
The Doug Harvey Award—established in 2010—is for the umpire
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...
of the year.[Go to th]
California League website
(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.
See also
*
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Minor baseball leagues in the United States
Baseball leagues in California
Sports leagues established in 1941
1941 establishments in California
Professional sports leagues in the United States