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 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 ...

who played in the Golden Baseball League. From part of the 1955 season to 1992, they played their home games at

Moana Stadium Moana Stadium was a stadium in Reno, Nevada. It was primarily used for baseball. Teams that called the stadium home included the Reno Silver Sox, the Reno Blackjacks, Reno Padres and Reno Chukars. The ballpark had a capacity of 4,000 people ...

. The 1961 Silver Sox were recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.

History

After Reno first hosted a team in the 1907

Nevada State League The Nevada State League was an Independent level minor league baseball league that played in the 1907 season. The four–team Nevada State League consisted of teams based in Nevada. The Nevada State League played just the 1907 season before perma ...

, the Reno Silver Sox became members of the 1947

Sunset League The Sunset League was a minor league baseball circuit that operated from 1947 through 1950. The Sunset League was a Class C level league, with franchises based in the United States and Mexico. The league expanded from six to eight teams from ...

and continued in the league from 1947 to 1949. They were affiliated with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

during their time in the Sunset League. From 1950 to 1951, they were unaffiliated and played in the Far West League. Starting in 1955, they played in the

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...

, when the

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 ...

moved to Reno to become the second incarnation of the Reno Silver Sox. They became affiliated with the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...

in 1956 and stayed affiliated with them until the Dodgers' move in 1957. They were then affiliated with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

until 1962. From 1963 to 1964, they were affiliated with the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

. They did not organize in 1965, and therefore did not play ball. They came back in 1966 and lasted until 1981. From 1966 to 1974, they were affiliated with the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

. From 1975 to 1976 they were affiliated with both the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

and San Diego Padres. From 1977 to 1981, they were affiliated with just the Padres. After the 1981 season, the team was renamed the

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 ...

and baseball was not played under the "Reno Silver Sox" name again until 1988. Still in the California League, they were unaffiliated from 1988 to 1991. In 1992 – the last season in which a "Silver Sox" team played in an affiliated league – they were affiliated with the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

. Following the 1992 season, the team left Reno and move to Riverside to become the

Riverside Pilots The Riverside Pilots were a Minor League Baseball team in Riverside, California. They were a Class A-Advanced team that played in the California League, and were a farm team of the Seattle Mariners. In spite of making the playoffs each year of it ...

. In 1996, they moved to Lancaster and became the Lancaster JetHawks.

Championships

The Reno Silver Sox were league champions in 1948, 1960, 1961, 1975, and 1976. They are the only team in California League history to win back-to-back championships twice.

Notable Reno 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 * Roberto Alomar (1986) Inducted, 2011 * Bobby Cox (1960) Inducted, 2014 *

Dennis Eckersley Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...

(1972-1973) Inducted, 2004 Other notable alumni *

Larry Andersen Larry Eugene Andersen (born May 6, 1953) is an American former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and current radio color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies. From through , Andersen played for the Cleveland Indians (1975, , ), Seattl ...

(1973) *

Alan Ashby Alan Dean Ashby (born July 8, 1951) is an American former professional baseball catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) and current radio and television sports commentator. A switch hitter, he played for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, ...

(1970-1971) *

Phil Cavarretta Philip Joseph Cavarretta (July 19, 1916 – December 18, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and manager. He was known to friends and family as "Phil" and was also called "Philibuck", a nickname bestowed by ...

(1966-1967, MGR) 4 x MLB All-Star; 1945 NL Batting Title; 1945 NL Most Valuable Player *

Storm Davis George Earl "Storm" Davis (born December 26, 1961) is an American former professional baseball player who pitcher, pitched in the Major League Baseball, major leagues from 1982 to 1994. He is a two-time World Series champion. World Series experie ...

(1947) * Willie Davis (1959) 2 x MLB All-Star * Ed Farmer (1968) MLB All-Star *

Tim Flannery Timothy Fridtjof Flannery (born 28 January 1956) is an Australian mammalogist, palaeontologist, environmentalist, Conservation biology, conservationist, Exploration, explorer, author, Science communication, science communicator, activist and p ...

(1978) * Ray Fosse (1966) 2 x MLB All-Star * Alfredo Griffin (1974) MLB All-Star; 1979 AL Rookie of the Year *

Ozzie Guillen Ozzie or Ozzy is a masculine given name, sometimes a short form (hypocorism) of Oswald, Oscar, Osborne, Osman and Ozymandias and other names, surname and nickname which may refer to: Animals * Ozzie (gorilla) (born c. 1961) People * Chris Osgood ...

(1982) 3 x MLB All-Star; 1985 AL Rookie of the Year *

Andy Hawkins Melton Andrew Hawkins (born January 21, 1960) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach. Hawkins spent most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the San Diego Padres, and also played for the New York Yankees and brie ...

(1979-1980) *

Jim Kern James Lester Kern (born March 15, 1949) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A three time American League All-Star (1977–1979), Kern went 13–5 with a 1.57 ERA and 29 saves out of the Texas Rangers' bullpen in to finish four ...

(1970-1971) 3 x MLB All-Star * John Kruk (1982) 3 x MLB All-Star * Duane Kuiper (1972) * Jim Lefebvre (1962) MLB All-Star; 1965 NL Rookie of the Year *

John Lowenstein John Lee Lowenstein (born January 27, 1947) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles. Playing caree ...

(1968-1969) *

Rick Manning Richard Eugene Manning (born September 2, 1954) is a former center fielder and current broadcaster in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the Cleveland Indians (1975-) and Milwaukee Brewers (1983–1987), and has been a color commentator ...

(1972-1973) * Pinky May (1970-1971, MGR) MLB All-Star *

Kevin McReynolds Walter Kevin McReynolds (born October 16, 1959) is an American former baseball player who was an outfielder with a 12-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 1994. A two-time All-America from the University of Arkansas, he played ...

(1982) * Ken McMullen (1961) * Jeff Newman (1971-1972) MLB All-Star and manager * Mike Norris (1991) MLB All-Star * Gene Richards (1975) *

Pete Richert Peter Gerard Richert (born October 29, 1939) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1962–64, 1972–73), Washington Senators (1965–67), Bal ...

(1958) 2 x MLB All-Star * Benito Santiago (1984) 5 x MLB All-Star; 1987 NL Rookie of the Year * Eric Show (1979) *

Bill Singer William Robert Singer (born April 24, 1944) is an American former professional baseball pitcher with a 14-year career from 1964 to 1977. He played primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1964–72) and the California Angels (1973–75), spending hi ...

(1962) 2 x MLB All-Star *

Charley Smith Charles William Smith (September 15, 1937 – November 29, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. Brooklyn Dodgers signee Smith was one of the last players to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers before their move to Los Angeles. H ...

(1957) * Dick Tidrow (1967-1971) *

Bobby Tolan Robert Tolan (born November 19, 1945) is an American former professional baseball center fielder / right fielder, and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (–), Cincinnati Reds (–), San Diego Padres (–, ...

(1963) *

Eddie Watt Eddie Dean Watt (born April 4, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed relief pitcher from through , most prominently as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won th ...

(1978-1979, MGR) * Mitch Williams (1983-1984) MLB All-Star *

Butch Wynegar Harold Delano "Butch" Wynegar Jr. (born March 14, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player and the current hitting coach for the Bradenton Marauders Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in Major League ...

(1975) 2 x MLB All-Star

Year-by-year record

References

{{reflist

External links

Moana Stadium pageWaymarking Moana Stadium pageReno Ballpark UpdateReno Silver Sox California League statistics and records
at The Baseball Cube (1978–1992) Defunct Far West League teams Defunct California League teams Baseball teams established in 1947 Sports in Reno, Nevada Professional baseball teams in Nevada Oakland Athletics minor league affiliates Minnesota Twins minor league affiliates San Diego Padres minor league affiliates Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates Brooklyn Dodgers minor league affiliates New York Giants minor league affiliates 1947 establishments in Nevada 1992 disestablishments in Nevada Baseball teams disestablished in 1992 Defunct baseball teams in Nevada