Following the 1983 season, Bob and Margaret Bavasi purchased the struggling Walla Walla, Washington, based Blue Mountain Bears.[3] Antiquated facilities compounded by dwindling attendance in Walla Walla prompted the new owners to move the franchise. The Bavasis, who had secured affiliation with the San Francisco Giants, ultimately selected Everett as the relocation destination.[4] Playing as the Everett Giants, the club was affiliated with San Francisco for eleven years until 1994.
On September 12, 1994, Everett signed a player development contract with the Seattle Mariners as their Class A Short Season affiliate to replace San Francisco.[5] They adopted their current name, the AquaSox, prior to the 1995 season. Since the 2021 season, the team has played at the High-A classification as a Mariners affiliate, initially in the High-A West.[6][7] In March 2022, the High-A West was rebranded back to the Northwest League, as MLB moved to revert all of its Minor Leagues to their historical names.[8]
Stadium
Due to the Northwest League's reclassification in 2021 as a High-A league, which included an expanded schedule and new venue requirements, the AquaSox began exploring a replacement for Funko Field. In September 2022, the City of Everett and Snohomish County approved funds to study a new stadium, which is estimated to cost $80million and seat 3,500 spectators.[9] A site adjacent to Angel of the Winds Arena in downtown Everett was selected for the study; other proposed sites included the Everett Mall, Kasch Park, and a city-owned lot near Interstate 5.[10][11]
On December 18, 2024, the Everett City Council voted to select the downtown Everett site for a new baseball stadium that meets the updated MLB standards and could host a United Soccer League team. The site is between Pacific and Hewitt avenues on the east side of Broadway.[12] The stadium is estimated to cost a minimum of $102 million, of which the AquaSox would pay $10 million. The study identified up to $95 million in public funding sources, including state grants and municipal bonds.[13][14] The stadium's design is scheduled to be completed in 2025 or 2026, with plans to open in time for the 2027 Northwest League season.[14]
Identity
The AquaSox name was announced in November 1994 after the team had signed an affiliation agreement with the Seattle Mariners.[15] They had declined to use the Mariners to create an independent identity.[16] The AquaSox combined imagery of local waterways inhabited by frogs as well as the traditional baseball name "Sox" used by several professional franchises.[15] One of the team logos, used on road caps and jerseys, is based on the trident logo used by the Mariners from 1981 to 1986, rotated to look like the letter "E" for Everett, instead of "M" for Mariners. This logo was introduced in 2010 alongside a secondary logo with two socks.[17]
The team's primary mascot is Webbly, a frog.[18] According to team radio broadcaster Pat Dillon, "The frog is a cross between a Pacific tree frog and a Central American red-eyed tree frog—and Brooks Robinson."[19] Secondary mascots include a giant hot dog named Frank N. Furter, who had been a mascot for the Everett Giants, and Pop Fly, a puppet in a moving puppet house.[20][21]
The AquaSox have retired four uniform numbers, including one former AquaSox player, one long-time uniformed staff member, one player whose number was retired by the Mariners organization, and one player retired by all affiliated baseball teams. The team does not state criteria for retiring its numbers.[23]
Greg Halman's no. 26 was retired by the AquaSox on June 23, 2012.[24][25] He played for the AquaSox in 2005 and 2006 and was named the Short-Season A Player of the Year in 2006.[26] He was killed by his brother in November 2011, shortly after his second season in the major leagues.[27]
Jackie Robinson's no. 42 was retired throughout MLB on April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of him breaking MLB's racially exclusionist color line.[29]
The number 35 was retired in honor of athletic trainer Marion "Spyder" Webb, who worked for the Mariners organization for 35 years, including for the AquaSox since their inception in 1995, until retiring in 2013.[30][31][32]
Notes
↑ Since 2021, High-A West and the Northwest League have not used divisions.
↑ As of 2022[update], the Northwest League championship is played between the teams with the best regular season records in each half of the season with no earlier playoff rounds.
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