Reno Silver Sox

From BR Bullpen

Reno silver sox.png

Team History[edit]

The 1947 Reno Silver Sox of the Class C Sunset League were Nevada's first Organized Baseball team. The original Silver Sox (1947-1952) played in that circuit through 1949 and in the Class D Far West League in 1950 and 1951. The only previous professional baseball in Reno, NV, was a team in the independent Nevada State League in 1907.

After a brief absence, the city regained professional baseball at a higher level when the California League's Channel Cities Oilers moved to Reno during the 1955 season, reviving the Silver Sox brand. The Oilers had been created just the year before when the Santa Barbara Dodgers and Ventura Oilers merged.

Before the 1982 season, the team was renamed the Reno Padres and baseball was not played under the "Reno Silver Sox" name again until 1988.

After nearly 40 years as the only Cali League team ever based outside California for more than one season - the exception being the 1958 Las Vegas Wranglers - the Silver Sox tried Riverside, CA, from 1993 through 1995 as the Riverside Pilots. Following in the footsteps of the Riverside Red Wave (1988-1990), they suffered the same fate for the same reason: their ballpark's neighbors having blocked alcohol sales, the Wave had given up on making a profit and moved away in 1990. The Silver Sox-turned-Pilots did the same - playing 20 of their 1995 games at Palm Springs Stadium and their first 12 days on the road as the Lancaster JetHawks in 1996 while Lancaster finished its ballpark.

The Reno Silver Sox were league champions in 1948, 1960, 1961, 1975 and 1976. They are the only team in California League history to win back-to-back championships twice.

The Reno Silver Sox were also a team in the independent Golden Baseball League from 2006-2008.

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year League Record Finish Manager Playoffs Notes
1947 Sunset League 69-69 4th Thomas Lloyd
1948 Sunset League 77-63 3rd Thomas Lloyd League Champs
1949 Sunset League 49-75 7th Lilio Marcucci none
1950 Far West League 75-63 3rd Joe Borich Lost in 1st round
1951 Far West League 52-65 3rd Cotton Pippen
1955 California League 40-106 overall 8th Leonard Noren Channel Cities moved to Reno July 1
1956 California League 73-67 4th Ray Perry Lost in 1st round
1957 California League 79-59 2nd Ray Perry Lost League Finals
1958 California League 68-69 6th Ray Perry
1959 California League 81-58 2nd Ray Perry
1960 California League 89-51 1st Tom Saffell none League Champs
1961 California League 97-43 1st Roy Smalley none League Champs
1962 California League 70-68 4th Roy Smalley Lost League Finals
1963 California League 71-69 5th Tom Saffell
1964 California League 66-71 6th Tom Saffell (7-20) / Sandy Johnson (0-2) / Harvey Koepf (15-12) / Tom Saffell (44-37) none
1966 California League 69-71 4th (t) Phil Cavarretta
1967 California League 56-82 8th Phil Cavarretta
1968 California League 67-72 5th Clay Bryant
1969 California League 72-68 3rd (t) Ken Aspromonte
1970 California League 79-61 2nd Pinky May none
1971 California League 64-75 7th Pinky May
1972 California League 50-88 8th Lou Klimchock
1973 California League 70-70 4th (t) Lou Klimchock
1974 California League 61-79 6th (t) Joe Azcue (40-34) / Glenn Woodruff (0-5) / Del Youngblood (21-40)
1975 California League 86-54 1st Harry Warner none League Champs
1976 California League 75-62 3rd Johnny Goryl League Champs
1977 California League 59-81 5th Glenn Ezell
1978 California League 62-78 5th Eddie Watt
1979 California League 74-67 3rd Eddie Watt
1980 California League 75-66 2nd (t) Jack Maloof
1981 California League 81-58 2nd Jack Maloof Lost in 1st round
1988 California League 39-103 10th Nate Oliver
1989 California League 68-74 6th Eli Grba
1990 California League 71-68 6th Mike Brown
1991 California League 59-77 7th Mal Fichman
1992 California League 65-71 8th Gary W. Jones
2006 Golden Baseball League 47-33 1st Les Lancaster League Champs
2007 Golden Baseball League 33-43 5th Les Lancaster
2008 Golden Baseball League 30-58 8th Jeffrey Leonard

Related Sites[edit]