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Kalamazoo Kings

Kalamazoo Kings

The Kalamazoo Kings are a minor league baseball team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The team is a member of the independent Frontier League, and is not associated with any Major League Baseball team. Players are able to sign with Major League Baseball organizations throughout the Frontier League season. Current Kings' pros include Joe Gerber and Trevor Brown with the San Diego Padres, and Chris Carter of the Baltimore Orioles. Other notable former Kings include Northwest Missouri State stand out Delton Kruk, University of Arkansas catcher Ike Pohle and former Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim prospect Chris Hill. The Kings average just under 5,000 fans per game. The team plays at Homer Stryker Field, and their games are broadcast on Kalamazoo radio stations WKLZ and WQSN. Category:Minor league baseball teams Category:Michigan sports

Minor league baseball

:Part of the History of baseball series. History of baseball Minor baseball leagues are North American professional baseball leagues that compete at a level below that of Major League Baseball. All the leagues are operated as independent businesses, but all of the best-known leagues are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues that have agreements to operate as affiliates of Major League Baseball. Several leagues, known as independent leagues, have no links whatsoever to Major League Baseball, and thus are not members of Minor League Baseball (the organization). Each league affiliated with Minor League Baseball is composed of teams that are independently owned and operated but directly "affiliated" with one major-league team. For example, the Albuquerque Isotopes are an affiliate of the Florida Marlins. The purpose of the system is to develop players available to play in the major leagues on demand. Today, twenty minor baseball leagues operate with 246 member clubs in large, medium and small towns as well as the suburbs of major cities across the United States and Canada. Minor league baseball also goes by the nickname the "farm system," "farm club," or "farm team(s)," because of a joke passed around by major league players in the 1930s when St. Louis Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey formalized the system and teams in small towns were "growing players down on the farm like corn."

History

Baseball evolved in the mid-to-late 19th century from an amateur pastime into an organized professional sport. Teams organized, and formed leagues. Leagues merged with other leagues until there were more than 35 powerful leagues playing all over the country. During that time, the leagues began paying players, making baseball "professional" for the first time. Of the all of the leagues, the most powerful and the one whose players received the most attention were the ones that held New York City, the media capital of America whose journalists' stamp on anything made it the biggest and best in the country. All of the attention and the large populations of places like Manhattan and Brooklyn give the National League its biggest advantage: money. Large crowds meant more money to pay for the best players. The National League would pluck players from other leagues, and sign them to contracts that allowed them to own that player's rights to play baseball anywhere, anytime. This type of contract came to be known as the reserve clause. It was one of the most hated aspects of the business of baseball, both by players and by other leagues who spent time and money developing talent, only to have it plucked away from them. Thus the National League, which arose as the dominant and controlling force of the New York baseball scene, became the first "major" league. In the late 1890s, the Western League run by the fiery Ban Johnson decided to challenge the National League's position. In 1900, he changed the name of the league to the American League and vowed to make deals to sign contracts with players who were dissatisfied with the pay and terms of their deals with the National League. This led to a nasty turf war that heated up in 1901 enough to concern Patrick T. Powers, president of the Eastern League, and many other independent league owners. They worried about the conflict spilling over into their operations. Representatives from many of the independents met at the Leland Hotel in Chicago, Illinois on September 5, 1901. In response to the National-American battle, they agreed to form the second National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, called the NABPL, or "NA" for short. (The "NA" uses the name Minor League Baseball today.) Powers was made the first president of the NABPL, whose offices were established in Auburn, New York. The purpose of the NA at the time was to maintain the independence of the leagues involved. Several did not sign the agreement, and continued to work independently. In 1903 the dog fight between the American and National Leagues ended in the [http://roadsidephotos.sabr.org/baseball/1903NatAgree.htm National Agreement of 1903]. The NABPL became involved in the later stages of the negotiations to develop rules for the acquisition of players from their leagues by the National and the American. The NA was signed because players were being pilfered from clubs in other leagues with little or no compensation to the teams. The 1903 agreement ensured that teams would be compensated for the players that they had taken the time and effort to scout and develop. No NA team was required to sell their players, although most did because the cash became an important source of revenue for most teams. These leagues were still fiercely independent, and the term "minor" was seldom used in reference to them, save by the major-market sports writers. News did not travel far in the days before heavy television and radio, so, while the leagues often bristled at the major market writers descriptions, their viewpoint of the situation in that day was that they were independent sports businesses, no more and no less. Many baseball writers of that time regarded the greatest of the leagues in the NA, such as Buzz Arlett, Jigger Statz, Ike Boone, Buddy Ryan, Earl Rapp and Frank Shellenback, as equal to some major league stars. In 1922 the US Supreme Court decision which grants baseball a special immunity from antitrust laws had a major effect on the minor leagues. The special immunity meant that the American and National leagues could dictate terms under which every independent league did business. By 1925 major league baseball crammed down a flat-fee purchase of $5,000 for the contract of any player from an NA league team. This power was leveled primarily at the Baltimore Orioles, then a Triple-A team that had dominated the minors with stars such as Babe Ruth and Lefty Grove because owner Jack Dunn refused to sell them to the majors for years. Leagues in the NA would not be truly called "minor" until Branch Rickey developed the first modern "farm system" in the 1930s. The Commissioner of Baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis fought Rickey's scheme, but ultimately the Great Depression drove teams to establish systems like Rickey's to ensure a steady supply of players, because many NA and independent teams could not afford to keep their doors open without the patronage of major league baseball. The leagues of the NA became subordinate to the major leagues, the first "minor" leagues. Other than the Pacific Coast League, which under its president Pants Rowland tried to become a third major league in the Western states, the other leagues maintained autonomy in name, with total dependence upon the American and National league in economic and political fact.

Where the players come from

Only 25 of the players on the major league 40 Man Roster play for the major league baseball club, except from September 1 to the end of the regular season, when all major-league teams are allowed to expand their gameday rosters to 40 players. The remaining 15 players play at some level of the minor leagues, usually at the Triple-A level. Players on the 40 Man Roster are members of the Major League Baseball Players Association. They work at the lower end of major league pay scales, and are covered by all rules and player agreements of the PA. This allows the other 15 players to play every day, rather than spend time sitting on the bench. Minor league players not on the 40 Man Roster are under contract to their parent major league baseball club, but have no union. They generally work for far less pay, starting at Rookie (lowest) to Triple-A (highest). Many players have signing bonuses and other additional compensation that can run into the millions of dollars, although that is far more rare.

How Affiliation Works

Major league clubs in the modern farm system will enter into affiliation agreements with several teams to develop players at each class-level. Each major-league team has agreements with one AAA team, one AA team, at least two at A level (including Short-Season A), and at least one in a US-based Rookie League. Class A ball used to be divided into High-A and A levels. Minor League Baseball eliminated the distinction in 2002, but the system still develops players by moving them through the California and Carolina leagues in the same way that has been done for decades. Twenty-one major league teams have a Short-Season A affiliate and a Rookie affiliate. Teams without a Short-Season A affiliate will invariably have at least two rookie franchises. All clubs keep one Rookie team in a US system, like the Gulf Coast League or the Arizona League. Teams can have several additional Rookie League clubs, depending upon whether the teams participate in the rookie leagues in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela or Mexico. In some cases in the Dominican Summer League, teams may also split control of a rookie club. Affiliations are contracts that can be drawn up from one to five years. The major league club pays player salaries. The minor league club handles all other operations and operational expenses. Affiliations between teams change for financial or competitive reasons, or as the result of a move. The New Orleans Zephyrs of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League were affiliated with the Houston Astros through 2004. However, this changed for 2005 because Nolan Ryan's minor league baseball business expanded. The Round Rock Express, a Class-AA club in the Austin suburb of Round Rock, was moved to Corpus Christi and renamed the Corpus Christi Hooks. The Edmonton Trappers, which had been purchased by Ryan in 2003, moved from Canada to Round Rock to become the new Triple-A edition of the Express. The Canadian franchise had been affiliated with the Montréal Expos, now the Washington Nationals. Houston, with its relationship with Nolan Ryan (the Astros are one of three teams that have retired the Hall of Famer's jersey number), and its ability to improve its fan base across a wider area in Texas, moved its AAA affiliation to Round Rock. The Zephyrs, to remain in the affiliated system, had to sign with the Nationals or find another club who was willing to swap affiliations for the Nationals. Presently, the longest continuous link between major-league and minor-league clubs is the link between the Orioles and their Rookie-level Appalachian League affiliate, the Bluefield Orioles. This affiliation has existed since 1958.

Today's Farm System

Levels of Talent

Two or three leagues at a time are grouped into different classes based on the ability and readiness of their typical players. From highest to lowest, the levels are:
- Class AAA - Teams are typically in the largest metropolitan areas without Major League Baseball franchises. Usually holds the remaining 15 players of the 40 man roster who are not eligible to be on the major league club. Often times referred to as a "parking lot" because many major-league quality players are held in reserve for emergencies at the major league level. Players at this level from the 40-man roster of a major-league team can be invited to come up to the major league club once the major-league roster expands on September 1. For teams in contention for a pennant, it gives them fresh arms and bats. For those not in contention, it gives them an opportunity to evaluate their "next best" players for the next season.
- Class AA - This is the fastest-moving, most fluid group of players. Usually located in mid-sized cities. Many will jump to the major league from this level. A small handful of players can be placed here to start, usually veterans from foreign leagues with more experience in professional baseball.
- Class A baseball players are honing their skills. Usually located in small or mid-sized cities or suburbs of large cities. They usually have particular issues to work out: Control for pitchers, consistency for batters are the two most frequent reasons someone stays in Class A baseball. The class has been divided into two levels since Minor League Baseball made an adjustment in 2002, although most experts still recognize three because players are promoted by major league clubs as they always have been:
  - High-A - One level below Double-A, the California League, Florida State League, and the Carolina League remain at a higher level of play. Often a second or third promotion for a minor-league player, although a few high first-round draftees, particularly with college experience, and players burning up the foreign rookie leagues will jump to this level. These leagues play a complete season. Several younger Japanese, Taiwanese, Korean and Australian baseball players get their start as American "rookies" at this level.
  - Low-A - Full season leagues like the South Atlantic League and Midwest League are a mix of high-quality first-season rookies from the current year's draft and signings, and players moving up from the Short-Season leagues.
- Short-Season Leagues - As the name implies, these leagues play a shortened season, starting in June and ending in early September. The late start to the season is designed to give major-league teams time to sign their draftees and immediately place them in a competitive league. Players in these leagues are a mixture of newly-signed draftees and second-year pros who either weren't ready to move on, or for whom there was not space at a higher level to move up.
  - Short-Season A - Consists of the New York-Penn League and Northwest League and is the highest level short-season affiliate for 22 Major League organizations. The remaining 8 MLB clubs have their highest level short-season affiliate in either the Appalachian or Pioneer Leagues. In many instances players drafted out of college will begin their careers at this level, while high-school draftees will begin their careers in either an Advanced-Rookie or Rookie League.
  - Advanced Rookie League - Comprised of the Appalachian League and the Pioneer League, this level is a mix of recent draftees and second-year players. The reason being that this is the entry level affiliate for some Major League organizations, such as the Houston Astros who do not have an affiliate in either rookie league. Instead, the Astros have a team in the Appalachian League (Greeneville Astros) and New York-Penn League (Tri-City ValleyCats). For other Major League organizations, such as the Milwaukee Brewers, this serves as their highest level short-season affiliate. The Brewers have a team in the Pioneer League (Helena Brewers) and a team in the Arizona League (Phoenix Brewers), but do not have an affiliated club in either the New York-Penn or Northwest Leagues.
  - Rookie League - The lowest level of Minor League Baseball, the leagues here are also short-season leagues. In the United States, team rosters of the Gulf Coast League and the Arizona League consist of newly-signed draftees and a few players brought in from the Dominican Summer League, Venezuelan Summer League, or Mexican Academy League of the season prior. Some players in the foreign rookie leagues will stay a year or more longer now because of [http://www.minorleaguenews.com/features/articles2005/02/20.html the shortage of United States H2-B immigration visas] caused by changes in immigration law after 9/11.

Defunct Levels

Until the 1950s, there were also Class B, C, and D leagues (and, for half a season, one E league). The Class B of that day would be equivalent to the Rookie level today. The other class designations disappeared because leagues of that level could not sustain operation during a large downturn in the financial fortunes of minor league baseball in the 1950s and 1960s caused by the rise of television broadcasts of major league sports across broad regions of the country.

Determining where players should go

A major league team's Director of Player Development determines, in coordination with the coaches and managers who evaluate their talent, in Spring training. Players both from the spring major camp and minor league winter camp are placed at end of the spring training season by the major league club on the roster of a minor league team. The Director and the General Manager usually determine the initial assignments for new draftees, who typically begin playing professionally in June after they have been signed to contracts. The farm system is ever-changing: Evaluations of players are ongoing. The Director of Player Development and his managers will meet or teleconference regularly to discuss how players are performing at each level. In addition to personal achievement, injuries, and high levels of achievement by players in the classes above and below all steer a player's movement up and down in the class system. Players will play for the team to which they are assigned for the duration of that season unless they are "called up," promoted to a higher level; "sent down," demoted to a lower class team in the major league club's farm system; or "released" from the farm system entirely. A release from minor-league level used to spell the end of a minor league player's career. In more modern times, with a more powerful independent baseball system, many players will "park" a career for a season or two in the independent leagues, which are scouted much more heavily. Many will get a second or third look from the major league scouts if they turn their career around in the indies.

Variations in the system

There are variations to the Farm System's classes that should be noted:
- Rehabiliation (Rehab) Assignments - Players on the Disabled List (DL) can be sent to the minor leagues for rehab work. Players are sent to minor league clubs by geography and facilities, not by class for these reassignments. Curt Schilling's recovery from an ankle injury in 2005 saw him rehab in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox, very close to the home club in Boston. Minnesota Twins prospect Jason Kubel, who blew out his ankle in the Arizona Fall League in 2004, reported to Minnesota's Class-A Florida State League team, the Fort Myers Miracle which is based in their well-equipped Spring Training facility in Fort Myers, Florida.
- Minor League Free Agency - Like major leaguers, minor league players also enjoy free agency. Their contracts expire after three years, and unless their contracts are renewed by mutual agreement, they are released from any obligation to the major league club. Those who can't find the right deal with an affiliated baseball club may also take a season in independent baseball before returning to the farm system of another major league club. This is done because players, in the world of free agency and high-dollar salaries, often find their careers "stuck." Major league clubs will often trade for a big dollar position player rather than call someone up from the minor leagues. This can leave position players in the Triple-A and Double-A levels of the farm system with no ability to move up. They become 'spare parts' players unless they can find a new club that views their skills differently.
- Class System Variations - The classification system today is a very rough rule of thumb, particularly in the "readiness" category. There are players who start at all levels of the farm system, although launching from Triple-A is the most rare. More and more players are taken from Class AA to the majors without time in Class AAA. Triple-A has two appropriate nicknames: It's been dubbed the "parking lot" by some sports writers because players can easily get trapped into being reserves for injured major leaguers. It's also been called the "third major league," because the level of play is exceptional, players play harder because they want to prove something to those judging their talent, and because they draw as well as, if not better than, some of their major league counterparts. The Marlins may have won the 2003 World Series, but, up until playoff time, their Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes franchise was outseating the major league club most nights of the week. The independent leagues also play a role, draining off some talent looking for a change.

List of leagues and teams

See: List of minor league baseball leagues and teams

External link


- [http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com Official website of leagues associated with Major League Baseball]
- [http://www.minorleaguenews.com/features/primer/primermain.html Minor League Sports - A Primer] Category:Baseball
- ja:マイナーリーグ

Frontier League

The Frontier League is a minor league baseball Independent league which operates in the Midwest. Its members are not affiliated with any Major League Baseball teams. Though not part of the official minor league system, its level of play is considered about equal to A-level. The league was formed in 1993. The first league champions were Zanesville. Only three teams have won more than one championship: Springfield in 1996 and 1998, Johnstown in 1995 and 2000 and Richmond in 2001 and 2002. The owner of the Florence Freedom was indicted on fraud in 2004, but another local businessman bought the team, and it is currently financially stable, and is not moving or folding. The Freedom now play their games at the finished Champion Window Field. All-Time Stats The member teams are:
- Chillicothe Paints
- Evansville Otters
- Florence Freedom
- Gateway Grizzlies
- Kalamazoo Kings
- Mid-Missouri Mavericks
- Richmond Roosters-- this team was sold & will move to Traverse City, Michigan for the 2006 season. They will be known as the Traverse City Beach Bums.
- River City Rascals
- Rockford RiverHawks
- Ohio Valley Redcoats
- Washington Wild Things
- Windy City ThunderBolts Champions
- 1993 Zanesville Greys
- 1994 Erie Sailors
- 1995 Johnstown Steal
- 1996 Springfield Capitals
- 1997 Canton Crocodiles
- 1998 Springfield Capitals
- 1999 London Werewolves
- 2000 Johnstown Johnnies
- 2001 Richmond Roosters
- 2002 Richmond Roosters
- 2003 Gateway Grizzlies
- 2004 Rockford RiverHawks
- 2005 Kalamazoo Kings Category:Independent baseball leagues Category:Frontier League ja:フロンティアリーグ

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. More specifically, Major League Baseball ("MLB") refers to the entity that operates North America's two top leagues, the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure which has existed between them since 1920. On an organizational level, MLB effectively operates as a single "league", and as such it constitutes one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. Major League Baseball is governed by the Major League Baseball Constitution, an agreement that has undergone several incarnations since 1876 then called the NL Constitution, with the most recent revisions being made in 2005. Major League Baseball, under the direction of its Commissioner, Bud Selig, hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts. As is the case for most North American sports leagues, the 'closed shop' aspect of MLB effectively prevents the yearly promotion and demotion of teams into the Major League by virtue of their performance. MLB also maintains a unique, controlling relationship over the sport, including most aspects of minor league baseball. This is due in large part to a 1922 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Federal Baseball Club v. National League which declared baseball is not considered interstate commerce (and therefore not subject to federal antitrust law), despite baseball's own references to itself as an "industry" rather than a "sport." The production/multimedia wing of MLB is New York-based MLB Advanced Media, which oversees MLB.com and all 30 of the individual teams' websites. Its charter states that MLB Advanced Media holds editorial independence from the League itself, but it is indeed under the same ownership group and revenue-sharing plan. MLB Productions is a similarly-structured wing of the league, focusing on video and traditional broadcast media.

Current Major Leagues

The Major League season runs from late March or early April to late September or early October. Players and teams prepare for the season in spring training, primarily in Florida and Arizona, during February and March. Three rounds of playoffs follow the season, culminating in the World Series in late October.

Teams and schedule

At the time of writing the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig, has often floated the idea of international expansion and realignment of the major leagues. At the moment, however, the major leagues are each split into three divisions, and structured as listed in the table below. In all there are 30 teams in the two leagues: 16 in the older National League ("NL") and 14 in the American League ("AL"). Each has its teams split into three divisions grouped generally by geography. They are (number of teams in each division in parenthesis): NL East (5), NL Central (6), NL West (5), AL East (5), AL Central (5) and AL West (4). Each team's regular season consists of 162 games, a duration established in 1961. From 1904 to 1960, except for 1919, a 154-game schedule was played. Shortened seasons were played in 1918 due to the outbreak of World War I, and in 1972, 1981, 1994 and 1995 due to player strikes and lockouts. Games are played predominantly against teams within each league through an unbalanced schedule which heavily favors intra-divisional play. In 1997 Major League Baseball introduced interleague play, which was criticized by the sport's purists but has since proven very popular with most fans. Each year in June, Major League Baseball conducts a draft for first year players who have never signed a Major or Minor League contract. The MLB Draft is among the least followed of the professional sports drafts in the United States. For a detailed history of the length of the regular season, see Major League Baseball season.

All-Star game

Early July marks the midway point of the season, during which a three day break is taken when the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is staged. The All-Star game pits players from the NL, headed up by the manager of the previous NL World Series team, against players from the AL, similarly managed, in an exhibition game. The 2002 contest ended in an 11-inning tie because both teams were out of pitchers, a ridiculous result which proved highly unpopular with the fans. In 2003 and 2004, the league which won the game received the benefit of home-field advantage (four of the seven games of that year's World Series taking place at their home park). The 2005 contest, played in Detroit, followed this format, and it is expected that it will remain that way until the MLB says otherwise. Since the 1970s, the eight position players for each team who take the field initially have been voted into the game by fans. The remaining position players and all of the pitchers on each league's roster were, for a long number of years, solely at the discretion of that team's manager. In 2004, however, MLB instituted a system where some reserves and pitchers were selected by a vote of MLB players, and some were selected by the manager after consulting with the Commissioner's Office. By MLB regulation, every team in the majors must have at least one designated all-star player, regardless of voting. This rule exists so that fans of every team have a player to watch for in the All Star Game.

Post-season

When the regular season ends around October 1st, eight teams enter the post-season playoffs. The first six teams are each league's three division champions. The remaining two "wild-card" spots are filled by each league's team that has the best regular season record and is not a division champion. Three rounds of series of games are played to determine the champion: # American League Division Series and National League Division Series, each a best-of-five game series; # American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series, each a best-of-seven game series played between the surviving teams from the ALDS and NLDS; and # World Series, a best-of-seven game series played between the champions of each league. The team belonging to the league that won the mid-season All-Star game receives home-field advantage in that series.

MLB Steroid Policy

Over most of the course of Major League Baseball, steroid testing was never a major issue. However, after the BALCO steroid scandal, which involved allegations that top baseball players had used illegal performance enhancing drugs, Major League Baseball has finally decided to issue harsher penalties for steroid users. The new policy, which was accepted by Major League Baseball players and owners, was issued at the start of the 2005 season and goes as follows: The 1st positive test will result in a suspension of up to 10 days. The 2nd positive test will result in a suspension of 30 days. The 3rd positive test will result in a suspension of 60 days. The 4th positive test will result in a suspension of one full year. Finally, the 5th positive test will result in a penalty at the commissioner’s discretion. Players will be tested at least once per year, with the chance that several players can be tested a numerous amount of times per year. (See: List of Major League Baseball players suspended for steroids) This program would replaces the previous steroid testing program under which, for example, no player was even suspended in 2004. Under the old policy, which was established in 2002, a first time offense would only result in treatment for the player. The new agreement makes sure that first time offenders are rightfully suspended. In recent news, Bud Selig, the Commissioner of MLB, has proposed even tougher penalties for positive tests than the ones in place today. The new penalties that Bud Selig has proposed are a “three strikes and you’re out approach” and go as follows: The 1st positive test would result in a 50 game suspension. The 2nd positive test would result in a 100 game suspension. Finally, the 3rd positive test would result in a lifetime suspension from MLB. These new proposed penalties are much harsher, however they must be accepted by MLB players and owners before any changes can be made. MLB's reluctance to take a hard line on drugs (as many other sports feature far more strict testing and penalties) is widely seen as one of the main reasons why baseball has been dropped from the Olympics with effect from 2012.

References


- http://www.wnbc.com/mikedup/4077510/detail.html

Historical Major Leagues

In 1969, the centennial of professional baseball, a commission chartered by Major League Baseball identified the following leagues as "major leagues". The list is sometimes disputed by baseball researchers. The MLB list included the following:
- 1876-present: National League of Professional Baseball Clubs
- 1882-1891: American Association
- 1884: Union Association
- 1890: Players League
- 1901-present: American League
- 1914-1915: Federal League Some researchers contend that the following leagues deserve consideration as major leagues due to the caliber of player and the level of play exhibited:
- The National Association (1871-1875)
- The first year of the American League (1900)
- The Negro Leagues (primarily during the years from 1921-1946) In general, the official stance is that game and statistical records for these particular leagues were not kept in a consistent manner and/or those leagues did not have a significant direct impact on the major leagues. Specifically, the following can be said of these leagues:
- The NA is unquestionably recognized as the first professional league, and is the direct precursor to the NL, most of whose original eight teams came from the NA. The standard position is that the NA was a "transitional" league that was not quite up to major league standards. The NL was a wholly new entity that took the best remnants of the NA and imposed a discipline that was lacking in the failed NA.
- The AL itself asserted that it was a minor league in 1900, although it was already located in most of the cities it would be operating in the following year. However, in 1900 it operated independently and did not conduct raids on major league rosters. That changed in 1901.
- The Negro Leagues are the toughest call. Some historians have labeled their time the era of "shadow ball", a segregated parallel to the (all-white) major leagues. The fact that many young players were able to come into the majors in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and have immediate impact, possibly argues for major status. It could also be argued that the Negro Leagues were more properly equated to the highest levels of minor league ball, such as the Pacific Coast League. It is a debate that has no clear resolution, which is why most historians are content to simply regard them as a category unto themselves. Conversely, some historians question whether the Union Association really qualifies as "major", because it really only had one major-league calliber team (St. Louis) and its membership was a revolving door. The Union's chief claim to major status would rest on having had some direct impact on the other majors, due to roster-raiding. None of the three "non-major" groups listed above could make that claim.

See also

:For results of annual regular season final standings, see years in baseball
- History of baseball, for a detailed history of the Major Leagues
- 2005 Free Agents
- 1994 baseball strike
- 1981 baseball strike
- 1972 baseball strike
- Minor league baseball, for a list of Minor Baseball teams
- Negro League baseball
- Continental League - Proposed by Branch Rickey as a "third major league"; folded before play began, but forced majors to expand
- 19th century National League teams
- Current Major League Baseball Players by Nationality
- Major League Baseball television contracts
- Major League Baseball transactions
- List of Major League Rivalries
- MLB Draft

Players, ownership, ballparks and officials


- Baseball Commissioners
- List of highest paid baseball players
- List of major league players with articles
- List of Major League Baseball principal owners
- List of Major League Baseball stadiums
- List of Major League Baseball retired numbers
- List of Free Agents 2005-2006 season

Statistics, milestones and records


- Baseball statistics: BA, ERA, etc.
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- 30-30 club and 40-40 club
- 300-300 club
- List of lifetime home run leaders through history
- 500 home run club
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- 3000 hit club
- 300 win club
- 3000 strikeout club
- Major League Baseball franchise post-season droughts
- Perfect game
- Unassisted triple play
- Triple crown
- Hitting for the cycle
- Major League Baseball titles streaks
- Major League Baseball titles leaders
- Major League Baseball attendance records
- Major League Baseball home run milestones
- List of most experienced baseball players never to play in a World Series
- List of Major League Baseball No-hitters
- Home run leaders by letter

Post-season awards


- Comeback Player of the Year Award
- Cy Young Award
- Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
- Hank Aaron Award
- Manager of the Year Award
- Most Valuable Player Award
- The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award (prior to 2001, TSN Fireman of the Year)
- Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award
- Rookie of the Year Award
- Silver Sluggers

Exhibition and playoffs


- All-Star Game
- National League pennant winners 1876-1900
- American League pennant winners 1901-68
- National League pennant winners 1901-68
- MLB division winners (since 1969)
- American League Division Series (ALDS)
- National League Division Series (NLDS)
- American League Championship Series (ALCS)
- National League Championship Series (NLCS)
- World Series

External links


- [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp Official MLB website]
- [http://baseballhalloffame.org National Baseball Hall of Fame]
- [http://www.baseballreference.com Baseball-Reference.com]
- [http://www.baseballprospectus.com Baseball Prospectus]
- [http://www.baseballthinkfactory.com Baseball Think Factory]
- [http://www.all-baseball.com All-Baseball.com]
- [http://www.hardballtimes.com The Hardball Times]
- [http://www.ballparks.com Ballparks.com]
- [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/index ESPN.com - Baseball Index]
- [http://insidetheparks.com/ InsideTheParks.com]
- [http://www.gridmarks.com/mlb.html MLB Rankings] Category:Sports leagues of the United States
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San Diego Padres

:For the minor league franchise in the Pacific Coast League, see: San Diego Padres (PCL). ---- The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They are in the Western Division of the National League.

Franchise history

The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League team which arrived in San Diego in 1936. That minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by then-18-year-old San Diegan Ted Williams. In 1969, San Diego joined the ranks of Major League Baseball as one of four new expansion teams (the other teams were the Montreal Expos, now the Washington Nationals, the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots, now the Milwaukee Brewers). Their original owner was C. Arnholt Smith, a prominent San Diego businessman whose interests included banking, tuna fishing, hotels, real estate and an airline, and who previously owned the PCL Padres. Their original uniform colors included the color brown (a favorite color of Smith's, which also adorned the buildings of the bank he controlled), which would be retained through the 1990 baseball season, despite several changes in style. Despite initial excitement, the guidance of longtime baseball executive Buzzie Bavasi and a new playing field at San Diego (later San Diego Jack Murphy and now Qualcomm) Stadium, the team struggled, finishing in last place in each of its first six seasons. Their main star during this period was first baseman and slugger Nate Colbert. In 1974, with the team on the brink of relocating to Washington, D.C. (stemming from the financial problems of Smith, particularly the collapse of his bank, then the largest bank failure in U. S. history), Ray A. Kroc (founder of McDonald's restaurants) purchased the Padres and kept them in San Diego. Although the Padres continued to struggle in the 1970's, they did feature star outfielder Dave Winfield, who came to the Padres in 1973 from the University of Minnesota without having played a single game in the minor leagues and was also drafted by the National Football League and the National Basketball Association and starred for the Padres through the 1980 season (after which he signed a multi-million dollar contract with the New York Yankees), and pitcher Randy Jones, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 1976 after a 20-game winning season. Kroc also broadened the franchise's involvement in civic and community affairs. San Diego Stadium hosted the 1978 All-Star Game. The 1978 season was the first in which the Padres posted a record above .500. Ray Kroc died just before he could see his team win its first National League pennant (after dramatically rallying from a 2-0 deficit against the Chicago Cubs—of whom Windy City native Kroc was a former long-time fan—in the NLCS) in 1984 (the Padres lost the 1984 World Series to the Detroit Tigers in five games). His wife, Joan, an organist and later a noted philanthropist who funded several charitable organizations and donated to disaster relief, assumed control of the team until selling it in 1990 to a syndicate headed by television producer Tom Werner, whose credits included the sitcom Roseanne. The team's history was stormy during this period, although San Diego hosted the 1992 All-Star Game, for which Ted Williams threw out the ceremonial first pitch. In a series of moves designed to reduce payroll but which instead drew media and fan criticism, several popular players were released or traded, the only bright spot being the arrival of ace closer Trevor Hoffman. The San Diego Chicken began performing for the team in 1974. Currently, their team mascot is the Swinging Friar, a whimsical takeoff on Father Junipero Serra, the Franciscan priest who founded the chain of twenty-one original California missions in the late 18th century, starting with Mission San Diego Alcala (a very short distance from Quallcomm Stadium) on July 16, 1769. Despite featuring such notable players as Randy Jones, Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith, Tony Gwynn, and Trevor Hoffman, the Padres have had limited success, going to the playoffs only four times during their Major League tenure. The team marked its 36th year on a new playing field, PETCO Park, in 2004.

Championships

In 1984, the Padres won the National League West championship. They were managed by Dick Williams and featured veterans Steve Garvey, Graig Nettles and Rich Gossage, as well as former San Diego State University baseball and basketball star Tony Gwynn, who captured his first of what would be eight National League batting championships (he would also win in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and shares the National League record with Honus Wagner) that year. Gwynn, who also would win five National League Gold Gloves during his career, joined the Padres in 1982 following starring roles in both baseball and basketball at San Diego State University (he still holds the school record for career basketball assists), and after having been selected in the previous year by both the Padres in the baseball draft and by the then San Diego Clippers in the National Basketball Association draft. After spotting the NL East champion Chicago Cubs, who were making their first post-season appearance since 1945 and featured NL Most Valuable Player Ryne Sandberg, two games at Wrigley Field, the Padres swept three games at then San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium to win the 1984 National League pennant. However they lost the 1984 World Series, 4 games to 1, to the Detroit Tigers, who were managed by Sparky Anderson and featured shortstop and native San Diegan Alan Trammell and outfielder Kirk Gibson. In 1996, under new owner John Moores (a software tycoon who purchased controlling ownership in the team in 1994 from Tom Werner, who subsequently formed a syndicate that purchased the Boston Red Sox) and team president Larry Lucchino, and with a team that was managed by former Padre catcher Bruce Bochy (who was a member of the 1984 championship squad) and featured Gwynn, who won his seventh National League batting championship, National League MVP Ken Caminiti, premier leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson, pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, first baseman Wally Joyner and outfielder Steve Finley, the Padres won the National League West championship in an exciting race, sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in the final series of the regular season. They had led the NL West early in the season only to falter June, but came back in July and battled the Dodgers the rest of the way. However, they themselves were defeated in the National League Division Series by the Tony La Russa-led St. Louis Cardinals, 3 games to 0. The Padres suffered an off-year in 1997, plagued by a pitching slump. The one bright light was Tony Gwynn's eighth and last National League batting championship, won in the final days of the season after a down-to-the wire duel with the Colorado Rockies' Larry Walker. Walker barely missed becoming the first Triple Crown winner in baseball since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. In 1998, Henderson and Valenzuela were gone, but newly acquired (from the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins) pitcher Kevin Brown had a sensational year (his only one with the Padres) and outfielder/slugger Greg Vaughn hit 50 home runs (overlooked in that season of the Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa race), and, managed by Bochy and aided by Gwynn, Caminiti, Joyner, Finley and premier closer Trevor Hoffman, the Padres had their best year in history, rampaging to the NL West division crown and defeating the Houston Astros in the NLDS, 3 games to 1, and outlasting the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, 4 games to 2. However, in the World Series they were swept by the New York Yankees 4 games to 0. The Yankees, managed by Joe Torre and featuring shortstop Derek Jeter, first baseman Paul O'Neill and closer Mariano Rivera in what has been considered one of the greatest teams of all time, capped a 114-win regular season by defeating the Texas Rangers, the Cleveland Indians and the Padres to win their 24th Fall Classic and a total of 125 games, still a record. The big bright spot for the Padres was a home run by Tony Gwynn, not normally a power hitter, in Game 1 that hit the facing of the right-field upper deck at Yankee Stadium and put the Padres ahead briefly, 5-2. In 2005, the Western Division Champion Padres finished with the lowest-ever winning percentage for a division champion (or for that matter, a postseason qualifier) in a non-strike season, 82-80. There had been some fear that the Padres would be the first team in history to win a division and finish below .500, but their victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 30 gave them their 81st victory and ensured that would not happen. In the NLDS, the reigning National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, who finished the season with the majors' best record, dispatched the Padres in 3 straight. Thus the Padres finished the season with an overall regular-and-post-season record of 82-83, the first post-season qualifier in a normal-length season to lose more games than it won overall. To put this in some perspective, the World Champion New York Yankees of 1998 went a major league record 125-50 overall, coincidentally capping their season with a sweep of the Padres. (In the split season caused by the players' strike in 1981, the Kansas City Royals won the American League West in the second half, but had an overall regular season record of 50-53, and were swept in the Division Series by the Oakland Athletics, resulting in a total record of 50-56. [http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_1981.shtml])

Notable moments


- No Padre pitcher has tossed a no-hit game (although several have come close). In one near-miss, on July 22, 1970, righthander Clay Kirby finished the eighth inning only three outs shy of a no-hitter. But because the Padres were trailing in the game 1-0, manager Preston Gomez sent Cito Gaston up to pinch hit for Kirby with two out in the bottom of the eighth (this is usually considered standard baseball strategy). Gaston struck out. Gomez defended his decision by saying that his job was to win games, but was openly criticized by Bavasi, who lamented not having a no-hit pitcher as a drawing card for the team.
- The Padres have been no-hit several times, most notably on June 20, 1970, by the Pittsburgh Pirates' Dock Ellis, who later claimed that he pitched the game while under the influence of the hallucinogenic drug LSD, a dose of which he ingested before drawing this pitching assignment.
- In his first home game as new Padre owner in 1974, Ray Kroc grabbed the public address system microphone and apologized to fans for the poor performance of the team, saying "I've never seen such stupid ballplaying in my life." At the same time, a streaker raced across the field, eluding security personnel. Kroc shouted "Throw him in jail!" Ironically, 1974 would be the first season that the Padres would not finish in the National League West cellar (finishing fifth), and brought the promise of an owner who would really step up to the plate.
- Between games of a doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds on July 25, 1990, Roseanne series star Roseanne Arnold delivered a screeching rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, immediately after which she grabbed her crotch and spat on the ground. She was intending to parody those actions of ballplayers which are often caught on camera, but she picked the wrong time to do it, as it appeared to many that she was commenting on the flag and/or the anthem. Had it not been for those gestures, her performance likely would have been written off as simply a poor choice of singer on the ball club's part, and probably soon forgotten. As it was, her little act drew boos and catcalls from fans and then criticism from players (most notably Tony Gwynn) and even outside quarters, including then-President George Herbert Walker Bush, a former Yale University first baseman and the father of then-Texas Rangers owner and current President George Walker Bush.
- In the strike-shortened 1994 season, Tony Gwynn captured his fifth National League batting championship with a .394 batting average, the highest major league batting average since native San Diegan and former PCL Padres star Ted Williams (the last player to date to hit over .400 in a regular season) hit .406 in 1941 while playing for the Boston Red Sox. In an amusing coincidence, the uniform number 19, which was worn by Gwynn throughout his Padre career, was also worn by Williams during his tenure with the PCL Padres.
- On August 6, 1999, in a game against the then Montreal Expos at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Tony Gwynn collected his 3,000th major league base hit, a single. He stroked 3 base hits in that game. Six years earlier on that same date, in a game at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, Gwynn collected his 2,000th major league base hit.
- Country western singer Garth Brooks once tried out for the Padres, but was cut in spring training.
- In 2001, Dave Winfield became the first player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a Padre.
- On October 7, 2001, in a post-game ceremony at Qualcomm Stadium, Tony Gwynn bade an emotional farewell to the team which had been his only major-league home. He stroked his final major-league hit, a double, in the previous game. He is presently head coach of the San Diego State University Aztecs, his alma mater. He is eligible for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. In the game played that day, Rickey Henderson, who in the meantime had rejoined the Padres, collected his 3,000th major league base hit, a double. Earlier that year, Henderson eclipsed Babe Ruth's record for most career bases on balls and Ty Cobb's record for most career runs scored.
- On February 15, 2002, young outfielder, and one of the Padres most popular and promising athletes, Mike Darr is killed in an auto accident in Phoenix, Arizona. The tragic death would put a cloud over the Padres coming spring training.
- Jerry Coleman, former second baseman for the New York Yankees in the 1950's, has been the Padres' play-by-play announcer since 1972, except in one year 1980 in which Coleman managed the team. He also worked for the Yankees (alongside legendary sportscaster Mel Allen) and the California Angels. Coleman is famous for his phrases "Oh Doctor!" and "Hang a star on that one!". In 2005, Coleman reduced his broadcast role, allowing longtime partner Ted Leitner to be the Padres' primary announcer. Coleman is also the 2005 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, giving him entry into the broadcaster's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- Leitner, who often pokes fun at his marital record (he has been divorced four times), has also done television sports coverage and has hosted a radio talk show in the San Diego area, dealing with topics other than just sports. His show recently aroused controversy when one of his guests, singer and political activist Harry Belafonte (no stranger to controversy himself--in a 1968 television special, British singer Petula Clark innocently touched his arm as the pair were on the air singing a duet to a song with an antiwar theme, a daring move for that era), attacked fellow African-Americans Colin Powell (then Secretary of State and formerly United States Army general) and Condoleezza Rice (then National Security advisor and currently Secretary of State) for being a part of the Administration of President George Walker Bush, referring to them as "house slaves". (Interestingly, Belafonte's opening line of "Day-O!" from his hit "Banana Boat Song" is a rallying call in many major league parks where recorded music has supplanted organ music.)
- The Padres have never had a player hit for the cycle.
- Notable fans of the Padres have included comedian and film actor Jerry Lewis, singers Patti Page and Frankie Laine, former astronaut Wally Schirra, author and syndicated columnist George Will, and former San Diego mayor and California governor Pete Wilson, all of whom have maintained residences in the San Diego area.

Quick facts

:Founded: 1969 (National League expansion) :Uniform colors: Navy blue, "sand" (khaki), and white :Logo design: Gold "SAN DIEGO" in small capitals and large, stylized white "Padres" superimposed over an outline of home plate; blue background with wave design in bottom half of home plate.

Baseball Hall of Famers


- 31 Dave Winfield, OF, 1973-80
- 44 Willie McCovey, 1B, 1974-76
- 34 Rollie Fingers, P, 1977-80
- 36 Gaylord Perry, P, 1978-79
- 1 Ozzie Smith, SS, 1978-81

Retired Numbers


- 6 Steve Garvey, 1B, 1983-87
- 19 Tony Gwynn, OF, 1981-2001
- 31 Dave Winfield, OF, 1973-80
- 35 Randy Jones, P, 1973-80 These numbers are displayed on the outfield wall at Petco Park. The Padres also have a star on the wall in honor of broadcaster Jerry Coleman, for his trademark line, "You can hang a star on that baby!" Gwynn, Winfield, Jones, Fingers and Graig Nettles (3B, 1984-87) are also members of the San Diego Hall of Champions, which is open to athletes native to the San Diego area (such as Gwynn and Nettles) as well as to those who played for San Diego teams. David Wells, an area native who pitched for the Padres in 2004, will likely be inducted upon his retirement from baseball, as has Don Larsen, who, like Wells, attended La Jolla High School and pitched a perfect game for the New York Yankees.

Current roster

Minor league affiliations


- AAA: Portland Beavers, Pacific Coast League
- AA: Mobile BayBears, Southern League
- Advanced A: Lake Elsinore Storm, California League
- A: Fort Wayne Wizards, Midwest League
- Short A: Eugene Emeralds, Northwest League
- Rookie: AZL Padres, Arizona League
- Rookie: VSL Padres, Venezuelan Summer League

See also


- Padres award winners and league leaders
- Padres statistical records and milestone achievements
- Padres players of note
- Padres broadcasters and media
- Padres managers and ownership

External links


- [http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/sd/homepage/sd_homepage.jsp San Diego Padres official web site]
- [http://www.gaslampball.com/ A San Diego Padres Blog - Only More So] Category:MLB teams Category:San Diego sports ja:サンディエゴ・パドレス

Northwest Missouri State

Overview

Northwest Missouri State University is a state-assisted, four-year regional university in Maryville, Missouri. The campus is a comprehensive Electronic Campus, with a networked PC in every residence hall room. Northwest was founded in 1905 with a recognized tradition of quality education. The university is governed by a state-appointed Board of Regents and headed by President Dr. Dean L. Hubbard. Northwest competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division II) and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association for men's and women's sports. The mascot is a Bearcat. The Bearcats have won two NCAA Division II national championships (1998 and 1999) in football. Notable alumni of Northwest Missouri State include Dr. Sharon Browning, Dr. Virgil Albertini, former major league baseball player Gary Gaetti, and 4th District Missouri State Rep. Brad Lager. Category:Universities and colleges in Missouri Although not specialized in the mathematical sciences, Northwest Missouri State University is the parent institution for the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics and Computing. In November 2004 the university announced that it had reached and agreement with Ventria Bioscience to relocate the company's headquarters, operations, research and production to Missouri with the goal of creating a center of excellence for plant-made pharmaceuticals. It is thought that this partnership will attract similar companies and support businesses to the area and enhance both the university and Ventria.

History

The school was founded in 1905 as Missoui's Fifth District Normal School. It's goal was to provide a place to educate teachers for northwestern Missouri. In 1919 the school was granted the name Northwest Missouri State Teacher's College, and with that the ability to grant baccalauriate degrees. In 1949 the name was shrunk to Northwest Missouri State College by the board of regents. Over time the school had grown into a comprehensive education facility. It was no longer here meerly to provide teachers. As such, on August 14, 1972, the name became Northwest Missouri State University, as dictated by the Board of Regents. In 1987, Northwest revealed its unique Electronic Campus Program. This put computers in all residence halls as well as faculty offices. This was a first amoung public colleges and universities. In 1997, the program was upgrade and all of the faculty members received powerful laptop computers, while highly network machines were implemented in each residence hall room. Recently, all students staying in the residence hall were given a laptop. Furthermore, wireless internet access has been implemented in the B.D. Owens Library, J.W. Jones Student Union, and The Station, a conference center, coffee house, quick shop, ect. One of the greatest prides of the university are its Missouri Quality Awards. The university currently holds two of these prestigios honors. The first granted in 1997, and the second in 2001. This making Northwest the only educational institution to receive two Missouri Quality Awards

Degree Programs

Majors
- Advertising
- Agricultural Business
- Agricultural Economics
- Agricultural Science
- Agriculture Education
- Agronomy
- Animal Science
- Art: Graphic Design, Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Printmaking
- Art Education
- Biology: Botany, Cellular/Molecular, Biology/Psychology, Biology Education, Botany, General
- Biology, Zoology
- Broadcasting
- Business: Accounting (private and public), Business Economics, Business Management, Business
- Education, Finance, International Business, Marketing
- Chemistry & Chemistry Education
- Computer Science
- Earth Science Education
- Ecology
- Economics
- Education: Elementary & Early Childhood, Elem. Teaching Subject Area, Special Education: Cross
- Categorical, Mental Disabilities, Middle School
- English & English Education
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Geology
- Family & Consumer Sciences: Child & Family
- Office Information Systems
- Studies, Dietetics, Restaurant & Food Service Management, Merchandising of Textiles, Apparel &
- Furnishings, Family & Consumer Science Education
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- Horticulture
- Humanities
- Industrial Psychology
- Interactive Digital Media (Concentrations: Computer Science, New Media, Visual Imaging)
- Journalism
- Management Information Systems
- Mathematics & Math Education
- Music: Teaching: Vocal, Instrumental
- Philosophy
- Physical Education
- Physics & Physics Education
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Psychology/Sociology
- Public Administration
- Public Relations
- Recreation: Recreation & Park Management, Therapeutic Recreation, Corporate Recreation &
- Wellness
- Social Science Education
- Sociology: Social Foundations, Corrections
- Spanish
- Speech Communication
- Speech - Organizational Comm.
- Speech/Theater Education
- Statistics
- Theatre: Performance, Technical Design
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Pre-Professional
- Pre-Architecture
- Pre-Audiology & Speech Pathology
- Pre-Chiropractic
- Pre-Dental Hygiene
- Pre-Dentistry
- Pre-Engineering
- Pre-Forestry
- Pre-Law
- Pre-Medicine
- Pre-Mortuary Science
- Pre-Nursing
- Pre-Occupational Therapy
- Pre-Optometry
- Pre-Osteopathic & Allopathic Therapy
- Pre-Pharmacy
- Pre-Physical Therapy
- Pre-Podiatry
- Pre-Professional Zoology
- Pre-Radiology
- Pre-Respiratory Therapy
- Pre-Veterinary Medicine- Agriculture Option
- Pre-Veterinary Medicine- Biology Option Minors
- Admin. of Child Care Programs
- Agriculture Science
- Agronomy
- Animal Science
- Art
- Art (elementary ed.)
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Biology (ed)
- Broadcasting
- Business Education
- Chemistry
- Chemistry (ed)
- Coaching
- Commercial Agriculture
- Computer Networking
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Dance
- Early Childhood (ed)
- Earth Science (ed)
- Economics
- Economic Development
- English
- English Writing
- English (ed.)
- Environmental Sciences
- Family Life and Resource Mgmt.
- Family Life Education (ed)
- Food Service
- French
- General Business
- Geography
- Geographic Information Systems
- Geology
- Gerontology
- Health Education (ed)
- History
- Horticulture
- Humanities
- Interactive Digital Media
- International Studies
- Journalism
- Mathematics (ed)
- Mathematical Sciences
- Middle School Science
- Music
- Nutrition
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Physics (ed)
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Public History
- Public Relations
- Recreation
- Spanish
- Speech Communication
- Speech/Theatre (ed)
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Theatre 2-Year Programs
- Farm Operations
- Medical Administrative Assistant
- Office Systems

University Presidents


- Frank Deerwester (1906-1907)
- Homer Martien Cook (1907-1909)
- Henry Kirby Taylor (1909-1913)
- Ira Richardson (1913-1921)
- Uel W. Lamkin (1921-1945)
- J.W. Jones (1945-1964)
- Robert P. Foster (1964-1977)
- B.D. Owens (1977-1984)
- Dean L. Hubbard (1984-Present)

External link


- http://www.nwmissouri.edu/
- http://northwestmissouri.stateuniversity.com

See also


- Bearcat Voice
- Ventria Bioscience
- Student Association of Missouri Category:Universities and colleges in Missouri

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

:For the pre-1958 Pacific Coast League franchise see: Los Angeles Angels (PCL). ---- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Anaheim, California and aligned in the Western Division of the American League. They are informally referred to as the Halos. Because of the unusual length of the team's official name, most news organizations refer to the club as the Los Angeles Angels (which is the crux of the reason why the team is under pending litigation from the City of Anaheim).

Franchise history

Prelude: The American League Comes to Los Angeles

For many years, there had been talk of an existing American League team relocating to Los Angeles. In 1940, the old St. Louis Browns asked AL owners for permission to move to Los Angeles, but were turned down. They planned another move for the 1942 season, and this time got permission from the league. A schedule was even drawn up including Los Angeles, but the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 made major-league sports of any sort on the West Coast unviable. In 1953, there was again talk of the Browns moving to L.A. for the 1954 season, but the team was sold and moved to Baltimore instead as the Orioles. There were on-again, off-again discussions between city officials and the Washington Senators regarding a possible move. There were also rumors that the Philadelphia Athletics' move to Kansas City in 1955 was a temporary stop on the way to Los Angeles. In the end it was the National League that first came to the city, in the form of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley purchased the Pacific Coast League's Los Angeles Angels in early 1957 from Chicago Cubs owner Phil Wrigley. Under the rules of the time, he also acquired the rights to a major league team in Los Angeles, which he used to move the Dodgers there a year later. Under ordinary circumstances, that would have precluded any subsequent American League presence in the Los Angeles area. However, in an effort to prevent the proposed Continental League from becoming a reality, in 1960 the two existing leagues agreed to expand, adding two new teams to each league. Though the understanding was that expansion teams would be placed in cities without major league baseball, that agreement quickly broke down. When the National League placed a team in New York (the Mets) as its tenth franchise, the American League announced plans to place an expansion team in Los Angeles, to begin play in 1961.

The Inception of a Franchise

The Team Has an Owner

Gene Autry, former movie cowboy, singer, actor and owner of a number of radio and TV stations on the West Coast of the United States, attended the Major League Owners’ meeting in St. Louis in 1960 in hopes of winning broadcasting rights for the new team’s games. Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg was initially on the fast track to be the team's first owner, with Bill Veeck as a partner. However, O'Malley wasn't about to compete with Veeck and threatened to scuttle the whole deal unless Veeck was left out of the ownership. Greenberg wouldn't budge, and was forced to bow out. After another bid by Chicago insurance executive and future A's owner Charlie Finley failed, Autry was persuaded to make a bid himself. Autry (who had been a minority stockholder in the Angels' PCL rival, the Hollywood Stars) agreed, and purchased the franchise.

The Team Gets Its Name

Autry named the new franchise the Los Angeles Angels. The Angel moniker has always made sense for Los Angeles teams, since "The Angels" is a literal English translation of the Spanish "Los Angeles." It was also a nod to the long-successful PCL team. O'Malley still owned the rights to the Angels name even after moving the team to Spokane to make way for the Dodgers, so Autry paid O'Malley $300,000 for the rights to the name.

The '60s: Early AL Years

Angels in Los Angeles

For most of their history, the Angels have floundered on the field and in the marketplace. But, there have been a few bright spots. In 1961, the first year of the team’s existence, the Halos finished 70-91 for a .435 winning percentage, still the highest winning percentage ever for a first-year major league expansion team. Moreover, they not only finished 9 games ahead of their fellow expansionists, the new Washington Senators (now the Texas Rangers), but also 9 games ahead of the Kansas City Athletics. The 1961 Angels, admittedly a motley crew, featured portly first baseman Steve Bilko, a long-time fan favorite, having played many years with the PCL Angels. Another favorite was the diminutive (5' 5-3/8") centerfielder, El Monte native Albie Pearson. In 1962, under the terms of their agreement with O'Malley, the Angels moved to Dodger Stadium, which they would refer to as Chavez Ravine. That year, the Angels -- amazingly -- were a contender for the American League pennant for most of the season, even leading the American League standings on July 4, before finishing in third place, 10 games behind the New York Yankees, who won their 27th American League pennant. On May 5 of that year, Bo Belinsky, who was as famous for his dexterity with the pool cue and his dating of Hollywood starlets (most particularly Mamie Van Doren) as for his pitching prowess (he later became a born-again Christian and counselor), tossed the first no-hit game in the history of Dodger Stadium/Chavez Ravine, blanking the Orioles 5-0. In 1964, the Angels again finished in the American League first division (fifth place), and pitcher Dean Chance won the Major League Cy Young Award that year. But, the need for a new stadium became more and more evident. It was thought the Angels would never develop a large fan base playing as tenants of the Dodgers. Also, O'Malley charged the Angels for 50% of all stadium supplies, even though the Angels at the time drew at best half of the Dodgers' attendance.

Angels Move From Los Angeles to Anaheim

Stymied in his attempt to get a new stadium in Los Angeles, Autry looked elsewhere. His first choice for a stadium was the site offered by the city of Long Beach. However, the city insisted the team be renamed the "Long Beach Angels," a condition Autry refused to accept. He was able to strike a deal with the suburban city of Anaheim in Orange County, and construction began on Anaheim Stadium (nicknamed the "Big A" by Southern Californians), where the Halos moved in 1966. On September 2, 1965, team ownership announced the Los Angeles Angels would henceforth be known as the California Angels, in anticipation of the team's move to Anaheim the following year. At the time, though they were one of three major league teams in the state of California, the Halos were the only American League team in the state. (Despite the move of the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland in 1968, the Angels retained their "California" moniker through 1996.) In their last year at Chavez Ravine, the Angels drew only 566,727 paying customers. In their 1966 inaugural year in Anaheim, the Halos drew over 1.4 million, leading the American League in attendance. In 1967, their second year in Anaheim, the Angels contended for the American League pennant as part of a five-team pennant race (along with Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and eventual winner Boston) before fading in late August, but eventually became the "spoilers" by defeating Detroit at Tiger Stadium in the last game of the regular season to give Boston its first AL pennant in 23 years. In 1970 the Angels finished third in the AL Western Division and Alex Johnson became the first (and so far only) Angel to win an American League batting title. Other notable Angels of this period included pitcher Ken McBride, shortstop Jim Fregosi, outfielders Albie Pearson and Leon Wagner, and catcher Buck Rodgers. Fregosi and Rodgers later managed the Angels.

That '70s Show: Nolan Ryan and the Playoffs

The Ryan Express

During the 1970's, although Angel fans endured some mediocre years on the field they also were able to enjoy the heroics of fireballer Nolan Ryan, who tossed four no-hit games and set several strikeout records, most notably a 383-strikeout mark in 1973, still a major league record. Ryan was acquired in a trade that sent Jim Fregosi to the Mets in one of the most one-sided trades in the history of the game. Ryan had been a middle relief pitcher on the "Miracle Mets" team that captured the 1969 World Series. Ryan's feats caused him to be named the "Ryan Express", after the 1965 film Von Ryan's Express, which starred Frank Sinatra. His prowess, combined with that of fellow moundsman Frank Tanana, produced the refrain "Tanana, Ryan and Two Days of Cryin'", a derivative of the refrain "Spahn, Sain and Two Days of Rain", coined when Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain anchored the pitching staff of the then Boston Braves in the 1940's. Ironically, the 1970s came to a close with the decision by then-general manager Buzzie Bavasi to allow Ryan, arguably the greatest player in the history of the Angel franchise, to become a free agent. At the time, Bavasi remarked that Ryan, whose 1979 record was 16-14, could be replaced "with two pitchers who go 8-7." Later, he would regard it for what it was: the worst mistake he ever made as a general manager.

Angels Finally Reach The Playoffs

The Angels won their first American League West Division championship in 1979, under manager Jim Fregosi, a former Angel shortshop who was sent to the New York Mets in 1972 as part of the trade that brought Nolan Ryan to the Angels. Don Baylor became the first designated hitter to win the American League Most Valuable Player award. Other contributors to the team, which featured a powerful offense, were Bert Campaneris, Rod Carew, Dan Ford and Bobby Grich. However, the Angels lost what then was a best 3-out-of-5 American League Championship Series to the Baltimore Orioles, managed by Earl Weaver, 3 games to 1. The Angels won Game 3 at home, scoring twice in the bottom of the 9th inning to shade Baltimore 4-3.

The '80s Generation: A Decade of Frustration

Guests In Their Own House

1979 had been the Halos' last season at the "old" Big A. The Los Angeles Rams football team agreed to move to Anaheim for the 1980 season, with seating increased to almost 65,000. In the 1980s, like many other baseball teams of that era, the Angels learned the difficulties of marketing the team while playing in a multi-purpose facility with a seating capacity too large for baseball.

One Game Away

The Angels nearly reached the World Series in the 1982 postseason. Reggie Jackson, who previously starred for the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees, joined the team that year and teamed with many holdovers from the 1979 team for the 1982 effort. After clinching first place in the AL West Division, the Angels won the first two games of the ALCS against the A.L. East champion Milwaukee Brewers -- then lost three in a row to lose the series . As Steve Bisheff wrote in Tales from the Angels Dugout, “No team in history had ever come back from an 0-2 deficit to win in a best-of-five series. Of course, no team had ever faced the Angels in that situation.” (It should be noted that at that time, the team with home field advantage played the first two games on the road before hosting the final three games at home---something that was changed following the 1984 season. It should also be noted that in subsequent years, the same fate---or worse---has happened to other teams.)

One Strike Away

Again, the Angels nearly reached the World Series in the 1986 post season. Baylor was gone, but among the new additions were American League Rookie Of The Year runner-up Wally Joyner and pitcher Chuck Finley. Champions of the American League West under Gene Mauch, who also managed the Angels to the 1982 AL West title, the Angels faced the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS (now best 4-out-of-7). Leading in the series 3 games to 1, the Angels were one out away from defeating Boston and going to the World Series for the first time in their franchise history. Leading 5-2 in the top of the ninth inning of Game Five, starter Mike Witt surrendered a two-run home run. After reliever Gary Lucas hit Rich Gedman with his first and only pitch, closer Donnie Moore came in to pitch during the top of the 9th inning of Game Five with a 5-4 lead. Though twice the Halos were one strike away from winning the A.L. Pennant, Moore gave up a two-out, two-ball, two-strike, two-run home run to Dave Henderson that put Boston ahead 6-5. After the Angels tied the game in the bottom of the 9th, Boston went on to win the game 7-6 in 11 innings and win the remaining two games in the Series to play in the 1986 World Series, which they lost to the New York Mets and which was noted for the infamous Bill Buckner "muff".

The Aftermath

While the Angels fans were hard on Moore, Moore was even harder on himself, and this one pitch would haunt him the rest of the days until he finally took his own life, claiming to have never gotten over that moment. This last was one of the tragedies that would haunt the Angels throughout their existence and prompt talk of a "hex" upon the franchise (promising star Lyman Bostock was shot to death in 1978 while visiting friends in Gary, Indiana. The 1986 season would be the last time in 16 years the Angels would make the playoffs. In 1989 the Angels led the AL West by a large margin in August, but faded and finished behind the Oakland Athletics, who, managed by Tony LaRussa and paced by Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson, would go on to win the Loma Prieta earthquake-marred 1989 World Series.

Those '90s Years: New Owners, a New Name, and Old Results

The Collapse

For most of this decade, the Angels played sub-.500 baseball, due in no small part to the confusion which reigned at the top. Gene Autry, though holding a controlling interest in the Angels, was in control in name only due to poor health in his advanced years. Autry’s wife Jackie, 20 years his junior, at times seemed to be the decision-maker, and at other times the Disney Company, now a minority stockholder, seemed to be in charge. In 1995 the Halos suffered the worst collapse in the team’s history. In first place by 11 games in August, the Angels again lost key personnel in the final stretch and ended up in a tie with the Seattle Mariners for the A.L. West Division championship. Seattle, managed by Lou Pinella, and led by star pitcher Randy Johnson, won the division title (the Mariners' first American League west title) in a one game playoff, which the M’s won 9-1.

The Curse of the Cowboy?

Given the team's inability to win a pennant thus far, the postseason disasters of 1982 and 1986, the 1995 collapse, and such tragic events as the 1978 murder of outfielder Lyman Bostock and the events that led to the suicide of Donnie Moore, it was suggested that there must be a "curse" on the Angels. Since there did not appear to be a single defining moment when things started to go downhill, or one where "the baseball gods" might have been offended, some suggested that it was Autry who was the cause, a grand life seeing all its good luck evened out in his ownership of a baseball team. The idea of a "Curse of the Cowboy" did not take hold, however, due to the great affection Autry engendered as a public figure, and the idea would diminish with the sale of the team and its later postseason success.

The Disney Effect

Although the Walt Disney Company did not formally acquire the controlling interest in the Angels until 1999, it had held a minority interest for several years and influenced the team’s actions during that time, especially given the declining health of Gene Autry, who died in 1998. The Disney Company effectively took control of the Angels in 1996, when it hired Tony Tavares as team president. Though he eventually left the post, Tavares did hire Bill Stoneman as team general manager, under whose watch the Halos eventually won their only World Series Championship. Disney, of course, had been the catalyst for the development of and population growth in Orange County, having opened its Disneyland theme park in Anaheim in 1955. Walt Disney was named to the Angels’ Board of Directors by Autry in 1960, serving until his death in 1966, and was one of the proponents of the team’s move to Orange County.

Downsizing the Stadium: The Big Ed?!?

In 1995, the year of the Angels' worst regular season collapse, the Los Angeles Rams had moved to St. Louis, citing the deteriorating conditions at Anaheim Stadium as a primary cause for the move. Angel management, stuck in an aging, oversized "white elephant" of a stadium, hinted the team might be moved from Southern California as well. In 1997, negotiations between the Angels and the city of Anaheim for renovation of Anaheim Stadium ended with an agreement to rehabilitate and downsize the facility into a baseball-only stadium once more. One condition of the stadium agreement was that the Angels could sell naming rights to the renovated stadium, so long as the new name was one "containing Anaheim therein." Anaheim Stadium was almost immediately renamed "Edison International Field of Anaheim," though it was almost always referred to as simply "Edison Field." Sportscasters also refer to the stadium at the time as "The Big Ed", although only a few continued to use the "Big A" nickname and at times "Anaheim Stadium".

Downsizing the Name: The Anaheim Angels

Another condition of the stadium renovation agreement was that the team name itself be one "containing Anaheim therein." The emerging Disney ownership was itself in the process of renovating and upgrading its aging Disneyland park. Disney hoped to market Anaheim as a "destination city," much the same way it had done with Orlando, Florida, where Walt Disney World was located. Accordingly, the team changed its name again, to the Anaheim Angels. Many fans of the team protested the name change, believing the "Anaheim" name was small-time, though in time the protests fizzled out. During the thirty-one years that the team was known as the Calif