The Yakima Valley Braves, was the final name of a minor league baseball club, located in Yakima, Washington, playing from 1955 to 1966 as members of the Northwest League. Yakima hosted professional baseball beginning in 1913 through 1965 with a brief hiatus between 1942 and 1945 due to World War II. Playing under various names, Yakima was a member of the Western International League.
| Yakima Valley Braves | |
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| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes |
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| League | Northwest League (1955-1966) |
Previous leagues | Western International League (1937-1941, 1946-1954) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (7) |
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| Team data | |
Previous names |
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Previous parks | Parker Field |
History
editThe Pippins were the club to represent Yakima, starting in 1937. The franchise used the Pippins name through 1941 when the club suspended operations. Likewise, the Western International League suspended play after the 1942 season. The Pippins name was resurrected in by the Yakima Valley Pippins of the collegiate wood bat West Coast League.
The League resumed play in 1946 with Yakima returning to the field under a new name, the Stars. The Stars were affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1946. In 1948 the club changed names again to the Yakima Packers. The Packers finished the season in last place.
In 1949 the club adopted a new moniker, the Yakima Bears. In their first season the Bears advanced to the post-season. The Bears defeated the Spokane Indians in the semi-final series, but were swept by the Vancouver Capilanos in the championship. The following season the Bears posted a record on 92–58 to claim the league championship. In 1956 won their second league title, finishing the year at 86–45.
Professional baseball returned to Yakima in 1990. The Northwest League franchise revived Yakima Bears playing as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks until 2012.
Season-by-season record
edit| Season | PDC | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | Post-season | Manager | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima Pippins | ||||||||||
| 1937 | 1st | 80 | 61 | .567 | Ray Jacobs | 54,000 | ||||
| 1938 | 1st | 77 | 55 | .583 | Defeated Wenatchee in semi-final series 3-1 Lost to Bellingham in championship series 4-3 |
Ray Jacobs | No record | |||
| 1939 | 5th | 72 | 73 | .497 | Ray Jacobs | No record | ||||
| 1940 | 2nd | 79 | 67 | .541 | Lost to in semi-final series to Tacoma 2-1 | Goldie Holt | No record | |||
| 1941 | 3rd | 70 | 64 | .522 | Goldie Holt | No record | ||||
| Yakima Stars | ||||||||||
| 1946 | PIT | 5th | 71 | 69 | .507 | Spencer Harris | No record | |||
| 1947 | 8th | 59 | 95 | .383 | Harlond Clift | 86,004 | ||||
| Yakima Packers | ||||||||||
| 1948 | 8th | 52 | 109 | .323 | Hub Kittle | 73,600 | ||||
| Yakima Bears | ||||||||||
| 1949 | 1st | 99 | 51 | .660 | Defeated Spokane in semi-final series 3-1 Lost to Vancouver in championship series 3-0 |
Joe Orengo | 133,917 | |||
| 1950 | 1st | 92 | 58 | .613 | League champion by virtue of record | Joe Orengo | 117,790 | |||
| 1951 | 5th | 63 | 80 | .441 | Bill Brenner | 60,018 | ||||
| 1952 | 4th | 73 | 79 | .480 | Dario Lodigiani | 64,044 | ||||
| 1953 | 6th | 70 | 74 | .486 | Dario Lodigiani | 59,100 | ||||
| 1954 | 1st | 80 | 57 | .584 | Lou Stringer | 66,571 | ||||
| 1955 | 5th | 59 | 69 | .461 | Hub Kittle | 36,314 | ||||
| 1956 | 1st | 86 | 45 | .656 | League champion by virtue of record | Hub Kittle | 66,370 | |||
| 1957 | 3rd | 69 | 66 | .511 | Hub Kittle | 56,718 | ||||
| 1958 | MLN | 2nd | 76 | 60 | .559 | Defeated Lewiston in championship series 4-1 | Hub Kittle | 64,974 | ||
| 1959 | MLN | 4th | 70 | 69 | .504 | Defeated Salem in championship series 4-1 | Hub Kittle | 43,895 | ||
| 1960 | MLN | 1st | 85 | 57 | .599 | League champion by virtue of record | Buddy Hicks | 60,166 | ||
| 1961 | MLN | 2nd | 79 | 60 | .568 | Lost to Lewiston in championship series 4-1 | Buddy Hicks | 42,806 | ||
| 1962 | MLN | 4th | 69 | 71 | .493 | Buddy Hicks | 35,059 | |||
| 1963 | MLN | 1st | 84 | 56 | .600 | Defeated Lewiston in championship series 3-1 | Buddy Hicks | 40,628 | ||
| 1964 | MLN | 3rd | 72 | 68 | .514 | Defeated Eugene in championship series 3-0 | Hub Kittle | 39,300 | ||
| Yakima Valley Braves | ||||||||||
| 1965 | MLN | 5th | 62 | 77 | .446 | Hub Kittle | 36,050 | |||
| 1966 | MLN | 3rd | 39 | 44 | .470 | Eddie Haas | 13,262 | |||
| Division winner | League champions |
Notable alumni
edit- Rico Carty (1962) MLB All-Star; 1970 NL Batting Title
- Mike Lum (1965)
- Lee Maye (1955)
- Dennis Menke (1961) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Felix Millan (1965) 3 x MLB All-Star
- Carl Morton (1965) 1970 NL Rookie of the Year
- Bill Robinson