San Francisco Sea Lions

Last updated
San Francisco Sea Lions
Information
League
Location San Francisco, California
Established 1946
Disbanded 1946

The San Francisco Sea Lions were a Negro league baseball team in the West Coast Negro Baseball League, based in San Francisco, California, in 1946. [1] Following the collapse of the league, the Sea Lions played as an independent barnstorming team.

Contents

Demise

In 1949, the Sea Lions were engaged in tour of Western Canada, when money problems led to seven players leaving the team for the integrated Buchanan (Saskatchewan) All-Stars. [2]

In modern culture

The San Francisco Giants have paid homage to the Sea Lions by recreating and wearing their jerseys five times. The Giants wore a road jersey in 2014, and a home jersey once a season from 20212024.

2014

On May 3, 2014, the Giants wore the Sea Lions road jerseys against the Atlanta Braves in a regular season game at Turner Field. [3] The Braves wore a Negro leagues throwback uniform for the heritage game which were Atlanta Black Crackers uniforms. [4]

2021

On June 19, 2021, as part of their celebration honoring Juneteenth, the Giants wore replica uniforms of the San Francisco Sea Lions against the Phillies. The jerseys were intended to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the team that played in the West Coast Negro Baseball Association league during the 1940s. [5] During a pre-game ceremony, the family of Toni Stone, the first female known to play on a professional men's baseball team when she played for the Sea Lions, was given a jersey honoring her legacy. [6]

2022

On July 17 of 2022, the Giants honored African American Heritage Day at a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park by wearing Sea Lions uniforms and giving away Sea Lions caps to fans in attendance. [7]

2023

On August 26, 2023, the Giants and Oracle Park celebrated African American Heritage Day by wearing the Sea Lions uniforms during a game against the Atlanta Braves. [8]

2024

On June 20, 2024, the Giants and Cardinals played at Rickwood Field. The Giants wore the Sea Lions home uniforms despite being the designated away team. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third jersey</span> Jersey worn as an alternative to a home uniform or an away uniform during games

A third jersey, alternative jersey, third kit, third sweater or alternative uniform is a team jersey or uniform that a sports team can wear instead of its home outfit or its away outfit during games, often when the colors of two competing teams' other uniforms are too similar to contrast easily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rickwood Field</span> Baseball field in Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Rickwood Field, located in Birmingham, Alabama, is the oldest existing professional baseball park in the United States. It was built for the Birmingham Barons in 1910 by industrialist and team-owner Rick Woodward and has served as the home park for the Birmingham Barons and the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Throwback uniform</span> Sports uniform which mimics an older uniform of the team

Throwback uniforms, throwback jerseys, retro kits or heritage guernseys are sports uniforms styled to resemble the uniforms that a team wore in the past. One-time or limited-time retro uniforms are sometimes produced to be worn by teams in games, on special occasions such as anniversaries of significant events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Black Crackers</span> Black baseball team

The Atlanta Black Crackers were a professional Negro league baseball team which played during the early to mid-20th century. They were primarily a minor Negro league team; however in the brief period they played as a major Negro league team, they won the second half pennant of the Negro American League in 1938 but lost the play-off for the overall season title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Black Barons</span> Negro League Baseball team (1920-1960)

The Birmingham Black Barons were a Negro league baseball team that played from 1920 until 1960, including 18 seasons recognized as Major League by Major League Baseball. They shared their home field of Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, with the white Birmingham Barons, usually drawing larger crowds and equal press.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civil Rights Game</span> Series of Major League Baseball games

The Civil Rights Game was an annual game in Major League Baseball (MLB) that honored the history of civil rights in the United States. Its first two playings also marked an unofficial end to the league's spring training. The game was played annually from 2007 through 2015. In conjunction with the Civil Rights Game, MLB annually honored pioneers of civil rights with Beacon Awards.

The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on April 5, 2009; the regular season was extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins for the American League Central title. The postseason began the next day with the Division Series. The World Series began on October 28, and ended on November 4, with the New York Yankees defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. This was the second time the season was completed in November. The only other occasion was the 2001 World Series, because of the delaying of the end of that season due to the September 11 attacks as November baseball would be guaranteed when Game 4 was played on Sunday, November 1. Had the 2009 World Series gone the full seven games, Game 7 would've been played on November 5, the latest date ever scheduled for a World Series game. It became the latest date for a World Series game in 2022. The American League champion had home field advantage for the World Series by virtue of winning the All-Star Game on July 14 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, 4–3. In addition, the annual Civil Rights Game became a regular season game, and was played June 20 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, when the host Cincinnati Reds lost to the Chicago White Sox in an interleague game, 10–8. Both teams wore replicas of their 1965 uniforms in the contest.

The uniforms worn by Major League Baseball teams have changed significantly since professional baseball was first played in the 19th century. Over time they have adapted from improvised, wool uniforms to mass-produced team brands made from polyester. The official supplier for Major League Baseball uniforms is Nike, who has held the contract since 2020.

The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team.

The 2010 Major League Baseball season began April 4, with the regular season ending on October 3. The 2010 All-Star Game was played on July 13 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. The National League ended a 13-game winless streak with a 3–1 victory. Due to this result, the World Series began October 27 in the city of the National League Champion, the San Francisco Giants, and ended November 1 when the Giants defeated the American League Champion Texas Rangers, four games to one.

The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since 1976, and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since 1990. The 82nd edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 12 with the National League defeating the American League for the second straight year, by a score of 5–1. As had been the case since 2003, the league winning that game had home field advantage in the World Series. Accordingly, the World Series began on October 19, and ended on October 28, with the St. Louis Cardinals winning in seven games over the Texas Rangers.

The 2012 Major League Baseball season began on April 5 because during the MLB Spring Training it was the first of a two-game series between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. On November 22, 2011, a new contract between Major League Baseball and its players union was ratified, and as a result, an expanded playoff format adding two clubs would be adopted no later than 2013 according to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new format of the 2012 postseason to used the 1 game series of the Wild Card round of the format for the 2012 postseason only. The restriction against divisional rivals playing against each other in the Division Series round that had existed in previous years was eliminated, as the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees squared off in one of the best-of-five LDS in the American League. On April 4, 2012, it was the last day of the MLB Spring Training and ended with the new Marlins Park, as the newly renamed Miami Marlins hosted the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The regular season ended on Wednesday, October 3. The entire master schedule was released on September 14, 2011.

The 2013 Major League Baseball season started on March 31 with a Sunday night game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros. Opening Day for most clubs was a day later on April 1. The regular season ended on September 30, extended one day for a one-game playoff between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers to decide the second American League Wild Card winner.

The 2014 Major League Baseball season began on March 22 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The North American part of the season started on March 30 and ended on September 28.

The 2016 Major League Baseball season began on April 3, 2016, with a Sunday afternoon matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, the two teams with the best regular-season records in 2015, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The regular season ended on Sunday, October 2, 2016, and the postseason on Wednesday, November 2, 2016, with the Chicago Cubs coming back from a three games to one deficit to defeat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series and win their first championship since 1908.

The 2017 Major League Baseball season began on April 2 with three games, including the 2016 World Series champions Chicago Cubs facing off against the St. Louis Cardinals, the regular season ended in late September. The postseason began on October 3. The World Series began October 24 and Game 7 was played on November 1, in which the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games, to capture their first World Series championship in franchise history.

The 2018 Major League Baseball season began on March 29. The regular season ended on October 1, extended a day for tiebreaker games to decide the winners of the National League Central and National League West. The postseason began on October 2. The World Series began on October 23, and ended on October 28 with the Boston Red Sox defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to win their ninth World Series championship.

The 2019 Major League Baseball season began on March 20, while the regular season ended on September 29. It was the 150th anniversary of professional baseball, dating back to the 1869 foundation of the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The postseason began on October 1. The World Series began October 22 and ended October 30 with the Washington Nationals defeating the Houston Astros in seven games to win their first World Series championship. The entire schedule was released on August 22, 2018.

The 2023 Major League Baseball season (MLB) began on March 30. The 93rd All-Star Game was played on July 11, hosted by the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, with the National League winning, 3–2. The regular season ended on October 1, and the postseason began on October 3, and ended with Game 5 of the World Series on November 1. This season saw the introduction of several rule changes: in an effort to create a quicker pace of play, a pitch clock was introduced along with other minor changes, while limits on defensive shifts and larger bases were also introduced.

MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues was a Major League Baseball (MLB) specialty game played between the National League (NL) West's San Francisco Giants and the NL Central's St. Louis Cardinals on June 20, 2024. The game was played at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, the former home of the Negro leagues' Birmingham Black Barons, one day after Juneteenth. This was the first regular-season Major League Baseball (MLB) game played in the state of Alabama. The Cardinals won 6–5.

References

  1. 1946 San Francisco Sea Lions
  2. "1949 Buchanan Sea Lions". www.attheplate.com. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  3. Creamer, Chris (May 3, 2014). "Braves, Giants Wearing Throwbacks Tonight". sportslogos.net. Sports Logos News. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  4. "Streaking Giants use three HRs to power past slumping Braves". ESPN . ESPN. Associated Press. May 3, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  5. Pavlovic, Alex (June 16, 2021). "Giants to celebrate Juneteenth, wear SF Sea Lions jerseys". nbcsports.com. NBC Sports Bay Area.
  6. "Hoskins breaks out of slump with 6 RBIs, Phillies top Giants". ESPN.COM. ESPN. Associated Press. June 19, 2021.
  7. "African American Heritage Night - Special Event - San Francisco Giants". mlb.com.
  8. "Celebrate African American Heritage - Special Event - San Francisco Giants". mlb.com.
  9. Batchelor, Brett (February 28, 2024). "MLB releases promo video ahead of 'A Tribute to the Negro Leagues' game this summer at Rickwood Field". WBRC . Retrieved 2024-02-28.