The San Francisco Pirates were a minor league baseball team based in San Francisco, California. In 1903, the San Francisco Pirates played a partial season as charter members of the Class A level Pacific National League, before folding during the season. The Pirates hosted home games at National Park.

History

San Francisco first hosted minor league baseball in 1878, when the San Francisco Athletics began play as members of the Pacific League. In 1903, the San Francisco "Pirates" team became charter members of the eight–team Class A level Pacific National League. Class A was the highest level of minor leagues in the era. Beginning the season, the

Pacific Northwest League The Pacific Northwest League was a professional Minor League Baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest. It was the first professional baseball league ever in the region. History Founding The Pacific Northwest League was founded in 1890. I ...

had changed its name to become the Pacific National League. This was a result of 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 ...

expanding north into Seattle and Portland and changing its name to become 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 ...

. As a result, the Pacific Northwest League placed franchises in Los Angeles and San Francisco to rival the Pacific Coast League. The new San Francisco Pacific Northwest League team was named the "Pirates." The San Francisco Pirates began Pacific National League play on April 14, 1903, with the other league teams. The Pacific National League began play with teams based in Seattle (

Seattle Chinooks The Seattle Chinooks were a minor league baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. In 1903, the Seattle Chinooks became charter members of the Class A (baseball), Class A level Pacific National League, placing third in their only season of play. ...

), Los Angeles (Los Angeles Nationals), Portland (

Portland Green Gages Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

) and San Francisco, cities which all also hosted teams in the Pacific Coast League. The

Butte Miners The Butte Miners was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball franchise based in Butte, Montana. Butte minor league teams played as members of the Montana State League (1892, 1900), Pacific Northwest League (1902), Pacific National Leagu ...

Helena Senators The Helena Senators were a minor league baseball team based in Helena, Montana. Between 1892 and 1914, Helena minor league teams played as members of the Montana State League (1892, 1900), 1902 Pacific Northwest League, 1903 Pacific National Leag ...

, Spokane Indians and Tacoma Tigers completed the league. On July 1, 1903, the Portland Green Gages moved to become the

Salt Lake City Elders Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quan ...

. On August 15, 1903, Tacoma and Helena folded from the league, with San Francisco soon to follow. On August 21, 1903, the San Francisco Pirates folded along with Los Angeles. At the time they folded, the Pirates had a record of 56–52, playing the season under manager John McCloskey. Pirate player

Joe Marshall Joseph Hanley Marshall (February 19, 1876 – September 11, 1931), nicknamed "Home Run Joe",

led all of professional baseball with 26 home runs in 1903. After the San Francisco Pirates folded, Marshall was acquired by 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 ...

to complete the season. San Francisco did not host a team when the Pacific National League continued play in 1904. The San Francisco Seals continued play in the 1904

The ballpark

The 1903 San Francisco Pirates hosted home minor league games at

National Park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

. The ballpark was located on the corner of 9th and Bryant Streets.

Year–by–year record

Notable alumni

George Borchers George Benard "Chief" Borchers (April 18, 1869 – October 24, 1938) was a 19th-century Major League Baseball pitcher. In he led the pitching staff of the minor league Nashville Tigers The Nashville Tigers were a minor league baseball team that ...

(1903) * Jack Burns (1903) * Bones Ely (1903) * Martin Glendon (1903) *

Lefty Houtz Fred Fritz "Lefty" Houtz (September 4, 1875 – February 15, 1959) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1899 and also had a 12-year minor league career. Houtz stood at 5' 10" and weighed 170 lbs.

(1903) * John McCloskey (1903, MGR) *

Joe Marshall Joseph Hanley Marshall (February 19, 1876 – September 11, 1931), nicknamed "Home Run Joe",

(1903) * Jack Pfiester (1903) *

Jesse Stovall Jesse Cramer Stovall (July 24, 1875 – July 12, 1955) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for two seasons. He played for the Cleveland Naps in 1903 and the Detroit Tigers in 1904, pitching in 28 career games. His younger brothers, Geo ...

(1903) *

Farmer Weaver William B. "Farmer" Weaver (March 23, 1865 – January 23, 1943), was a professional baseball player in the Major Leagues from 1888 to 1894, for the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates. Primarily an outfielder (649 games), he also played 73 ...

(1903) *

Jimmy Wiggs James Alvin Wiggs (September 1, 1876 – January 20, 1963), nicknamed "Big Jim", was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds (1903) and Detroit Tigers (1905–06). Born in Trondheim, Norway in 1876, Wiggs is one of ...

(1903) * Dave Zearfoss (1903)

References

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External links