Bellingham Giants
The Bellingham Giants were a Minor League Baseball team in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League, based in Bellingham, Washington from 1995-1996 and were an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. After years of struggling attendance co-owners Jerry Walker and William Tucker announced that they were moving the franchise to Keizer, Oregon were they began play in 1997 as the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.
| Bellingham Giants 1995–1996 Bellingham, Washington | |
| Minor league affiliations | |
|---|---|
| Class | Class A-Short Season |
| League | Northwest League |
| Division | North |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams | San Francisco Giants (1995–1996) |
| Minor league titles | |
| Division titles (1) | 1995 |
| Team data | |
Previous names | Bellingham Mariners (1977–1994) Bellingham Dodgers (1973–1976) |
| Colors | Black, orange, white |
Previous parks | Joe Martin Field |
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Sports Enterprises, Inc. |
History
The franchise arrived in 1973 as the Bellingham Dodgers, affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Major League Baseball returned to Seattle in 1977. The expansion Seattle Mariners placed their first minor league affiliate in Bellingham. The club would adopt the moniker of their parent club taking the name Bellingham Mariners, more often referred to as Baby M's. Bellingham enjoyed a long affiliation with the Mariners, lasting eighteen years from 1977-1994. Following the 1994 season the Mariners signed a player development contract with Everett, who had been a Giants affiliate since 1984. Everett would become the AquaSox. Seattle and San Francisco, essentially swapped affiliates as Bellingham inked an agreement with the Giants. Like their predecessors, who mirrored their parent clubs, the team took the name Giants.
In 1995 Bellingham went 43-33 on the year to earn the top spot in the north division. The Giants faced the Boise Hawks for the league crown. Boise bested Bellingham two games to one in the best of three Northwest League champions ship series. Despite winning a division title, the Giants struggled at the gate finishing that the bottom of the league in attendance.
The Giants returned in 1996. Bellingham finished with a record 39-36, falling a half game behind the division winning Yakima Bears. Attendance woes continued as the Giants failed to eclipse fifty thousand in attendance. Bellingham had long struggled with attendance. Following the 1996 franchise relocated to Keizer, Oregon[1] were they would open a new $7 million ballpark. The team would become the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes beginning play in 1997.
Ballpark
The Bellingham franchise played at Joe Martin Field, a venue with a seating capacity near 1,600. The park is currently the home of the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast League.[2]
Season-by-season record
| Season | PDC | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | Post-season | Manager | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham Giants | ||||||||||
| 1995 | SFG | North | 1st | 43 | 33 | .566 | Lost to Boise in championship series 1-2 | Glenn Tufts | 54,104 | |
| 1996 | SFG | North | 2nd | 39 | 36 | .520 | Shane Turner | 48,417 | ||
| Division winner | League champions |
Former players
- Bellingham Giants players (1995–1996)
References
- "Bellingham might lose team to Keizer". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. September 11, 1996. p. 5C.
- "Joe Martin Field". Bellingham Bells. Archived from the original on September 1, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
External links
- Stats Crew Bellingham Giants
- Baseball Reference Bellingham Giants
| Preceded by Bellingham Mariners |
Northwest League franchise 1995-1996 |
Succeeded by Salem-Keizer Volcanoes |