PCL celebrates centennial; Stingers note 10th in Salt Lake

It's a milestone year for the Pacific Coast League and the Salt Lake Stingers. The PCL is turning 100 this season, while folks at Franklin Covey Field are noting an anniversary as well.

"Ten years. Can you believe it? Stingers general manager Dorsena Picknell said. "And we still have the most beautiful stadium and the best fans."

Though attendance has declined each season since 1994 when the franchise relocated to Utah from Portland, Ore., the Stingers still managed to draw 5 million fans faster than any team in league history. They celebrated the accomplishment last season.

The PCL, as a whole, has also enjoyed great success at the turnstiles. The league has broken attendance records each of the past three seasons. In 2002, a whopping 6,796,545 fans paid to see the Triple-A circuit. That record is expected to fall this season as Albuquerque replaces Calgary. The Isotopes (of "Simpson's" fame), who will play in a refurbished stadium, are already a hit. Their first home game sold out in an hour.

Salt Lake has long since outgrown such excitement. A resurgence in interest, however, is anticipated this season. Stingers management is hoping to cash in on being the Triple-A affiliate of the World Series champion Anaheim Angels. More giveaways and intensified marketing have created optimism within the organization. Four fireworks nights, World Series promotions, school field trip games and Disney Weekend headline their efforts.

"We want this to be the place to be," Picknell said. "We're doing a lot of things. It should be a good year for us."

Consistency has always come on the field. Salt Lake has never had a losing season. A year ago, the Stingers won Central Division and American Conference championships before losing to Edmonton in the finals. A championship rematch won't be possible — for a couple of reasons. The first of which was an affiliation switch by the Trappers from Minnesota to Montreal. In addition, Calgary's move to Albuquerque forced realignment. It sent Salt Lake to Edmonton's division and conference in 2003. The Stingers are now in the PCL North with the Trappers, Portland and Tacoma. Conference foes include Fresno, Las Vegas, Sacramento and Tucson.

The American Conference, meanwhile, consists of Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Iowa and Omaha in the Central, as well as Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans and Oklahoma in the East.