The Mission Reds were a
minor league baseball team located in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, that played in the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
(PCL) from 1926 through 1937.
First Missions team
In early September of 1914, the failed
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods (1903, 1905, 1909–1914, 1918–1960, 1974–1976). The current Sacramento River Cats began pl ...
team moved to San Francisco and renamed itself "Mission", in reference to San Francisco's
Mission District
The Mission District (Spanish: ''Distrito de la Misión''), commonly known as The Mission (Spanish: ''La Misión''), is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. One of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, the Mission District's name is ...
. San Francisco newspapers had dubbed the Sacramento team the "Wolves", in reference to manager
Harry Wolverton
Harry Sterling Wolverton (December 6, 1873 – February 4, 1937), nicknamed "Fighting Harry", was an American professional baseball player. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball from 1898 through 1905 and 1912. He pla ...
. The "Wolves" nickname followed them to San Francisco.
The Mission club continued to play the Sacramento schedule for the final seven weeks of the 200-plus games season. They staged their home games at
Ewing Field
Ewing Field was a baseball park in San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The ci ...
(the 1914 season's regular home of the
San Francisco Seals); and at
Oaks Park Oak Park or Oaks Park is the name of several places, including:
Australia
* Oak Park, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
Ireland
* Oak Park, County Carlow, a country estate turned park
United States
* Oak Park, California (Ventura County) an unincor ...
(regular home of the
Oakland Oaks), often playing their Sunday doubleheaders one game on each side of the Bay. The Missions' last home games came on Sunday, October 25, with the morning game in San Francisco and the afternoon game in Oakland.
There was newspaper chatter about the Missions moving to
Recreation Park for 1915, but by then they had moved to
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
, where they became the
Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark op ...
.
Origins in Los Angeles
The Mission Reds were born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in 1909, where they played under the name the
Vernon Tigers
The Vernon Tigers were a Minor League Baseball team that represented Vernon, California in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1909 to 1925. The team won back-to-back PCL pennants in 1919 and 1920. The Tigers, together with the Sacramento Solons, ...
. The team won two Pacific Coast League pennants during its 18-year stay in Southern California. Declining attendance forced owner Edward Maier to put the team up for sale after the 1925 season. A group of San Francisco businessmen led by
Herbert Fleishhacker
Herbert Fleishhacker (November 2, 1872 – April 2, 1957), was an American businessman, civic leader and philanthropist. In 1924, he created and helped fund the Fleishhacker Pool in San Francisco, for many years the world's largest outdoor sal ...
purchased the Tigers, moved the team to San Francisco for the 1926 season, and called the team the Mission Reds.
History in San Francisco
San Francisco's second baseball team during this time period, the Mission Reds, were rivals to the well-established
San Francisco Seals. Fans seldom referred to the team by its full name "Mission Reds," preferring instead "the Missions." More often than not, the PCL standings in newspapers listed the team as the "Missions" or "Mission." The terms "Reds" and "Missions" were used synonymously in game reports.
Like its short-lived predecessor, the Mission Reds were supposed to represent San Francisco's
Mission District
The Mission District (Spanish: ''Distrito de la Misión''), commonly known as The Mission (Spanish: ''La Misión''), is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. One of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, the Mission District's name is ...
. From 1926 to 1930, the team played home games at Recreation Park, also home to the Seals. When the Seals moved to their own ballpark,
Seals Stadium
Seals Stadium was a minor league baseball stadium on the west coast of the United States, located in San Francisco, California; it later became the first home of the major league San Francisco Giants. Opened in the Mission District in 1931, Se ...
(at 16th and Potrero Streets), in 1931, the Missions followed suit.
The Mission Reds were unable to establish a fan base during their 12-year stay in San Francisco, nor was the team able to replace the
Oakland Oaks as the Seals' main rival. To most San Francisco baseball fans, the Missions were the team to watch only when the Seals were on the road.
The Missions finished first in the Pacific Coast League just once, in 1929; they lost the post-season series to the
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles-based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.
Hollywood Stars (192 ...
. The team had a 1,088-1,117 (.480) overall record. In 1935, Reds manager
Gabby Street
Charles Evard "Gabby" Street (September 30, 1882 – February 6, 1951), also nicknamed "The Old Sarge", was an American catcher, manager, coach, and radio broadcaster in Major League Baseball during the first half of the 20th century. As a catch ...
was suspended from the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
indefinitely for assaulting an
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'', ...
.
In 1938, two years after the Hollywood Stars moved to
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, owner Fleischaker, facing mounting losses on the field and at the gate, moved the Mission Reds back to Los Angeles. He renamed the team the
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles-based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.
Hollywood Stars (192 ...
.
References
Further reading
*O'Neal, Bill. ''The Pacific Coast League 1903-1988.'' Eakin Press, Austin TX, 1990. .
*Snelling, Dennis. ''The Pacific Coast League: A Statistical History, 1903-1957'' McFarland & Company, Inc., Jefferson, NC, 1995. .
{{refend
Professional baseball teams in California
01
Baseball teams in San Francisco
Defunct baseball teams in California
Defunct Pacific Coast League teams
Mission District, San Francisco
Baseball teams established in 1926
Baseball teams disestablished in 1937
1926 establishments in California
1937 disestablishments in California