Vernon Tigers

Last updated
Vernon Tigers
Minor league affiliations
Previous classesDouble-A (1909–1925)
League Pacific Coast League (1909–1925)
Major league affiliations
Previous teamsNone
Minor league titles
League titles 1919, 1920
Team data
Previous names
  • Vernon Tigers (1909–1912, 1915–1925)
  • Venice Tigers (1913–1914)
Previous parks
Maier Park

The Vernon Tigers were a Minor League Baseball team that represented Vernon, California in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1909 to 1925. The team won back-to-back PCL pennants in 1919 and 1920. The Tigers, together with the Sacramento Solons, joined the PCL as a new team in 1909 when the league expanded from six teams to eight. The Tigers effectively were a second team in Los Angeles, rivals of the existing Los Angeles Angels.

Contents

History

Vernon, California, was and still is a small community in Los Angeles County. Vernon fielded a PCL team because it was one of only two cities in Los Angeles County where the sale and consumption of alcohol was legal. Vernon used its "wet" distinction to its advantage. The largest enterprise in the town at the time was Doyle's bar, advertised as the "longest bar in the world" with 37 bartenders. Doyle was also a sports promoter, building an arena where world championship boxing matches were held. Tigers owner Pete Maier built Maier Park [1] next to Doyle's bar, which had its own entrance to the park.

In 1913 and 1914, the Tigers played in the oceanside community of Venice, and were known as the Venice Tigers during those seasons. Not coincidentally, Venice was the only other "wet" city in Los Angeles County. On Sundays and special holidays in which alcohol sales were not permitted, the Tigers played their home games at Washington Park, which was primarily the Angels' home field. The team did not draw well in Venice, and the Tigers moved back to Vernon in 1915. Player-manager Happy Hogan, who had managed the team since 1909 (such that the newspapers sometimes called the team "Hogan's Tigers") [2] died during the 1915 season, of pneumonia. [3]

Vernon Tigers uniforms
Al Carson.jpg
Al Carson donning the 1911 Tigers home uniform with "Vernon" vertically affixed to the placket of the shirt.
1922 Jakie May.jpeg
Jakie May is photographed during the 1922 season wearing Vernon's pinstriped uniforms featuring a tiger on the left breast.

Bob Meusel, later a New York Yankees teammate of Babe Ruth, played for Vernon in 1917 before serving in World War I the following year with the Navy. The Tigers finished the war-shortened 1918 season in first place; however, they were defeated by the Los Angeles Angels in a postseason series. This postseason series is often incorrectly identified as a "playoff." That postseason series, however, was unrelated to the PCL playoff system which was established some years later.

In early 1919, Maier sold a controlling interest in the Tigers to movie actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, a superstar in the silent film era. When the team became known as the Hollywood Stars, Hollywood began taking a collective notice of the team as a result of Arbuckle's ownership. And, the season concluded with the Tigers defeating the rival Angels in the last series of the season, winning the pennant by 1+12 games.

The 1919 season became infamous for the "Black Sox" scandal. As with the tainted World Series of that year, there were rumors that opposing PCL players had been bribed to "throw" games against the Tigers. League President William McCarthy expelled Tiger first baseman Babe Borton and several other players under suspicion of involvement.

The Tigers seemed unfazed by the scandal, as they finished first for the third year in a row, winning the 1920 pennant by 5+12 games over the Seattle Indians. However, that was the beginning of end of the team. The Eighteenth Amendment had been ratified, criminalizing the production and sale of alcohol everywhere in the U.S., including Vernon. It took effect in 1920. The small population of Vernon became a liability, as fewer Angelenos were willing to travel the distance to watch a game in a "dry" town.

Moreover, principal owner Arbuckle found ownership of the team more work than he had bargained for, and sold his interest in the team later in 1920. As a result, the Hollywood crowd lost interest in the Tigers. As attendance waned, the caliber of play did also, and the team struggled in its final years. After the 1925 season, the team was sold to San Francisco interests and moved to that city to begin play in 1926 as the Mission Reds.

After 12 unprofitable seasons in San Francisco, the team moved back to Los Angeles for the 1938 season. They were renamed the Hollywood Stars, and established a strong rivalry with the Angels that lasted until the arrival of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1958. As before in Los Angeles for a time, and as in San Francisco, the Stars found themselves being tenants of the more dominant team in the city. However, the Stars would eventually build their own park and achieve a measure of success that the Tigers and the Missions had been unable to achieve.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball (MLB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Lake Bees</span> Minor league baseball team

The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels. They compete in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the team plays its home games at Smith's Ballpark, which opened in 1994. With a seating capacity of 15,411, it boasts the largest capacity in the league. Previously known as the Salt Lake Buzz from 1994 to 2000 and the Salt Lake Stingers from 2001 to 2005, the team adopted the Bees moniker in 2006. Since their inception in 1994, they have been a part of the PCL, including the 2021 season when the league was called Triple-A West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Angels (PCL)</span> Minor league baseball team

The Los Angeles Angels were a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles that played in the "near-major league" Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1903 through 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Seals (PCL)</span> Minor league baseball team

The San Francisco Seals were a minor league baseball team in San Francisco, California, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 until 1957 before transferring to Phoenix, Arizona. The organization was named for the abundant California sea lion and harbor seal populations in the Bay Area. The 1909, 1922, 1925, and 1928 Seals were recognized as being among the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.

The Mission Reds were a minor league baseball team located in San Francisco, California, that played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1926 through 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Stars</span> Minor league baseball team

The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles-based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacramento Solons</span> Minor league baseball team

The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods. The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Rainiers</span> Minor league baseball team

The Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels and, during 1919, the Seattle Purple Sox, were a Minor League Baseball team in Seattle, Washington, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 to 1906 and 1919 to 1968. They were initially named for the indigenous Native American population of the Pacific Northwest, and changed their name after being acquired by the Rainier Brewing Company, which was in turn named for nearby Mount Rainier.

The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Killefer</span> American baseball player

Wade Hampton "Red" Killefer was an American outfielder and second baseman in Major League Baseball who played seven seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1907–1909), Washington Senators (1909–1910), Cincinnati Reds (1914–1916), and New York Giants (1916).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Hogan (baseball)</span> American baseball player (1877–1915)

Happy Hogan was an American minor league baseball catcher and manager in the early 20th century. He is a member of the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.

The 1952 Hollywood Stars season, was the 44th season in the history of the Hollywood Stars baseball team. The Stars were the successors to the Vernon Tigers and Mission Reds. The Stars played their home games at Gilmore Field which was adjacent to the site where CBS Television City was erected during the 1952 baseball season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1919 Vernon Tigers season</span> Pacific Coast League team season

The 1919 Vernon Tigers season was the 11th season in the history of the Vernon Tigers baseball team. Playing in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), the team compiled a 111–70 record and won the PCL pennant. "Vinegar Bill" Essick was the team's manager from 1918 to 1925. Film star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was the team owner and president.

The 1904 Tacoma Tigers season was the first season for the Tacoma Tigers baseball team after relocating from Sacramento, California. Playing in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCL), the Tigers compiled a 130–94 record and won the pennant.

The 1905 Los Angeles Angels season was the third season for the Los Angeles Angels playing in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The Angels compiled a 120–94 record and won the PCL pennant. They defeated the Tacoma Tigers, five games to one, in the PCL championship series. Jim Morley was the team's manager and owner, and Pop Dillon was the team captain. The team played its home games at Chutes Park and Prager Park in Los Angeles.

The 1918 Los Angeles Angels season was the 16th season for the Los Angeles Angels playing in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The PCL season ended early on July 14 due to wartime travel restrictions and the Spanish flu pandemic. When the season was suspended, the Angels were in second place with a 57–47 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider Baum</span> Baseball player

Charles Adrian "Spider" Baum was an American baseball pitcher. He played professional baseball for 19 years from 1902 to 1920, including 15 years in Pacific Coast League (PCL) with the Los Angeles Angels (1903–1905), Sacramento Sacts (1909–1912), Vernon/Venice Tigers (1912–1913), San Francisco Seals (1914–1919), Salt Lake City Bees (1919–1920). He compiled a career win–loss record of 302-250.

The 1920 Vernon Tigers season was the 12th season in the history of the Vernon Tigers baseball team. Playing in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), the team compiled a 110–88 record and won the PCL pennant. Vernon compiled the best record in the PCL for a third consecutive seasons under manager Bill Essick.

References

  1. Maier Park Baseball Stadium, Vernon, CA, at Pacific Coast Architecture Database]; retrieved October 26, 2017
  2. Worth, Richard (2013). Baseball Team Names: A Worldwide Dictionary, 1869-2011. McFarland. p. 313. ISBN   978-0786468447 . Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  3. "Assumed Names–Happy Hogan". Baseball History Daily. 11 January 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2015.