Getting to know you

TEAMS

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Class A

Stockton Ports (A's)

San Jose Giants (Giants)

Modesto Nuts (Rockies)

Bakersville Blaze (Rangers)

Visalia Oaks (Devil Rays)

High Desert Mavericks (Royals)

Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners)

Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres)

Lancaster Jethawks (D-Backs)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels)

LEAGUE HISTORY

The California League was founded in 1941 by a group of major league and Pacific Coast League clubs. The charter teams were the Anaheim Aces, Bakersfield Badgers, Fresno Cardinals, Merced Bears, Riverside Reds, San Bernardino Stars, Santa Barbara Saints and the Stockton Fliers. The league dropped to four teams the following year as the Bakersfield Badgers, Fresno Cardinals and the Santa Barbara Saints continued on with the addition of the San Jose Owls. League operations were suspended for the duration of World War II on June 29, 1942. In 1941, the California League was classified as a "C" League and would remain as such through 1962.

In 1963, minor league baseball reorganized and the California League became classified as an "A" league.

Source: www.californialeague.com

NOTABLE PLAYERS

Don Drysdale (Bakersfield Indians, 1954); Joe Morgan (Modesto Colt 45's, 1963); Rollie Fingers and Reggie Jackson (Modesto Bees, 1963); Don Sutton (Santa Barbara Dodgers, 1965); George Brett (San Jose Bees, 1973); Kirby Puckett (Visalia Oaks, 1983); Dennis Eckersley (Reno Silver Sox, 1972, 1973); Mark McGwire (Modesto A's (1984, 1985); Ken Griffey, Jr. (San Bernardino, 1988).

MOVIN' ON UP

PRINCE FIELDER, NASHVILLE SOUNDS: Fielder, who was named the Pacific Coast League player of the week for May 23-29, played 41 games for the Ogden Raptors and hit .390 with 10 homers, 12 doubles and 40 RBIs. That same year, he played 32 games for Beloit (A) in the Midwest League and hit .241 with seven doubles, three homers and 11 RBIs. He is currently hitting .257 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs in 58 games with the Sounds.