History
The parent organization was Lewiston Baseball Club, Inc., formed in 1952 by Lewiston businessmen Sam Canner Sr., Jack Lee, Billy Gray, George Thiessen, and others. Gray later sold his shares to Thiessen. Prior to its arrival in Lewiston, the team was the Tacoma Tigers, owned by William Starr ofAffiliations
The Broncs were affiliated with four major league franchises: {, class=wikitable , - ! Year ! Affiliation , - , align=center, 1952 , , style="background:#DCDCDC;" align=center, Independent , - , align=center, 1953 , , St. Louis Browns , - , align=center, 1954 , , Baltimore Orioles , - , 1955–56 , , style="background:#DCDCDC;" align=center, Independent , - , align=center, 1957 , , Philadelphia Phillies , - , 1958–59 , , style="background:#DCDCDC;" align=center, Independent , - , 1960–66 , ,Players
A roster check in 1967 showed that 40% of the players and coaches of the Kansas City Athletics had been in Lewiston at one time or another. Reggie Jackson was perhaps the most famous Lewiston Bronc of all-time; ''Mr. October'' played 12 games at age 20 for Lewiston in 1966. which was the first year of the short season for the NWL.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bcleAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eTIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6128%2C247855 , work=Lewiston Morning Tribune , location=(Idaho) , title=Broncs get confirmation from A's on '66 working agreement , date=March 2, 1966 , page=13 The Broncs' rosters included Rick Monday, manager John McNamara, Vearl ("Snag") Moore, Thorton ("Kip") Kipper, Antonio Perez, Ron Koepper, Delmer Owen, Dick Green, Bud Swan, Bert Campaneris, John Israel, Dave Duncan, Al Heist and as a player, later coach-manager Robert ("Gabby") Williams. In 1967, the Broncs started a four-year affiliation with the St. Louis Cardinals,{{citation, url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CLwSAAAAIBAJ&pg=3842%2C2119713, work=Spokane Daily Chronicle , location=(Washington) , title=Broncs land major pact , date=September 23, 1966 , page=13 who went to theBaseball Hall of Fame alumni
* Reggie Jackson (1966) Inducted, 1993 * Tony LaRussa (1964) Inducted, 2015 * John McNamara (1955), (1958–1962, MGR) Inducted, 2015Notable alumni
{{Div col, colwidth=25em * Jack Aker (1961, 1963) * Bert Campaneris (1963) 6x MLB All–Star * Reggie Cleveland (1967) *See also
* Lewiston Broncs players (1952–1974)Termination
The Broncs and their parent company were dissolved in January 1975, after years of financial losses due to poor win–loss records, resulting in low attendance. Micromanagement interference from A's owner Charlie O. Finley, at all levels of the organization, was the cause. The result for the Broncs was lost games due to the best players being quickly moved up to other A's minor league franchises in Single-A ( Burlington Bees) and Double-A ( Birmingham A's). The A's maintained a presence in the Northwest League in 1975 with a new franchise in southwestern Idaho as the Boise A's, managed by former Bronc Tom Trebelhorn.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZapfAAAAIBAJ&pg=6136%2C2229810 , newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune , location=(Idaho), title=Former Broncs boss Trebelhorn takes over Portland Beavers , date=June 21, 1982, page=2C After two seasons in Boise at Borah Field, the team moved to Medicine Hat in easternPrevious teams
Prior to the Broncs, Lewiston's first seasons in the minor leagues were in the 1921 Northern Utah League and with teams named the Indians, in the Class B WIL in 1937,{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gq9fAAAAIBAJ&pg=1296%2C1966890, newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune , location=Idaho , title=Lewiston to see first game under the lights tonight when Indians meet Spokane Hawks , date=April 27, 1937 , page=8{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g69fAAAAIBAJ&pg=1530%2C2055697, newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune , location=Idaho , title=Spokane Hawks trim Lewiston , date=April 28, 1937 , page=13 and in the Class C Pioneer League in 1939.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TtZXAAAAIBAJ&pg=5209%2C1212060 , newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle , location=Washington , title=Lewiston ball club in first home game , date=May 5, 1939 , page=5 {{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ippfAAAAIBAJ&pg=2002%2C2589756, newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune , location=Idaho , title=Join us in celebrating , agency=(advertisement) , date=May 5, 1939 , page=8{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ippfAAAAIBAJ&pg=1776%2C2600935 , newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune , location=Idaho , title=Undefeated Lewiston team will meet Boise Pilots tonight , date=May 5, 1939 , page=10{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q71eAAAAIBAJ&pg=1757%2C4341350 , newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune , location=Idaho , title=Mel Marlowe whitewashes Indians as Salt Lake City takes series , date=September 1, 1939 , page=8 The first night game at Bengal Field was {{Time ago, 1937, the opening game in 1937 on April 27.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VwUVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6612%2C3827641 , newspaper=Spokesman-Review , location=Spokane, Washington , title=New W.I. League opens tonight , date=April 27, 1937 , page=13References
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