Formerly | Western International League (1937–1954) High-A West (2021) |
---|---|
Classification | High-A (2021–present) Class A Short Season (1966–2020) |
Sport | Baseball |
Founded | 1955 |
No. of teams | 6 |
Countries | United States and Canada |
Most recent champion(s) | Spokane Indians (2024) |
Most titles | Spokane Indians (9) |
Official website | www |
The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league operated as the High-A West in 2021, then resumed its original moniker in 2022.
The Northwest League (or the Northwestern League) has existed in various forms since 1890, and has been in its current incarnation since 1955. [1] The current NWL is the descendant of the Western International League (WIL), a Class B league from 1937 to 1951 (with a stoppage during World War II) and Class A from 1952 to 1954. The league reformed as the Northwest League and dropped to Class B for the 1955 season. [2] [3] The WIL had ten teams in its final season, with four in Canada.
In 1955, the Northwest League was formed, with seven charter teams: Salem Senators, Eugene Emeralds, Yakima Bears, Spokane Indians, Tri-City Braves, Wenatchee Chiefs, and Lewiston Broncs. [4] [5] The league switched to the short season schedule in 1966; [6] between then and 1982, the NWL fluctuated between four, six, and eight clubs. In 1983, the league returned to an eight-team circuit, which it maintained through 2019.
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. [7] [8] As part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues, the Northwest League was promoted to High-A, reduced to six teams, and renamed the "High-A West" for the 2021 season. [9] The two dropped teams were the Boise Hawks and Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Following MLB's acquisition of the rights to the names of the historical minor leagues, the High-A West was renamed the Northwest League in 2022. [10]
Team | Founded | MLB affiliation | City | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eugene Emeralds | 1955 | San Francisco Giants | Eugene, Oregon | PK Park | 4,000 |
Everett AquaSox | 1995 | Seattle Mariners | Everett, Washington | Funko Field | 3,682 |
Hillsboro Hops | 2013 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Hillsboro, Oregon | Hillsboro Ballpark | 4,500 |
Spokane Indians | 1898 | Colorado Rockies | Spokane, Washington | Avista Stadium | 6,803 |
Tri-City Dust Devils | 2001 | Los Angeles Angels | Pasco, Washington | Gesa Stadium | 3,654 |
Vancouver Canadians | 2000 | Toronto Blue Jays | Vancouver, British Columbia | Nat Bailey Stadium | 6,500 |
League champions have been determined by different means since the Northwest League's formation in 1955. Except for 1956, 1960, and from 1966 to 1973, all seasons have ended with playoffs to determine a league champion. [11]
The Spokane Indians have won 9 championships, the most in the league. [11]
British Columbia
IdahoOregon
| Washington
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Eugene is the most-tenured city in the NWL, having fielded a team in all but five of the NWL's seasons (from 1969–73, they had a PCL franchise).
Eight alumni of the Northwest League are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame:
The Spokane Indians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Spokane Valley, the city immediately east of Spokane, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. The Indians are members of the High-A Northwest League (NWL) as an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Spokane plays its home games at Avista Stadium, which opened in 1958 and has a seating capacity of 6,752.
The Eugene Emeralds are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays their home games at PK Park.
The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league entirely based in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area and playing all their home games at Volcanoes Stadium. From 1997 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Northwest League as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. With the reorganization of baseball after the 2020 season, the Volcanoes were not offered a player development license with any Major League Baseball club, though the Volcanoes promised to continue play in 2021, a promise they kept in forming the Mavericks League.
The Portland Mavericks are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league created in 2021. The entire league, including the Mavericks, will play their games at Volcanoes Stadium in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. The owners of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a former San Francisco Giants' Minor League Baseball affiliate, bought the rights to the Mavericks to help create the league after the Giants ended the affiliation in 2020.
Volcanoes Stadium is a minor league baseball park in the northwest United States, located in Keizer, Oregon. It is the home field of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, formerly the Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in the short-season Northwest League. It now plays host to the Corban University baseball team full time. The Warriors participate at the NAIA level and are members of the Cascade Collegiate Conference. It also is the home to all four teams in the Mavericks Independent Baseball League.
The Western International League was a mid- to higher-level minor league baseball circuit in the Pacific Northwest United States and western Canada that operated in 1922, 1937 to 1942, and 1946 to 1954. In 1955, the Western International League evolved to become the Northwest League, which is still playing today.
The Lewiston Broncs were a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Lewiston, Idaho, and played from 1952 through 1974. Locally, the team was known as "Lewis-Clark" to include the adjacent twin city of Clarkston, Washington. The team's ballpark was Bengal Field, a few blocks southeast of the high school.
The Everett Giants were a minor league baseball team based in Everett, Washington, north of Seattle. The Giants were members of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League from 1984 through 1994 and were an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
The Bellingham Giants were a Minor League Baseball team in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League, based in Bellingham, Washington, for two seasons, and were an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. After years of struggling attendance, co-owners Jerry Walker and William Tucker moved the franchise south to Keizer, Oregon, and began play in 1997 as the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.
The Tri-City Atoms were a minor league baseball team located in Kennewick, Washington. The Tri-Cities in southeastern Washington, which include Kennewick, Richland, and Pasco, fielded a number of minor league teams in the Northwest League and its predecessor, the Western International League, from 1955 to 1974.
The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL), but in 2008 it was renamed as the West Coast League. The league is designed to develop college talent, and only current college-eligible players are allowed to participate. The West Coast League has produced dozens of professional players, including a number of major leaguers. League teams are operated similarly to professional minor-league teams. The WCL's season typically runs from early June through the middle of August.
The Wenatchee Chiefs were a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Wenatchee, Washington.
Class A Short Season was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced, and Class A. Teams in Class A Short Season played about 75 to 80 games per season, compared to the 130- to 140-game seasons of most professional baseball minor leagues.
The Yakima Bears were a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, located in Yakima, Washington. The Bears competed at the Class A Short Season level as members of the Northwest League from 1990 to 2012. Following the 2012 season, the franchise relocated to Hillsboro, Oregon, and became Hillsboro Hops.
The Hillsboro Hops are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, a city in the Portland metropolitan area. The Hops are members of the Northwest League and are the High-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They play their home games at Hillsboro Ballpark, which opened in 2013.
The Salem Senators are the longest lasting name used by several minor league baseball teams based in Salem in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team name derived from Salem being the capital of Oregon. The team was founded in 1940. The current incarnation competes in the Mavericks Independent Baseball League.
Bengal Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, located in Lewiston, Idaho. Opened 90 years ago in 1934 as a multi-sport athletic field, it is currently the football stadium for Lewiston High School, formerly located a few blocks to the northwest. The natural grass field runs conventionally north-south, with the main grandstand on the west sideline. The elevation of the field is approximately 860 feet (260 m) above sea level.
The Boise Buckskins were a minor league baseball team located in Boise, Idaho. They were members of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League (NWL) for a single season in 1978.
The Northwest League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual award given to the best player in Minor League Baseball's Northwest League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. League broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, and members of the media have previously voted as well. Though the league was established in 1955, the award was not created until 1981. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the High-A West in 2021 before reverting to the Northwest League name in 2022.
The Northwest League Manager of the Year Award is an annual award given to the best manager in Minor League Baseball's Northwest League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, and members of the media have previously voted as well. Though the league was established in 1955, the award was not created until 1956. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the High-A West in 2021 before reverting to the Northwest League name in 2022.