The Golden State Baseball League

[cochrane]

Hey guys. I finally found the db after I thought I lost it, but would there be any interest in reading a continuation of this dynasty?

[bucketsndimes]

I just read your first few posts and I've got to say...yes!

[cochrane]

Part Five: The Sophomore Season (1989)

The very first spring training began in early April, when pitchers and catchers reported back to where it all started: San Jose Municipal Stadium. The Golden State Baseball League spent four million to renovate the facility by purchasing the soccer field across the street and turning it into a professional training facility. The land use measure passed during the November elections in 1988 after the San Jose City Council approved the proposition and presented it to the voters. The terms of the new facility required discounted use by the athletic department of San Jose State University, which Jake and Henry were only too happy to agree.

The major difference between the sophomore league's spring training and it's more established elder cousin, Major League Baseball, was the fact that all two hundred eighty players that showed for the training, were contracted to play on each of the four teams. Spring training, therefore, was a more relaxed environment of sportsmanship and camaraderie. They agreed to foster competition on the field during the regular season, but until June 5th arrived, they were all GSBL players. They all wore gold and white sweats distributed by the league, and all the coaches and managers came together to transfer knowledge to everyone.

The spring training games began on May 6th. The first exhibition game took place at 1:05pm at Muni, between the Sacramento Grizzlies and the San Jose Bombers. San Jose won, 9-8, in the eleventh inning.

While the exhibition season took place, the owners' meetings convened at the GSBL offices in San Jose. The new owners of the recently awarded Santa Cruz and Modesto franchises attended for the first time, and announced that they would be ready to enter the league in time for the 1990 season. The city of Santa Cruz approved the stadium construction of "Boardwalk Park," while Modesto approved the upgrade and expansion of John Thurmond Field. Thurmond Field would have its capacity increased from 3,500 to 9,000, and the Modesto team would have to share the field with the single A minor league ball club. A separate clubhouse would be constructed for the new team, though the front office would be temporarily housed in an office building in downtown Modesto.

Additionally, the two teams unveiled their nicknames, logos, and uniforms:




Coming up: Final Stats for 1989.

-- ZC

[cochrane]

Part Five, continued:

4th Place: Sacramento Grizzlies (22-32, .407 PCT, 8.0 GB)
From first to worst in a single season, the Sacramento Grizzlies offseason changes proved to be a disaster. The one move that seemed to be a plus, was the trade of Paul Butler for draft pick Cody Meyer. Butler batted .328 for the Grizzlies, with 21 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .468. He proved his worth to Sacramento, earning a one-year extension at the end of the year. On the pitching side, the team's ERA hovered around 5.05, the worst in the league. The bright spot in the rotation was Orlando Cordero. Cordero posted a 2.30 ERA in spite of a 7-5 season and led the league in complete game victories (5), shutouts (1), opposition slugging percentage (.308), and innings pitched (94.0). He tied with four others to lead the league in wins. Following the end of the season, the Grizzlies made some major changes. The first was the firing of GM Brad Beauregard and manager Joseph "Joe" Helyar. Beauregard's constant disagreements with the team ownership group led to his dismissal. While his departure was seen as fitting by the Sacramento Bee, the firing of championship winning manager Helyar was decried in the press as a mistake. They would later sign Dominican minor league bench coach Carlos Hernandez to a five-year contract. Hernandez had big shoes to fill, and the Bee's beat writers were not too keen on him from the start.

3rd Place: San Jose Bombers (27-28, .509 PCT, 2.5 GB)
Once again, San Jose fell to third place, one and a half games out of playoff contention. In spite of the lack of playoff appearance, the San Jose Mercury News praised manager William "Billy" Carr for his ability to keep the team above the 500 mark in the face of tougher teams such as Fresno and Chico. The Sacramento-San Jose rivalry was in full force, and at times seemed to be a larger concern than the Governor's Cup, with San Jose winning the season series, 9 games to 8. The big news was left fielder Ken Rainey, the very first triple crown winner in the history of the Golden State Baseball League, with a .351 BA, 14 home runs, and 44 RBIs. From the rotation, starter Toshiki Hirayama won his second Westphalen Medal, with a league-leading 7 wins, 2.09 ERA, and 95 strikeouts. The medal ceremony was held at San Jose Municipal Stadium before a sellout crowd in late August, during the Bombers Fan Festival. At the festival, GM Greguorio Arenos announced his plans to resign, paving the way for the league to locate a new GM. As luck would have it, former Grizzlies GM Brad Beauregard happened to be available, and he was signed to a five-year contract as the Bombers' new General Manager. The post-script to the year's story was not the GM shuffle, but the sudden departure of Ken Rainey, following his historic performance in 1989. The Oakland Athletics pursued the twenty-seven year old during the year to bolster their outfield, and following the end of 1989 MLB season, he was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training in 1990.

2nd Place: Chico Pioneers (29-26, .527 PCT, 1.5 GB)
Chico's offseason moves only helped the team make a second consecutive playoff appearance in 1989. This time, they were determined to use the playoff berth to prove that they weren't a fluke. The top three batting stars of the Pioneers were left-fielder Yusef bin Abu Bakr, center fielder Jose "Clang" Cote, and first baseman Nelson Hunter. Together, they posted a .315 batting average, 11 home runs, and 38 RBIs, respectively, to collectively ensure that the Pioneers could produce runs when they needed to. They batted second, third, and fourth in every game and clawed their way to second against a tough team from San Jose. From the rotation, Rob 'Animal' Alleyne led a team of aggressive and hungry starters that included Tom Morrison (6-3, 3.36 ERA). Though the team ERA was third in the league, they managed to their offense to get the job done in the face of monster scores such as the 10-1 win against Fresno in July, and the 17-2 massacre against Sacramento in June. Manager Luis Gomez continued to show his managerial prowess by adjusting his team's strategy from inning to inning, often to victories against the tougher lineups in the league. The Chico Enterprise-Record espoused Gomez' ability to snatch victory from defeat on several occasions in utilizing his entire roster from game-to-game and fostering a team environment that proved that even on a team without a notable hero, they could play together as a team of heroes, instead. Both Gomez and GM Tze-meng Gai were retained within their contracts. Gai was later praised as the winningest GM in the league.

1st Place: Fresno Suns (30-24, .556 PCT)
Unlike their counterparts to the north, the Fresno Suns went from worst to first. Manager Tom Ruffin and GM Joe Holmes' moves in the offseason were determined to ensure that the Suns did not finish in the cellar, but even they couldn't have predicted winning the league pennant for a very rabid fan base. First Round Draft Pick Paul Crittenden was the star of the team in almost every game, ending his career-best season with a .348 batting average, 8 home runs, and 40 runs batted in. He would win the league's coveted Holbrook Medal for the most valuable player that season. Fifth-spot hitter, outfielder Tom Andersen, supported Crittenden's position by hitting 13 home runs and leading the team in runs batted in with forty-one. Andersen came in second behind San Jose's Ken Rainey in both home runs and RBIs; he was honored with the team MVP award at the year-end celebration in Fresno in late August. Starter Lorenzo Garza and closer Jose Molina combined for 9 wins and 11 saves, and an ERA of 2.90 to provide the team with a strong defensive base from which to draw victories. In spite of taking the pennant, the Suns were defeated by a stronger Chico team in the Governor's Cup Series.

Playoffs: Chico over Fresno, 3 games to 0.

League Standings
Team    	        W	L	PCT	GB
Fresno Suns     	30	24	.556	-	
Chico Pioneers   	29	26	.527	1.5	
San Jose Bombers	28	27	.509	2.5
Sacramento Grizzlies	22	32	.407	8.0

L1 Wild Card
Team	                W	L	PCT	GB	
Chico Pioneers	        29	26	.527	-	
San Jose Bombers	28	27	.509	1.0
Sacramento Grizzlies	22	32	.407	6.5

Season End Awards:

• 1B P. Crittenden of the Fresno Suns honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Holbeck Medal.
• SP T. Hirayama of the San Jose Bombers honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Westphalen Medal.
• CL J. Molina of the Fresno Suns honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Rookie of the Year.
• SP A. Reese of the Sacramento Grizzlies honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Golden Glove Award at P.
• C A. Palmer of the San Jose Bombers honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Golden Glove Award at C.
• 1B N. Hunter of the Chico Pioneers honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Golden Glove Award at 1B.
• 2B P. Butler of the Sacramento Grizzlies honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Golden Glove Award at 2B.
• 3B H. Hayes of the Sacramento Grizzlies honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Golden Glove Award at 3B.
• SS S. Campos of the Fresno Suns honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Golden Glove Award at SS.
• LF K. Rainey of the San Jose Bombers honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Golden Glove Award at LF.
• CF A. Daniels of the San Jose Bombers honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Golden Glove Award at CF.
• RF M. Washington of the Fresno Suns honored: Wins the 1989 GSBL L1 Golden Glove Award at RF.

Coming Up: Part Six (1990)

-- ZC

[cochrane]

Part Six: The Second Offseason

The ceremony at the Governor's Mansion to present the Cup to the Chico Pioneers saw more pageantry than in the first year of the Golden State Baseball League. Governor Deukmejian assured Jake Westphalen and Hank Holbrook that in spite of the major league and minor league franchises within the state, California was big enough for all types of baseball, professional and semi-professional alike. So much so was his support, that the Governor promised to have his party introduce a bill in the State Assembly, praising the efforts of the new league to bring baseball back to its smaller communities.

At the start of the winter meetings amongst owners, general managers, managers, coaches, and players at the San Jose Civic Center, the league unveiled the most recent photographs of Santa Cruz' brand new Boardwalk Park; the home of the Santa Cruz Coasters. Although the grass had not yet been laid, the facility was nearing completion and would be ready for opening day, 1990. The sight of a ballpark built specifically for the new league brought about a real step forward for the group of owners. Modesto's John Thurmond Field now had an additional complex for their team, and the outfield grass now housed bleachers to accommodate the increase in the park's capacity.

With the success of the second full season behind the young league, Jake Westphalen and Hank Holbrook were ready to declare the league viable. Whereas they had been met with rejection in several cities in inviting them to bid on franchises within the league, the financial success of the league and the increased revenue the teams brought to Sacramento, Chico, San Jose, and Fresno were beginning to open doors that had previously been welded shut when they approached them prior to 1988. Cities like Long Beach, Stockton, Vallejo, and Bakersfield were now approaching the league during the winter meetings. Representatives of their local governments offered incentives to award the cities with an expansion agreement. The Commissioner of the GSBL, Jake, along with the group of owners determined that as long as there was a person or persons willing to put up the seed money to own a new franchise, then there would be a franchise to award to those people.

Stockton and Long Beach had the most attractive offers. San Bernardino, San Buenaventura, and Bakersfield all made their bids for a franchise, while Vallejo decided to maintain a wait-and-see attitude with regard to the planned expansions. It was determined by the owners to expand the league no more than once every three to four years, and only in even numbers. Also, it was decided that once the league exceeded six teams, to separate the league into divisions of four. After that, no division would be allowed to contain more than five teams and no less than three. In order to accomodate the newer owners, the player salary cap was reduced to 400k for the time being. This had little effect on the current salaries, as no player made above $250k at the time.

Other matters discussed at the meeting was the sudden influx of foreign players into the league. Many players from Latin countries and Japan began to see a marked rise in participation as team owners made use of their scouts in those countries. The Chico Pioneers had a player from the Middle East who gained some notoriety in playing with the team. Their concern was the lack of available slots open to people living in those communities, and whether the idea of holding open tryouts remained a good idea in the long run. Being the libertarian that he was, Hank suggested that the owners maintain good faith amongst each other by limiting themselves to a percentage of foreign players, but it was met with sound rejection as San Jose and Sacramento made use of Japanese players imported from the Nippon Professional Baseball league. Two-time Westphalen-winner and starting pitcher Toshiki Hirayama, as well as third baseman Masahiro Sasaki were both lured away in order to play for their respective teams. Many of the managers and coaches were from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. No, they all agreed that the use of foreign players would remain the sovereign right of the owners and managers. It would be the best man for the job, regardless of quotas.

In the end, as some players were traded and others signed on as free agents, it was decided to award Stockton and Long Beach provisional franchises, on the agreement that by this time next year, they would both have land use and city approval to back it. If all worked out, both cities would enter the league in 1993. If not, they would allow San Bernardino and Long Beach to move up their bid from 1995.

What they didn't know then, was... San Bernardino would be getting a team whether they liked it or not.

Coming Up: A Tale of Two (New) Cities (the 1990 season)

-- ZC

[cochrane]

Part Seven: A Tale of Two (New) Cities

Excerpted from the Modesto Bee (August 1, 1990)

A Tale of Two (New) Cities
by Lester J. Morgan, Beat Writer

The Modesto Sergeants finished their final game of their first season in the golden State Baseball League yesterday night, losing to the San Jose Bombers with a score of 18 to 2. Fans of San Jose and Modesto witnessed the highest scoring game in league history, with both runs for the Sergeants coming off of home runs from outfielders Alberto Cruz and Antonio Reynoso (both expansion draftees from the 1989 league champion Chico Pioneers). It was, by no means, a heartbreaking loss for the struggling Sergeants. The game served as a fitting epitaph to their freshman season.

However, in spite of the dismal 10 win-44 loss season, fans continued to stream into the recently remodeled John Thurman Field every home game since Opening Day exactly two months ago today. The Sergeants consistently outsell their Major League-affiliated roomies, the Modesto Athletics on the nightly basis, and this reporter felt that there had to be a reason why.

"It's not whether they win or lose," says Patrick Heller, 72, a shop owner from West Modesto, "these guys are playing for us. The minor leaguers are always playing with one eye on the door to the double-A league, but these guys are here to stay. It's like watching baseball during the old days, when players would stick to a team for most or even all of their careers. Now, we get a little bit of that right here in our town." Heller is one of over two thousand season ticket holders; he regularly perches in his seat right behind home plate. "It's fun to heckle the umpires and see if you can get them a riled up." When asked if he ever did, he nodded enthusiastically, "Oh yes! There was a home plate ump that threatened to have me and my daughter ejected from the park, but he never did."

Jaime Moreland, 22, a student at CSU Stanislaus adds, "I love watching major league baseball, but I love how this new league brings the fun back to it. The prices are reasonable and you always have fun no matter what." She and her friends at the university make it a point to follow the team on the road in Sacramento and San Jose, using the USENET boards on their computers.

The other new team in the league, the Santa Cruz Coasters, have had sellout crowds at least twice a homestand, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, when they package promotions with the nearby Beach Boardwalk. A bit of a rivarly has been constructed between the two new teams, but none as ferocious as when Fresno comes to town.

"Oh, they seem to have our number, but it's just the first year," says Enrique Ordonez, 31, a rancher from Turlock. "I go down to Fresno sometimes with the family when they're playing. Let the guys know they have made a fan of us. We're not the only ones." In fact, at least twenty people make the drive down Route 99 to Fresno to cheer for their home team when they're on the road. Can the A's say the same?

So now, fans of the Golden State Baseball League are keeping an eye on the Governor's Cup Series taking place in Sacramento starting tomorrow, with the second place Bombers visiting the league pennant winning Sacramento Grizzlies. The first game has already been sold out, and when this reporter inquired on whether or not anyone from Modesto would be attending, it was surprising to hear at least a handful of them reply in the affirmative. As with the rest of the Sergeant fans, this reporter is eager to see if their sophomore season in the league will prove to be the start of a new dynasty in this very young league.