The Mesa Miners were an independent professional baseball team based in
Mesa, Arizona
Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...
. They began as a member of the Arizona Division of the now-defunct
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in San Ramon, California, with teams located in the western United States, western Canada and northwest Mexico.
The GBL was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the orga ...
in 2005. The original team became known as the
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 ...
in 2006, and then the
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros were a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States.
The original Toros were a Triple-A minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League from 1969 to 1997, where they won the PCL Championship in ...
in 2009, but the league could bring the Miners back as an expansion team should they decide to do so.
They returned to play in 2011 after a six-year absence as a member of the
Arizona Summer League, one of two instructional leagues affiliated with the
North American League, which was not affiliated with either
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), ...
''or''
Minor League Baseball.
History
The Miners started as one of eight charter teams in the GBL along with the
Chico Outlaws
The Chico Outlaws were a professional baseball team based in Chico, California, in the United States. The Outlaws were a member of the Northern Division of the independent North American League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Ba ...
,
Fullerton Flyers
The Fullerton Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They were an independent franchise, not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or'' Minor League Baseball. The team played from 20 ...
,
Long Beach Armada
The Long Beach Armada were an independent professional baseball team based in Long Beach, California, in the United States. The Armada was a member of the North Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League (GBL), which was not affiliated wi ...
and
San Diego Surf Dawgs
The San Diego Surf Dawgs are an independent professional baseball team representing San Diego, California, that played for two seasons in the Golden Baseball League, based out of San Ramon, California, and then later in the short-season instructi ...
in California, the
Surprise Fightin' Falcons and
Yuma Scorpions Yuma can refer to:
Places
* Yuma Desert, desert in southwest U.S. and northwest Mexico
;United States
* Yuma County, Arizona
** Yuma, Arizona
** Fortuna Foothills, Arizona
** Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
** United States Army Yuma Proving Ground
...
in Arizona and a traveling team, the
Japan Samurai Bears
The Japan Samurai Bears are a defunct traveling professional baseball team that played in the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or'' Minor League Baseball. They were based in the Arizon ...
that began play in May 2005. All teams were league-owned and the team names and logos also belonged to the league. In their one year of play, the team won the first ever GBL Arizona Division title and played in the Championship Game against the
Surf Dawgs.
Unfortunately, the Miners had the league's worst overall attendance, (which is somewhat dubious because of the highly inflated attendance numbers that the
Fightin' Falcons allegedly received) and was dropped from the
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in San Ramon, California, with teams located in the western United States, western Canada and northwest Mexico.
The GBL was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the orga ...
in November 2005. The league dropped Surprise largely due to not having another team in central Arizona and to give the league an even number of six teams instead of seven. The low attendance numbers both teams received were due largely to the fact that many of their home games were played in the scorching afternoon heat of central Arizona. The Miners roster and coaching staff were carried over to the league's new
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 ...
team, which won the League Championship in 2006. The franchise has since been purchased and relocated to
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
, and has been renamed the
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros were a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States.
The original Toros were a Triple-A minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League from 1969 to 1997, where they won the PCL Championship in ...
.
Media
The Mesa Miners broadcast all games on the internet, with Darrell Linderman and John Potter providing play-by-play and color commentary. The duo had previously worked together at
Cerritos College
Cerritos College is a public community college in Norwalk, California. It offers degrees and certificates in 87 areas of study in nine divisions.
History
The college was founded in 1955. It was named after Rancho Los Cerritos, a local r ...
in Norwalk, California. Toward the end of the 2005 season, select games were also heard on
Independent 1310 KXAM radio in Mesa, with Mike Haley doing play-by-play and Linderman and Potter alternating with color commentary (while the other did play-by-play on the internet broadcast).
Rebirth?
The GBL has said publicly that they would reconsider the Arizona market (Mesa and Surprise) if the league, the city of Mesa and the concessionaire at
HoHoKam Park could agree on a revenue sharing agreement for concessions sales. In 2005 the Miners received none of the sales proceeds from their own games. The Miners were the only team in the league without revenue sharing on concessions. HoHoKam Park has played host to the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
's
Mesa Solar Sox
The Mesa Solar Sox are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Mesa, Arizona, at Sloan Park, which is also the spring training facility of the Chicago Cubs. The team was established ...
since 1992.
Should the Miners return to Mesa, they would be an expansion team since the original team was absorbed by the Silver Sox. The Miners name, logo and uniforms (owned by the league) have been used by the
Western Canada Miners
The Western Canada Miners (also known as just the Canada Miners) are a professional independent baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, and representing western Canada. They play in the developmental Arizona Winter League, a short-season instruction ...
of the
Arizona Winter League
The Arizona Winter League was an independent instructional winter baseball league. Arizona Winter League games were all played at Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma, Arizona. The league was founded in 2007. It disbanded in 2013 due to parent league, th ...
, the NAL's instructional league started by the GBL in 2007.
If the brand does not return to Mesa, some suggest that the new expansion franchise which adopts the "Miners" identity should be placed in possibly Canada because of the history of mining in the western part of the country. Other suggest California for the obvious state nickname of the "Golden State".
Arizona Summer League
After one season representing
Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee is a city in and the county seat of Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, United States. It is southeast of Tucson and north of the Mexican border. According to the 2020 census, the population of the town was 4,923, down from 5,575 i ...
, the Miners' representation was returned to Mesa as the team returned to play as the newest member of the
Arizona Summer League in July 2011. They joined fellow former Golden Baseball League teams the
Long Beach Armada
The Long Beach Armada were an independent professional baseball team based in Long Beach, California, in the United States. The Armada was a member of the North Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League (GBL), which was not affiliated wi ...
and
San Diego Surf Dawgs
The San Diego Surf Dawgs are an independent professional baseball team representing San Diego, California, that played for two seasons in the Golden Baseball League, based out of San Ramon, California, and then later in the short-season instructi ...
in the league as well as
Arizona Winter League
The Arizona Winter League was an independent instructional winter baseball league. Arizona Winter League games were all played at Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma, Arizona. The league was founded in 2007. It disbanded in 2013 due to parent league, th ...
's
Team Canada.
Team record
See also
*
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 ...
*
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros were a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States.
The original Toros were a Triple-A minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League from 1969 to 1997, where they won the PCL Championship in ...
*
Canada Miners
The Western Canada Miners (also known as just the Canada Miners) are a professional independent baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, and representing western Canada. They play in the developmental Arizona Winter League, a short-season instruction ...
References
{{reflist
Defunct Golden Baseball League teams
Miners
A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...
Baseball teams disestablished in 2005