| Sunset League | |
| Sport: | Minor League Baseball |
| President: | W.R. Bill Schroeder (1947) Les Powers (1948–1950) |
| Inaugural: | 1947 |
| Teams: | 13 |
| Country: | Mexico United States of America |
| Continent: | or |
| Continents: | --> |
| Folded: | 1950 |
| Most Champs: | 1 Anaheim Valencias (1947) Reno Silver Sox (1948) Las Vegas Wranglers (1949) El Centro Imperials (1950) |
| Classification: | Class C (1947–1950) |
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 1949 to 1950. There was a previous league called the "Sunset League" that briefly played in Texas in the 1902 season.
For the 1951 season, the circuit merged with the Arizona–Texas League to form the Southwest International League.
In 1902, a "Sunset League" included Beaumont (8–4), Lake Charles (7–6), Crowley (6–6) and Houston (3–8). Records are from the May 27, 1902, Houston Daily Post and are not official.[1]
The Sunset League was one of many short–lived minor leagues of the late 1940s and early 1950s. The Class C level circuit ran from 1947 through 1950. Las Vegas, El Centro and Riverside were members every year. It was an extremely high offensive league; in 1947, Las Vegas averaged 9 runs a game and finished 73–67.[2] The league merged with the Arizona-Texas League in 1951 to form the Southwest International League.[3]
Anaheim Valencias (1947); Anaheim/San Bernardino Valencias (1948)
El Centro Imperials (1947–1950)
Las Vegas Wranglers (1947–1950)
Mexicali Eagles (1948–1949)
Ontario Orioles (1947)
Porterville Packers (1949–1950)
Reno Silver Sox (1947–1949)
Riverside Dons (1947; 1949); Riverside Rubes (1948; 1950)
Salinas Colts (1949)
San Bernardino Pioneers (1949–1950)
Tijuana Potros (1949–1950)
Yuma Panthers (1950)
1947 Sunset League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside Dons | 80 | 60 | .571 | – | 45,477 | ||
| Anaheim Valencias | 79 | 61 | .564 | 1.0 | 16,452 | Jack Rothrock / Jerry Gardner | |
| Las Vegas Wranglers | 73 | 67 | .521 | 7.0 | 44,574 | ||
| Reno Silver Sox | 69 | 69 | .500 | 10.0 | 22,866 | Thomas Lloyd | |
| Ontario Orioles | 64 | 75 | .460 | 15.5 | 23,932 | ||
| El Centro Imperials | 53 | 86 | .381 | 26.5 | 45,429 | Bob Boken / Ray Viers |
| Paul Zaby | Las Vegas | BA | .401 | Clarence Jaime | Ontario | W | 22 | |
| Calvin Felix | Las Vegas | Runs | 173 | Don Robertson | Reno | SO | 242 | |
| Calvin Felix | Las Vegas | Hits | 236 | Robert Masters | Riverside | ERA | 3.55 | |
| Calvin Felix | Las Vegas | RBI | 182 | Don Tisnerat | Anaheim | PCT | .765 13–4 | |
| Calvin Felix | Las Vegas | HR | 52 | |||||
| Calvin Felix | Las Vegas | TB | 443 |
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexicali Aguilas | 81 | 59 | .579 | – | 68,567 | Dominic Castro / Dick Wilson | |
| Las Vegas Wranglers | 78 | 62 | .557 | 3.0 | 41,748 | Ken Meyers | |
| Reno Silver Sox | 77 | 63 | .550 | 4.0 | 34,325 | Thomas Lloyd | |
| Riverside Rubes | 74 | 66 | .529 | 7.0 | 52,199 | George Caster / Henry Bartolomei | |
| El Centro Imperials | 67 | 73 | .479 | 14.0 | 42,221 | Ray Viers | |
| Anaheim Valencias / San Bernardino Valencias | 43 | 97 | .307 | 38.0 | 21,760 | Jerry Gardner / Claude "Bob" Williams |
| Bobby Balcena | Mexicali | BA | .369 | Al Corwin | Reno | W | 26 | |
| Don Barclay | Reno | Runs | 171 | Robert Schulte | Riverside | SO | 276 | |
| Don Jameson | Riverside | Hits | 202 | Manuel Echeverria | Mexicali | ERA | 2.83 | |
| Dick Wilson | Mexicali | RBI | 188 | Manuel Echeverria | Mexicali | PCT | .875 14–2 | |
| Dick Wilson | Mexicali | HR | 42 |
1949 Sunset League
schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Wranglers | 88 | 38 | .698 | – | 61,050 | Ken Meyers | |
| Mexicali Aguilas | 79 | 47 | .627 | 9.0 | 59,810 | ||
| San Bernardino Pioneers | 62 | 64 | .492 | 26.0 | 35,871 | ||
| Porterville Packers | 61 | 65 | .484 | 27.0 | 66,280 | Thomas Lloyd | |
| El Centro Imperials | 59 | 66 | .472 | 28.5 | 34,957 | Ray Viers / Frank Stinson | |
| Salinas Colts/ Tijuana Potros | 58 | 68 | .460 | 30.0 | 39,701 | ||
| Reno Silver Sox | 49 | 75 | .395 | 38.0 | 37,780 | Lilio Marcucci | |
| Riverside Dons | 46 | 79 | .368 | 41.5 | 32,450 | Don Jameson |
| Frosty Kennedy | Riverside | BA | .411 | Eugene Roenspie | San Bernardino | W | 20 | |
| Pete Hughes | Las Vegas | Runs | 156 | Warren Kanagy | Riverside/San Bern | SO | 210 | |
| Frosty Kennedy | Riverside | Hits | 194 | Erwin Coutts | Mexicali | ERA | 2.69 | |
| Bobby Balcena | Mexicali | RBI | 132 | Bob Shore | Las Vegas | PCT | .850 17–3 | |
| Pete Hughes | Las Vegas | HR | 24 | |||||
| Pete Hughes | Las Vegas | BB | 210 |
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexicali Eagles | 98 | 47 | .676 | – | 80,871 | ||
| El Centro Imperials | 85 | 58 | .595 | 12.0 | 46,380 | Ken Meyers | |
| Las Vegas Wranglers | 76 | 69 | .524 | 22.0 | 39,415 | ||
| Riverside Rubes | 73 | 72 | .503 | 23.0 | 49,270 | Ray Viers | |
| Tijuana Potros | 70 | 77 | .476 | 29.0 | 39,250 | Zenon Ochoa / Eugene Fernandez / Butch Moran | |
| San Bernardino Pioneers | 65 | 80 | .448 | 33.0 | 28,250 | Frank Demaree / Gerald Waitman | |
| Yuma Panthers | 62 | 83 | .428 | 36.0 | 50,101 | ||
| Porterville Packers | 52 | 95 | .354 | 47.0 | 50,213 |
| Pete Hughes | El Centro | BA | .393 | Manuel Echeverria | Mexicali | W | 28 | ||
| Manuel Serrano | Mexicali | Runs | 153 | Manuel Echeverria | Mexicali | SO | 333 | ||
| Blas Guzman | Mexicali | Hits | 216 | Manuel Echeverria | Mexicali | ERA | 2.74 | ||
| Blas Guzman | Mexicali | RBI | 138 | Manuel Echeverria | Mexicali | IP | 328 | ||
| Ron D. Johnson | Las Vegas | HR | 26 | Nate Moreland | El Centro/Mexicali | PCT | .813 13–3 |
* Playoffs were not played