Yakima Bears Explained

Yakima Bears
Firstseason:1990
Lastseason:2012
City:Yakima, Washington
Division:East Division
Pastmajorleague:
Colors:Cardinal Red, black, gray, white
Pastparks:
Leaguenum:2
Divnum:4

The Yakima Bears were a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, located in Yakima, Washington. The Bears competed at the Class A Short Season level as members of the Northwest League from 1990 to 2012. Following the 2012 season, the franchise relocated to Hillsboro, Oregon, and became Hillsboro Hops.

History

After 23 summers without minor league baseball, Yakima returned to the Northwest League in 1990.[1] The Salem Dodgers moved from Salem after the 1989 season, bringing with them their affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers.[2]

In 2001, the Bears changed their affiliation to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Relocation to Hillsboro

The Yakima Bears had been frustrated by the lack of progress on a new stadium that would meet minor league standards, even though a new stadium was built and opened in 1993 to meet similar demands, and a declining local economy.[3] The Triple-A Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League had departed for Tucson after the 2010 season, so the Portland metropolitan area was without minor league baseball. In 2011, the city of Vancouver, Washington, presented a proposal on May 13 for a new ballpark to be built on the Clark College campus, ready to host the Yakima Bears franchise for the 2012 season.[4]

After that deal fell through, the team received an offer sheet from Hillsboro, a suburb west of Portland, in June 2012 with plans to start play there in a new ballpark in 2013.[5] Four months later on October 16, the team announced its upcoming move to Hillsboro and was renamed the Hillsboro Hops for the 2013 season. The Hops proceeded to win the 2014 and 2015 Northwest League championships.

The Bears were replaced one year later with the formation of the Yakima Valley Pippins of the West Coast League.

Early Yakima Baseball

The history of baseball in Yakima stretches back to 1920 with the short-lived Yakima Indians of the Class B level Pacific Coast International League. The Indians lasted only two seasons, closing in 1921 as the league became the Western International League in 1922.

Yakima entered the WIL in 1937 as the Yakima Pippins,[6] reflecting the local area's apple-growing heritage, lasting until the 1941 season due to World War II. In 1946, as the WIL resumed play, Yakima again fielded a team, this time named the Yakima Stars, with their own team airplane.[7] Renaming themselves the Yakima Packers for the 1948 season,[8] the team finally settled on the Yakima Bears in 1949, lasting through the reformation of the WIL into the Northwest League, as the Bears became a charter member of the seven-team Class B NWL in the 1955 season.[9] The team played at Parker Field, constructed in 1937 for the Pippins.[10] [11]

The Bears' time in the early years of the NWL were fruitful, as they won six league titles in nine years (1956,[12] 1958,[13] 1959,[14] [15] 1960,[16] 1963,[17] and 1964[18]). A fire in March 1962 destroyed the wooden grandstand at Parker Field,[19] [20] which was quickly rebuilt.[21] In April 1964, the team was renamed the Yakima Braves,[22] due to an agreement with the Milwaukee Braves, their parent club since 1958. The team played as the Braves for three seasons, through 1966.[10] [23] The 1966 season was the first for the NWL as a short season league.[24]

Ballparks

The Bears played at Yakima County Stadium. The park still is in use today, located at 1220 Pacific Avenue, Yakima, Washington.[25] The stadium remains in use today and is the current home of the Yakima Pippins of the West Coast League. Prior to 1993 the Bears played at Parker Field, located at 1000 S. 12th Avenue.[26]

Season-by-season record

SeasonPDCDivisionFinishWinsLossesWin%Post-seasonManagerAttendance
Yakima Bears
1990LADNorth2nd3640.474Jerry Royster 71,892
1991LADNorth1st4432.579Lost to Boise in championship series 2-0Joe Vavra 81,835
1992LADNorth2nd3640.474Joe Vavra 65,684
1993LADNorth4th3046.395John Shoemaker86,822
1994LADNorth1st4927.645Lost to Boise in championship series 2-1Joe Vavra 85,483
1995LADNorth4th2748.360Joe Vavra 81,570
1996LADNorth1st4036.526Defeated Eugene in championship series 2-1Joe Vavra 82,313
1997LADNorth4th2353.303Joe Vavra 80,003
1998LADNorth4th3244.321Tony Harris 76,049
1999LADNorth4th3343.434Dino Ebel74,977
Yakima Bears
2000LADEast1st4135.539Defeated Eugene in championship series 3-2Butch Hughes68,905
2001ARIEast3rd3342.440Greg Lonigro59,000
2002ARIEast4th2353.303Mike Aldrete56,404
2003ARIEast2nd4531.592Bill Plummer60,037
2004ARIEast4th3541.461Bill Plummer51,544
2005ARIEast4th3046.395Jay Gainer60,150
2006ARIEast4th2848.368Jay Gainer63,400
Yakima Bears
2007ARIEast4th3343.434Mike Bell70,117
2008ARIEast4th2848.368Bob Didier72,207
2009ARIEast4th2848.368Bob Didier72,881
2010ARIEast2nd4333.566Lost to Spokane in division series 2-0Bob Didier70,695
2011ARIEast4th3343.434Audo Vicente66,545
2012ARIEast3rd3640.474Audo Vicente61,895
Division winner League champions

Notable ex-Bears

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Sports people. Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . staff and wire reports . January 16, 1990 . C2.
  2. News: Dodger franchise looks to Yakima . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Rodman . Bob . November 24, 1989 . 2B .
  3. News: Bad news, Bears: Team takes one step closer to relocation. May 27, 2011. Yakima Herald-Republic. Washington. Courtney. Ross. October 17, 2012. http://yakima-herald-republic.vlex.com/vid/bears-team-one-step-closer-relocation-323840787. July 28, 2013.
  4. News: Fentress. Aaron. Single-A Yakima Bears baseball team could land in Vancouver by 2012. The Oregonian. 13 May 2011. Portland.
  5. News: Theen. Andrew. Hillsboro sets stage for baseball's return to the Portland metro area. June 8, 2012. The Oregonian. Portland. June 6, 2012.
  6. News: Tacoma trims Yakima Pippins . Evening Record . Ellensburg, Washington . Associated Press . August 28, 1937 . 6 .
  7. News: Yakima Stars to move by air . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . May 7, 1946 . 10 .
  8. News: Yakima ball club becomes "Packers" . Spokane Daily Chronicle . Associated Press . Washington . October 13, 1947 . 15 .
  9. News: Tribe, Broncs in N.W. bow tonight . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . May . Danny . April 26, 1955 . 14 .
  10. News: Baseball seen dead for Yakima Braves . Spokane Daily Chronicle . Washington . Associated Press . September 14, 1966 . 40 .
  11. News: Deed return is asked of Yakima . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . May 25, 1960. 12.
  12. News: Bears divide; Chiefs take 2 . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Associated Press . September 10, 1956 . 3B.
  13. News: Yakima takes playoff . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . September 7, 1958 . 1B.
  14. News: Yakima winner of 2d half in photo finish style . Ellensburg Daily Record . Washington . Associated Press . September 8, 1959 . 8 .
  15. News: Yakima cops NWL crown . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Associated Press . September 13, 1959 . 1B.
  16. News: Yakima Bears win pennant, margin close . Ellensburg Daily Record . Washington . Associated Press . September 6, 1960 . 8 .
  17. News: Yakima takes league honor . Spokane Daily Chronicle . Washington . Associated Press . September 7, 1963 . 9 .
  18. News: Yakima wins NWL crown by belting Emeralds, 16-7 . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Harvey . Paul III . September 11, 1964 . 2B .
  19. News: Fire destroys ball park . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . UPI . March 13, 1962 . 2B .
  20. News: Yakima ballpark burns . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Associated Press . March 14, 1962 . 6 .
  21. News: Bus, park burn but Yakima in black . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Harvey . Paul III . August 12, 1965 . 2D .
  22. News: Yakima nine now called Braves. Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Associated Press. April 5, 1964 . 2B.
  23. News: Braves move Yakima club. Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Associated Press . January 5, 1967 . 13.
  24. News: Northwest League assured for 1966 . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . November 30, 1965 . 3B .
  25. News: Yakima approves new baseball park . Spokane Chronicle . Washington . Associated Press . June 15, 1992 . C1 .
  26. News: Minor league parks face major overhauls . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Associated Press . Geranios . Nicholas G. . November 23, 1991 . 2B .