The Yuma Desert Rats were a professional baseball team based in

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

, in the United States. From the 2005 season to the 2011 season, they were known as the Yuma Scorpions and played their home games at

Desert Sun Stadium Desert Sun Stadium is a converted soccer-specific stadium in Yuma, Arizona, originally built for baseball. It was the spring training home of the San Diego Padres from 1970 through 1993, the North American League's Yuma Scorpions minor league ...

at the

Ray Kroc Raymond Albert Kroc (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American businessman. He purchased the fast food company McDonald's in 1961 and was its CEO from 1967 to 1973. Kroc is credited with the global expansion of McDonald's, turnin ...

Complex, former spring training home of the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

. They were members of 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 ...

from 2005 to 2010 and the North American League in 2011. They were to have joined the American West Baseball League, but left the league due to a fallout with the league's founder and C.E.O. Michael Cummings. They were sold to Godfather Media, Inc. in 2012 and had announced a name change to the Yuma Panthers, but they never played. They were sold to Tim Ferguson for 2013 and renamed the Desert Rats, but they never played either. The team also played as the Scorpions in 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 ...

from 2007 to 2011.

Team history

Golden Baseball League (2005–2010)

The Yuma Scorpions were one of the

charter members in 2005 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,

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;

Mesa Miners The Mesa Miners were an independent professional baseball team based in Mesa, Arizona. They began as a member of the Arizona Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League in 2005. The original team became known as the Reno Silver Sox in ...

and Surprise Fightin' Falcons in Arizona and the Japan Samurai Bears, the league's first (and so far only) traveling team. The Panthers, along with the Outlaws, Armada and Flyers remain the only charter teams still active in the league. The team replaced the former

Bullfrogs ''Bullfrog'' is a common English language term to refer to large, aggressive frogs, regardless of species. Examples of bullfrogs include: Frog species America *Helmeted water toad (''Calyptocephalella gayi''), endemic to Chile * American bullfr ...

as the city of Yuma's professional baseball team. The Bulldogs played in the defunct

Western Baseball League The Western Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in the Western United States and Western Canada. Its member teams were not associated with any Major League Baseball teams. It operated from 1995 to 2002. The league was founde ...

from 2000 to 2002, but folded after being financially unsuccessful and leaving a legacy of lawsuits and a trail of unpaid bills, players and employees. Other baseball teams are the Yuma Desert Dawgs of the defunct

Golden State League The Golden State League was an Independent Baseball league that operated in California from 1994 to 1996. The league had originally targeted eight teams and considered 10-12 potential sites, they were Chico; Fresno; Henderson, Nevada; Lodi; Lo ...

(1995–96) and American West Leagues (1997–99). The

inhabited Desert Sun Stadium as their spring training complex and used it from 1968 to 1994 before they went to a new facility in

Peoria, Arizona Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the state of Arizona. Most of the city is located in Maricopa County, while a portion in the north is in Yavapai County. It is a major suburb of Phoenix. As of the 2020 census, the popul ...

Affiliations with foreign leagues

On May 20, 2009 the ''

Yuma Sun The ''Yuma Sun'' is a newspaper in Yuma, Arizona, United States. It has a circulation of 18,799.Colombian Professional Baseball League The Colombian Professional Baseball League ( es, Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombiano, links=no or LPB), is a professional baseball league based in Colombia. It is a five-team winter league that plays during the Major League Baseball offseason ...

(CPBL), a league owned by Edgar and Edinson Rentería. Edgar played for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

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), ...

at the time of the signing. Under the terms of the affiliation, the CPBL handled all on-field personnel and player issues while the team retained control of promotions, concessions, and other front-office business. The Scorpions acted as a farm team for all four CPBL teams. It was reported by some news outlets to be the first time an independent American baseball club had formed an affiliation with a foreign team or league, however, in 1972 and 1973 the California League's

team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to inf ...

based in

Lodi, California Lodi ( ) is a city located in San Joaquin County, California, in the center portion of California's Central Valley. The population was 62,134 at the 2010 census. The estimated population is approximately 67,586 according to 2019 census data. L ...

had an affiliation with

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

Nishitetsu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Rail ...

. Yuma's partnership with the CPBL was at one point reportedly being made into a feature story for ESPN. In early 2010 the ''Yuma Sun'' reported that the Scorpions had ended their affiliation with the CPBL, but had signed a new three-year affiliation agreement with the Venezuelan Baseball Federation (VBF). The move was also portrayed as one that would improve the Scorpions on-field performance. Under the affiliation with the CPBL, the Scorpions went 29-47, worst in the GBL, including a 3-13 start. Several factors justify this assertion. Baseball is more popular in Venezuela than Colombia, leading to the Sun to speculate that that country will provide superior prospects to the CPBL agreement. Additionally, the previous agreement with the CPBL was only concluded hours before the start of the season, so that players had to literally get on a plane in Colombia, got off in Yuma and immediately play the season opener. The agreement with the VBF was agreed to three months prior to the start of the 2010 season. The Scorpions' Manager for 2010, Darryl Brinkley, had experience playing in Venezuela.

North American League (2011)

The Scorpions were one of six former GBL teams to join the newly formed North American League in 2010 and began play in 2011. On April 11, 2011,

Jose Canseco José Canseco Capas Jr. (born July 2, 1964), nicknamed Parkway Jose, Mr. 40-40 and El Cañonero Cubano (The Cuban Cannon), is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and designated hitter. During his time with the Oaklan ...

and his twin brother, Ozzie, were added to the teams' roster, with Jose being a manager. In August of that year, 52-year-old former Major League player and then-Scorpions infielder

Tony Phillips Keith Anthony Phillips (April 25, 1959 – February 17, 2016) was an American professional baseball utility player who had an 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career from 1982 to 1999. He played regularly at second base, but also had signif ...

was involved in an altercation with former Scorpions manager Mike Marshall, then with the

. Phillips punched Marshall in the face during the incident, causing the latter to press battery charges against the infielder.

Changes of ownership and names

The team was sold to Godfather Media, Inc on January 31, 2012. The new owners announced they would be changing the team name to Yuma Panthers shortly thereafter on February 8, in time for the 2012 season. Additionally they announced that former Major League shortstop

Garry Templeton Garry Lewis Templeton (born March 24, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets from 1976 t ...

would be replacing Canseco as field manager. The

team is still known as the

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

. On April 27, 2012, Godfather Media, LLC C.E.O. Michael Cummings announced that the Panthers were withdrawing from the North American League and were sitting out the 2012 season along with a team they acquired, the

Orange County 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 ...

.New for 2012: Hawaii Stars
''Baseball Digest'', May 7, 2012 In 2012, Godfather Media, then owners of the Panthers, started a new league called the American West Baseball League and entered the Panthers as a member team. The team was then sold to local investor Tim Ferguson and the name changed again. This time, becoming the Desert Rats. However, before they could throw a pitch, the team folded after Ferguson and the AWBL parted ways.Ferguson walks away from AWBL
''Ballpark Digest'', January 25, 2013

Alumni

Scorpions who made it to the Big Leagues

Dane De La Rosa Dane David De La Rosa (born February 1, 1983) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Career Prior to playing professional ...

, RHP, Yuma Scorpions 2005, Tampa Bay Rays (2011) :

Joey Gathright Joey Renard Gathright (born April 27, 1981) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. He was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Early life Gathright attended ...

, OF, Yuma Scorpions 2011, Boston Red Sox (2011) : Sergio Romo, RHP, Yuma Scorpions Winter League 2007, San Francisco Giants (2010)

Scorpions acquired by MLB teams

, OF, Boston Red Sox (2011) :Robby Scott, LHP, Boston Red Sox (2011) :JJ Leaper, RHP Oakland Athletics (2011) : Lee Cruz, OF, Houston Astros (2010) :Gilbert De La Vara, LHP, Detroit Tigers (2010) :Brandon Fowler, C, San Diego Padres (2010) :Rylan Sandoval, SS, New York Mets (2010) :Reynaldo Rodriguez, 1B, Boston Red Sox (2009) :Ryan Barba, SS, Atlanta Braves (2008) :Donald Brandt, P Milwaukee Brewers (2008) :Derrick Hale, SS, Cincinnati Reds (2008) :Kennard Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles (2007) :Charles Merricks, P, Philadelphia Phillies (2007) : Scott Richmond, P, Toronto Blue Jays (2007) : Sergio Romo, P, San Francisco Giants (2007) :Cardoza Tucker, P, Houston Astros (2006) :Dane De La Rosa, P, Tampa Bay Rays (2005) :Jason Dewey, C, Colorado Rockies, (2005)

Major Leaguers who have played for the Scorpions

:2005:

Alex Arias Alejandro Arias (born November 20, 1967) is an American former professional baseball infielder, who played Major League Baseball from 1992 to 2002. In his career, Arias played for the Chicago Cubs (), Florida Marlins (–), Philadelphia Phillies ...

SS,

Joe Davenport Joseph Jonathan Davenport (born March 24, 1976) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for two seasons. He played for the Chicago White Sox in 1999 and the Colorado Rockies in 2001. Davenport attended Santana High School in Santee ...

P, Carl Sadler P, Jason Dewey :2006:

Rusty Meacham Russell Loren Meacham (born January 27, 1968) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball between 1991 and 2001. Professional career Early career Meacham was drafted by the Det ...

P :2007: Pasqual Matos C :2008: Mike Esposito P,

Felipe Lira Felipe Antonio Lira (born April 26, 1972) is a Venezuelan former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers (-), Seattle Mariners (1997-) and Montreal Expos (-). He batted and threw right-handed. Career In a six-year caree ...

P :2009: Emiliano Fruto, P :2010: Bill Pulsipher P, Alex Prieto P, Cha-Seung Baek P, Mike Johnson P :2011:

OF,

DH,

IF/OF, Ozzie Canseco OF/DH

Managers

Benny Castillo Benny Castillo (born July 15, 1966 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a former professional baseball player and manager. Early life Raised in the Bronx, New York, Castillo attended Park West High School, where he was coached by the late Mr ...

(2005–2006) Record: 79–91, Winning % : .465 : Mike Marshall (2007–2008) Record: 89–74 Winning %: .546 :Boris Villa (2009) Record: 29–47 Winning %: .382 : Darryl Brinkley (2010) Record: 41–49, Winning % : .456 :

(2011) Record: 35–53, Winning % : .398

Quick facts

:Founded: 2005 :Stadium:

:Uniform colors: Maroon, Black, Sand, White :Logo design: Joe Bosack :Mascot: Stinger :Current ownership: None :Local radio
KBLU-AM
(As of June 2009) :First play-by-play broadcaster: Radio: Jim Howell :Current broadcasters: Radio: Jeff Edwards

Season-by-season records

Golden Baseball League: North American League:

References

External links

Yuma Desert Rats website

North American Baseball League website

Yuma Sun's Yuma Scorpions archive section

A real second chance
(The Arizona Daily Star, September 12, 2008) {{Arizona Winter League Baseball teams established in 2005 North American League teams Golden Baseball League teams Arizona Winter League teams Western Baseball League teams Professional baseball teams in Arizona Yuma, Arizona 2005 establishments in Arizona Baseball teams disestablished in 2011 2011 disestablishments in Arizona Defunct independent baseball league teams Defunct baseball teams in Arizona