The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball. A champion has been determined at the end of each season since the league was formed in 1903.
Through 1927, champions were usually the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the regular season. From 1928 to 1954, postseason playoffs were the predominant method of determining champions. Participants from 1936 to 1954 were the four teams with the highest winning percentages. After a period of postseason dormancy, the playoffs returned in 1963 along with the advent of a divisional alignment. From 1963 to 1977, the winners of each of two divisions vied for the championship. The league operated using a split season format from 1978 to 1997, with the winners of each half facing off for the right to play for the PCL crown. From 1998 to 2020, the league was split into two conferences of two divisions each. The division winners within each conference met to determine conference champions, and those winners competed for the league championship. The 2021 winner was the team with the best regular-season record. In 2022, the league championship was determined by a single playoff game between the East and West division winners. Beginning with the 2023 season, the league adopted a split season format, in which the league championship is determined by a best-of-three playoff series between the winners of each half of the season, with the winner meeting the champion of the International League in the Triple-A National Championship Game. [1]
The San Francisco Seals won 14 Pacific Coast League championships, more than any other team, followed by the Los Angeles Angels (12) and the Albuquerque Dukes and Portland Beavers (8). Among active PCL franchises, the Tacoma Rainiers have seven championships, the most of all teams, followed by the Sacramento River Cats (5) and the Oklahoma City Comets (3).
The Pacific Coast League was founded in 1903. [2] A league champion has been determined at the end of each season. With few exceptions, champions from 1903 to 1927 were simply the regular-season pennant winners—the team with the best win–loss record at the conclusion of the regular championship season. The first league champions were the Los Angeles Angels, who won by 27+1⁄2 games over the Sacramento Senators in 1903. [3]
The 1904 and 1905 seasons were contested as split seasons. Under this format, the schedule was split into two parts. The team with the best record at the end of the first season won the first pennant. Standings were then reset so that all clubs had clean records to begin the second season. If the first season winner also won the second season, they were declared the league champion. If a different team won the second season, the two winners would meet in a playoff series to determine the champion. [4] The Tacoma Tigers, winners of the first half of the 1904 season, won the first PCL playoff championship by defeating Los Angeles, who tied with Tacoma for the best record in the second half, 5–4–1, in a best-of-ten-games series. [5] [6] Roles were reversed in 1904 as Los Angeles bested Tacoma, 5–1. [5]
The only other playoffs during this period occurred in 1918. After two PCL cities, San Francisco and Salt Lake City, passed "work or fight" laws to aid the effort to win World War I, league directors voted to suspend the season after the games of July 14. A postseason series between the first-place Vernon Tigers and second-place Los Angeles was held to decide the champion. [7] Los Angeles won, 4–2. [8]
Playoffs were held briefly from 1928 to 1931, again involving a split season with the winners of each half meeting in a best-of-seven series to determine champions. [9] In 1928, the San Francisco Seals defeated the Sacramento Senators, 4–2, to win the first Governors' Cup. [5] The Seals and future winners of the playoffs were awarded a trophy cup named in recognition of the three states with PCL teams at the time: California, Oregon, and Washington. [5] The league returned to recognizing pennant winners as champions from 1932 to 1935. [9]
The Governors' Cup playoffs were revived and expanded from 1936 to 1954. Utilizing the Shaughnessy playoff system, the top four teams in the league, based on winning percentage, competed for the championship. The first round typically consisted of a best-of-seven series between the first and fourth-place teams and a series between the second and third-place teams. The winners of these semifinals then faced one another for the championship in a best-of-seven series. [9] The first four-team Governors' Cup was won in 1933 by the Portland Beavers, who defeated the Oakland Oaks, 4–1. [9] Financial problems resulted in the cancellation of the playoffs in 1950, 1952, and 1953 and the shortening of the final round to best-of-three series in 1951 and 1954. [9] The last Governors' Cup, awarded in 1954, was won by Oakland, who swept San Francisco for the title. [9]
Postseason play and the awarding of the Governors' Cup was discontinued from 1955 to 1962. [5] During this time, regular-season pennant winner were declared champions. The trophy itself was placed in the Helms Athletic Foundation Museum in Los Angeles in 1954, sold to a collector when the museum closed, and was subsequently stolen. A number of other trophies have been awarded to championship teams in later years during which postseason play occurred. The one given in the 1980s and early 1990s was four feet tall and incorporated three full-size baseball bats and a glove. One design from the mid-1990s resembled Major League Baseball's Commissioner's Trophy issued to World Series champions. From 1998 to 2019, the trophy was an engraved glass wedge fixed to a wooden base. [5]
The Pacific Coast League divided its teams into two divisions for the first time in 1963 after absorbing three teams from the former American Association, which had disbanded after the previous season. [10] From 1963 to 1977, the winners of each division met in a best-of-seven series (sometimes five) to determine a champion. [9] The playoffs were expanded to include two wild card teams in 1978. The winners of each division faced the second-place team in their own division, and the winners of these semifinals then played for the PCL championship, with each series being the best-of-five games. [5]
From 1979 to 1997, the PCL adopted a split season format while maintaining its divisional alignment. Typically, the first and second-half champions within each division played a semifinal series to decide division champions. The winners of these then played for the league championship. [11] In some instances, a team that won both halves of the season received a bye into the championship round, while in others the team in that division with the second-place full-season record was awarded a wild-card berth and became the first-place team's opponent. The divisional round began as a best-of-three contest, [11] but it was expanded to the best-of-five in 1983. The championship round was usually contested as a best-of-five series, but it became the best-of-seven in some seasons. [5]
The PCL expanded again in 1998 when the American Association, which had been revived in 1969, [10] dissolved for a final time after the 1997 season. [12] The league was then split into two eight-team conferences consisting of two four-team divisions. The division winners within each conference met in a best-of-five series to determine conference champions. Then, the conference winners played a best-of-five series to decide the league champion. [9]
The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [13] The Pacific Coast League ceased operations before the 2021 season in conjunction with Major League Baseball's (MLB) reorganization of Minor League Baseball. [14] In place of the league, MLB created the Triple-A West, a circuit divided into two divisions of four teams each. [15] Prior to the 2022 season, MLB renamed the Triple-A West the Pacific Coast League, and it carried on the history of the PCL prior to reorganization. [16] Rather than hold playoffs for its championship, the Triple-A West's 2021 title was awarded to the team with the best regular-season record. [17] The Tacoma Rainiers won this championship by two games ahead of the Sugar Land Skeeters. [18] In 2022, the winners of each division, East and West, met in a single game to determine the league champion. [19] Beginning in 2023, the regular-season was split into two halves, and the winners of each half meet in a best-of-three series for the league championship. [20] [21]
Year | Some years are linked to articles about the champion team's season |
---|---|
Score | Score of the championship series |
* | Co-champions |
P | Regular-season pennant winner (1936–1954) |
12 | Won both the first and second half of the season (1979–1997) |
WC | Wild card qualifier (1978–1997) |
Active Pacific Coast League teams appear in bold.
Team | Wins | Year(s) |
---|---|---|
San Francisco Seals | 14 | 1909, 1915, 1917, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1928, 1931, 1935, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1957 |
Los Angeles Angels | 12 | 1903, 1905, 1907, 1908, 1916, 1918, 1921, 1926, 1933, 1934, 1947, 1956 |
Albuquerque Dukes | 8 | 1972, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1990, 1994 |
Portland Beavers | 1906, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1932, 1936, 1983 | |
Seattle Rainiers (Seattle Indians/Angels) | 7 | 1924, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1951, 1955, 1966 |
Tacoma Rainiers (Tacoma Tigers/Giants/Cubs/Yankees) | 1904, 1961, 1969, 1978, 2001, 2010, 2021 | |
Hollywood Stars | 5 | 1929, 1930, 1949, 1952, 1953 |
Oakland Oaks | 1912, 1927, 1948, 1950, 1954 | |
Sacramento River Cats | 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2019 | |
Edmonton Trappers | 4 | 1984, 1996, 1997, 2002 |
Memphis Redbirds | 2000, 2009, 2017, 2018 | |
San Diego Padres | 1937, 1962, 1964, 1967 | |
Spokane Indians | 1960, 1970, 1973, 1974 | |
Oklahoma City Comets (Oklahoma City 89ers/Dodgers) | 3 | 1963, 1965, 2023 |
Omaha Storm Chasers | 2011, 2013, 2014 | |
Salt Lake City Gulls (Salt Lake City Bees/Angels) | 1959, 1971, 1979 | |
Vancouver Canadians | 1985, 1989, 1999 | |
Colorado Springs Sky Sox | 2 | 1992, 1995 |
Hawaii Islanders | 1975, 1976 | |
Las Vegas Aviators (Las Vegas Stars) | 1986, 1988 | |
New Orleans Zephyrs | 1998, 2001 | |
Phoenix Giants | 1958, 1977 | |
Reno Aces | 2012, 2022 | |
Sacramento Solons | 1938, 1939 | |
Tucson Toros | 1991, 1993 | |
Vernon Tigers | 1919, 1920 | |
El Paso Chihuahuas | 1 | 2016 |
Fresno Grizzlies | 2015 | |
Nashville Sounds | 2005 | |
Sugar Land Space Cowboys | 2024 | |
Tucson Sidewinders | 2006 | |
Tulsa Oilers | 1968 |
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).
The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team that plays in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the team will begin play at Daybreak Field at America First Square in 2025. The team previously played its home games at Smith's Ballpark from its opening in 1994 until the end of the 2024 season. Formerly 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.
The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy merchant sailing vessels known as clippers. The team has played their home games at Huntington Park since 2009. They previously played at Cooper Stadium from 1977 to 2008.
The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960. Tacoma has competed in the PCL since 1960, including the 2021 season when it was known as the Triple-A West. The team operated under several monikers before becoming the Rainiers in 1995.
The Las Vegas Aviators, formerly known as the Las Vegas 51s and Las Vegas Stars, are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Summerlin South, Nevada, a community in Las Vegas. The Aviators play their home games at Las Vegas Ballpark, a 10,000-seat facility which opened in 2019. The team previously played at Cashman Field from 1983 to 2018.
The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The Cubs have played their home games at Principal Park since 1992, replacing Sec Taylor Stadium which the Cubs used from 1969 to 1991.
The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named for Baseball Hall of Famer and Texas native Nolan Ryan, who was nicknamed "The Ryan Express." Ryan, along with son Reid Ryan and Don Sanders make up the team's ownership group, Ryan Sanders Baseball.
The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbirds play their home games at AutoZone Park, which opened in 2000 and is located in Downtown Memphis. The team previously played at Tim McCarver Stadium in 1998 and 1999.
The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which opened in 1996. The Indians previously played at Owen J. Bush Stadium from 1931 to 1996 and at two versions of Washington Park from 1902 to 1931.
The Oklahoma City Comets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their home games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, which opened in 1998 in the city's Bricktown district.
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, and play their home games at Werner Park, which opened in 2011. The team previously played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium from 1969 to 2010.
The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 seasons. They are based in West Sacramento, California, and play their home games at Sutter Health Park, which opened in 2000 and was known as Raley Field through 2019.
The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, which opened in 2009. The Aces have been members of the PCL since 2009, including the 2021 season in which it was known as the Triple-A West. They won the PCL championship in 2012 and 2022. Reno went on to win the Triple-A National Championship Game in 2012.
The Seattle Chinooks were a minor league baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. In 1903, the Seattle Chinooks became charter members of the Class A level Pacific National League, placing third in their only season of play. The franchise was placed in Seattle by the Pacific National League opposite the Seattle Siwashes of the Pacific Coast League. The Chinooks hosted minor league home games at YMCA Park.
The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in El Paso, Texas, and play their home games at Southwest University Park, which opened in 2014. The Chihuahuas moved to El Paso from Tucson, Arizona, where they were known as the Tucson Padres. They played in the PCL until the 2021 restructuring of the minor leagues when they shifted to the Triple-A West, but this league was renamed the PCL in 2022. The Chihuahuas won the PCL championship in 2016.
The Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year Award is an annual award given to the best manager in Minor League Baseball's Pacific Coast League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, members of the media, coaches, and other team representatives from the league's clubs have previously voted as well. Though the league was established in 1903, the award was not created until 1967. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the Triple-A West in 2021 before reverting to the Pacific Coast League name in 2022.
The Vancouver Canadians were a Minor League Baseball team of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League from 1978 to 1999. They were located in Vancouver, British Columbia and played their home games at Nat Bailey Stadium.
The 1934 Los Angeles Angels season was the 32nd season in the history of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team. They won the Pacific Coast League (PCL) pennant with a 137–50 record, the best record in league history. Jack Lelivelt was the team's manager. The team played its home games at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles.
Specific
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)General
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)