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 .
22-697: After 23 summers without minor league baseball, Yakima returned to the Northwest League in 1990. The Salem Dodgers moved from Salem after the 1989 season, bringing with them their affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers . In 2001, the Bears changed their affiliation to the Arizona Diamondbacks . The Yakima Bears had been frustrated by the lack of progress on a new stadium that would meet minor league standards, even though
44-504: A 39-35 record, which was still only good enough to rank them third in the Oregon division, and the team did not qualify for the playoffs. Future Major leaguers include relief pitcher Chuck Finley , who went on to a long and successful career as a starting pitcher , SS Bobby Rose , and RP Frank Dimichele . Manager Hines returned for a second season, and again, he led his team to winning record (38-36), but they again finished third in
66-603: A convicted murderer serving time at the Oregon State Penitentiary to pitch a game, but Minor League Baseball threatened to ban Lightner if the convict played in the game. The team went on hiatus from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II. After the war, attorney Don Young helped raise $ 50,000 to buy the team and stadium from the Beavers in 1951. In 1961, the team was renamed the Dodgers after becoming
88-497: A farm team for the Los Angeles Dodgers . Players on the Dodgers' teams included future managers Bobby Cox and Jim Lefebvre . The Salem team ceased operations in 1966, at which time it was still a Class B team. On November 11, 1966, the already-condemned and mostly-wooden Waters Field burned down. A US Post Office and its parking lot stand on the site now. In 1977, the Salem Senators returned as an independent team in
110-623: A new stadium was built and opened in 1993 to meet similar demands, and a declining local economy. The Triple-A Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League had departed for Tucson after the 2010 season, so the Portland metropolitan area was without minor league baseball. In 2011, the city of Vancouver, Washington , presented a proposal on May 13 for a new ballpark to be built on the Clark College campus, ready to host
132-650: Is currently the manager of the Los Angeles Angels of the American League , won the Northwest League's Manager of the year award. The team's future Major league Baseball players include second baseman Mark McLemore , and four of their starting pitchers. These pitchers are Kirk McCaskill , who easily had the most extensive career of the four, Bob Kipper , Urbano Lugo , and Tony Mack . Returning manager Maddon and his Angels team's regular season record did not improve. Their 31–39 win–loss record
154-636: Is the current home of the Yakima Pippins of the West Coast League. Prior to 1993 the Bears played at Parker Field , located at 1000 S. 12th Avenue. Salem Senators 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
176-747: The Mavericks Independent Baseball League . The Senators were preceded in Salem by the Salem Raglans , who played the 1904 season in the Class D Oregon State League , claiming the championship when the Oregon State League permanently folded during the season. Salem finished with a 27–13 record, 5.5 games ahead of the second place Eugene Blues in the four–team league. The Raglans played their games at
198-525: The Western International League and relocated them from Bellingham, Washington , and then built the ballpark for $ 60,000. It was on the east side of 25th Street SE (bordering the third base line), about a block's length north of the angling Turner Road (later Mission St NE - roughly paralleling the first base line). (If Helms Street were extended east, it would have bordered the first base line.) [1] A crowd of 4,865 showed up for
220-642: The Yakima Pippins , reflecting the local area's apple -growing heritage, lasting until the 1941 season due to World War II. In 1946, as the WIL resumed play, Yakima again fielded a team, this time named the Yakima Stars , with their own team airplane. Renaming themselves the Yakima Packers for the 1948 season, the team finally settled on the Yakima Bears in 1949, lasting through the reformation of
242-564: The Capital Amateur Athletic Club (C.A.A.C.) Park, which was on the north side of Asylum Avenue (now Center Street NE) near the Asylum (now Oregon State Hospital ).[Oregon City Directory, 1905] On May 1, 1940, the first Senators' game was played at the new 5,000 seat Waters Field, which was also the first professional baseball game in the city. George E. Waters had bought the Class B Bellingham Chinooks franchise from
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#1732783018981264-591: The Class A Northwest League. They lost their first game on June 17 to the Portland Mavericks 9–8. Home games were at Holland Youth Park and then Chemeketa Community College . Founder and owner Carl Thompson was forced to sell the team in August 1978 to a group led by Ben Yates. After the 1981 season, team president Clint Holland signed a development agreement with the California Angels , and
286-684: The Dodgers again in 1988 and moved to Yakima, Washington in 1990 to become the Yakima Bears . The team returned to Oregon following the 2012 season as the Hops in Hillsboro . The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes later represented the Salem area in MiLB from 1997-2020. After Salem Again lost a MiLB team, in 2021, the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes ownership launched the four-team Mavericks Independent Baseball League at Volcanoes Stadium and revived
308-560: The Oregon division and did not qualify for the playoffs. Future Major Leaguers include OF Lee Stevens , pitchers Alan Mills , Mike Fetters , Roberto Hernández , and Colby Ward . Manager Hines departed, and his duties were given to Chris Smith. The team finished third in the Western division with a 34-41 record. It was to be the team's last season in the Northwest League, and future Major Leaguers include OF/3B Rubén Amaro, Jr. , C John Orton , and P Gary Buckels . The franchise became
330-553: The Oregon division. Future Major Leaguers from this team include OF / 1B Dante Bichette , who went on to a long and successful career with the Angels and the Colorado Rockies , OF Doug Jennings , Catcher Erik Pappas , 2B Pete Coachman , OF Brian Brady , and pitcher Sherman Corbett . For the 1985 season, manager Patterson was replaced with Bruce Hines , and the Angels finished with its first winning season, with
352-524: The Senators became the Salem Angels for the 1982 season. The Salem Angels' first season was both a disappointment and a success. They finished with a mediocre record of 34 wins and 36 losses, but their performance was good enough to lead the Northwest League's Northern Division. The playoffs provided the team's success, as the Angels won the league championship. Team manager , Joe Maddon , who
374-642: The WIL into the Northwest League , as the Bears became a charter member of the seven-team Class B NWL in the 1955 season. The team played at Parker Field , constructed in 1937 for the Pippins. The Bears' time in the early years of the NWL were fruitful, as they won six league titles in nine years (1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, and 1964). A fire in March 1962 destroyed the wooden grandstand at Parker Field, which
396-670: The Yakima Bears franchise for the 2012 season. After that deal fell through, the team received an offer sheet from Hillsboro , a suburb west of Portland, in June 2012 with plans to start play there in a new ballpark in 2013. Four months later on October 16, the team announced its upcoming move to Hillsboro and was renamed the Hillsboro Hops for the 2013 season. The Hops proceeded to win the 2014 and 2015 Northwest League championships. The Bears were replaced one year later with
418-547: The first game against the Yakima Pippins, which at the time was the largest sports crowd for an event in Salem. Waters died after the season, and in 1942 his widow sold the team to the Portland Beavers , who used it as a farm team . At the time, the Beavers were in the Pacific Coast League , a near-major league level league. During the 1942 season, player and business manager Al Lightner attempted to sign
440-647: The formation of the Yakima Valley Pippins of the West Coast League . The history of baseball in Yakima stretches back 104 years ago to 1920 with the short-lived Yakima Indians of the Class B level Pacific Coast International League . The Indians lasted only two seasons, closing in 1921 as the league became the Western International League in 1922. Yakima entered the WIL in 1937 as
462-406: Was only good enough for fourth in the league's Oregon division, and they did not qualify for the playoffs. Future Major Leaguers on this club were 3B /2B Jack Howell , and starter Ray Chadwick . Maddon moved onto Peoria for the 1984 season, and the managing duties were given to Larry Patterson. The team finished with its third consecutive losing season, with a 35-39 record, and finished third in
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#1732783018981484-638: Was quickly rebuilt. In April 1964, the team was renamed the Yakima Braves , due to an agreement with the Milwaukee Braves , their parent club since 1958 . The team played as the Braves for three seasons, through 1966. The 1966 season was the first for the NWL as a short season league. The Bears played at Yakima County Stadium . The park still is in use today, located at 1220 Pacific Avenue, Yakima, Washington. The stadium remains in use today and
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