Mission Reds

Mission Reds; 1926 – 1937 ; San Francisco, California
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes	Double-A (1926–1937)
League	Pacific Coast League (1926–1937)
Team data
Previous names	Mission Reds (1926–1937)
Previous parks	Seals Stadium (1931–1937); Recreation Park (1926–1930);

Last updated January 04, 2022

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.

First Missions team

In early September of 1914, the failed Sacramento Solons team moved to San Francisco and renamed itself "Mission", in reference to San Francisco's Mission District. San Francisco newspapers had dubbed the Sacramento team the "Wolves", in reference to manager Harry Wolverton. The "Wolves" nickname followed them to San Francisco.

The Mission club continued to play the Sacramento schedule for the final seven weeks of the 200-plus games season. They staged their home games at Ewing Field (the 1914 season's regular home of the San Francisco Seals); and at Oaks Park (regular home of the Oakland Oaks), often playing their Sunday doubleheaders one game on each side of the Bay. The Missions' last home games came on Sunday, October 25, with the morning game in San Francisco and the afternoon game in Oakland.

There was newspaper chatter about the Missions moving to Recreation Park for 1915, but by then they had moved to Salt Lake City, where they became the Salt Lake Bees.

Origins in Los Angeles

The Mission Reds were born in Los Angeles in 1909, where they played under the name the Vernon Tigers. The team won two Pacific Coast League pennants during its 18-year stay in Southern California. Declining attendance forced owner Edward Maier to put the team up for sale after the 1925 season. A group of San Francisco businessmen led by Herbert Fleishhacker purchased the Tigers, moved the team to San Francisco for the 1926 season, and called the team the Mission Reds.

History in San Francisco

San Francisco's second baseball team during this time period, the Mission Reds, were rivals to the well-established San Francisco Seals. Fans seldom referred to the team by its full name "Mission Reds," preferring instead "the Missions." More often than not, the PCL standings in newspapers listed the team as the "Missions" or "Mission." The terms "Reds" and "Missions" were used synonymously in game reports.

Like its short-lived predecessor, the Mission Reds were supposed to represent San Francisco's Mission District. From 1926 to 1930, the team played home games at Recreation Park, also home to the Seals. When the Seals moved to their own ballpark, Seals Stadium (at 16th and Potrero Streets), in 1931, the Missions followed suit.

The Mission Reds were unable to establish a fan base during their 12-year stay in San Francisco, nor was the team able to replace the Oakland Oaks as the Seals' main rival. To most San Francisco baseball fans, the Missions were the team to watch only when the Seals were on the road.

The Missions finished first in the Pacific Coast League just once, in 1929; they lost the post-season series to the Hollywood Stars. The team had a 1,088-1,117 (.480) overall record. In 1935, Reds manager Gabby Street was suspended from the Pacific Coast League indefinitely for assaulting an umpire.^[1]

In 1938, two years after the Hollywood Stars moved to San Diego, owner Fleischaker, facing mounting losses on the field and at the gate, moved the Mission Reds back to Los Angeles. He renamed the team the Hollywood Stars.

Related Research Articles

The Pacific Coast League (PCL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the Western, Midwestern, and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it was one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which was one grade below Major League Baseball. It was officially named the Pacific Coast League of Professional Baseball Clubs, Inc. Its headquarters were in Round Rock, Texas. The PCL was replaced by Triple-A West.

The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Triple-A West 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 competed in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1960 to 2020 before joing the Triple-A West as a part of Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021. They operated under several monikers before becoming the Rainiers in 1995.

Los Angeles Angels (PCL) Minor League Baseball team

The Los Angeles Angels were a Minor League Baseball team based in Los Angeles that played in the "near-major league" Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957.

San Francisco Seals (baseball) 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.

Oakland Oaks (PCL) Minor League Baseball team

The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia. The team was named for the city and used the oak tree and the acorn as its symbols.

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 four teams to six. The Tigers effectively were a second team in Los Angeles, rivals of the existing Los Angeles Angels.

Hollywood Stars 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.

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.

The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which 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. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL. The team moved to Tacoma in 1904, returned to Sacramento in 1905, then left the PCL altogether for the next three seasons. The Solons rejoined the PCL in 1909, then moved to San Francisco during the 1914 season, finishing out the season as the San Francisco Missions. The team was sold to businessman Bill "Hardpan" Lane, who moved the team to Salt Lake City for the 1915 season as the Salt Lake Bees.

Samuel Braxton Gibson was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played five seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1926–28), New York Yankees (1930) and New York Giants (1932).

Albert George Cole was an American baseball pitcher.

Carl Eugene Zamloch was an American baseball player, manager, and coach, and magician.

The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Triple-A West 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 were members of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 2009 to 2020. They won the PCL championship in 2012 and went on to win the Triple-A National Championship Game.

Richard Brooks Holder was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned 17 seasons, all of which were spent in the minor leagues. Holder joined the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 1935 after a short stint that season in the Western League. Over his tenure in the PCL, he played for the San Francisco Seals, the Hollywood Stars (1943–45), the Oakland Oaks (1946–48), and the Portland Beavers (1951). His career minor-league batting average stands at .295 with 2,540 hits, 417 doubles, 117 triples, and 98 home runs in 2,492 games played. Despite being left-handed, Holder was used as a second baseman early in his career, a position that is usually reserved for right-handed players. After the 1937 season, he appeared exclusively as an outfielder. During his playing career, Holder stood at 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) and weighed 180 lb (82 kg).

Harry Rosenberg was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned 13 seasons, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Giants (1930). In the majors, he played nine games, getting five at-bats, one run scored, one base on balls, and four strikeouts. The majority of his baseball career was spent as an outfielder in the minor leagues.

The 1909 San Francisco Seals season was the seventh season in the history of the San Francisco Seals baseball team. The 1909 team won the Pacific Coast League (PCL) pennant with a 132–80 record. Dan Long was the team's manager

The 1929 Hollywood Stars season, was the fourth season for the original Hollywood Stars baseball team. The team, which began in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, moved to Hollywood in 1926 and played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL).

The 1937 San Diego Padres season, was the second season for the original San Diego Padres baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team began in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL. The team moved several times and were the Hollywood Stars from 1926 to 1935. Team owner Bill Lane moved the team from Hollywood to San Diego in 1936. The 1937 Padres won the PCL pennant after defeating Sacramento Solons and the Portland Beavers in post-season series.

William Louis Raimondi was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Minor League Baseball for 22 years, including 21 years in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). He played for the Oakland Oaks from 1932 to 1949, the Sacramento Solons from 1949 to 1950, and the Los Angeles Angels from 1951 to 1953. Raimondi is a member of the PCL Hall of Fame, elected in 1951.

References

↑ "Manager of Mission Reds Is Suspended". Madera Tribune. Madera, California. 31 August 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 10 September 2018.