Salt Lake Bees

From BR Bullpen

SaltLakeBees.jpg

Team History[edit]

The Salt Lake Bees, of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and briefly in Triple-A West, were known as the Salt Lake Buzz from 1994 to 2000 and Salt Lake Stingers from 2001 to 2005. The Los Angeles Angels farmhands played their home games at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City, UT until 2025, when they moved into brand new Daybreak Field.

Owner Joe Buzas dropped "Buzz" for "Stingers" in 2001 to settle the Georgia Institute of Technology's lawsuit over its sports mascot's name. That same year, Buzas moved his ball club into the Angels' farm system. After his death, the NBA's Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller - who had helped Buzas bring Triple-A baseball back to SLC - bought the club from the Buzas estate in January 2005. Following that season, Miller resurrected a similar Salt Lake City baseball nickname with a longer history: Bees, which had been used from 1915 through 1965 and again from 1969 through 1970. The team has a bee mascot whose name is, appropriately, "Bumble".

Until they were contracted in MLB's 2021 Minor League Reorganization, SLC's Angels farm-mate in Burlington, IA, also went by Bees. Only one nickname is now shared by two minor league clubs not using that of their big-league parent - the Indianapolis and Spokane Indians.

The Bees play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Abejas de Salt Lake - a direct translation of Salt Lake Bees. With the new ballpark coming on line in 2025, there was speculation that the team would change its principal identity at the same time, but the Bees confirmed in November 2024 that they would only make small changes to their logos, but would keep playing under their well-established name.

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Hitting coach Pitching coach Coach
2006 81-63 3rd Brian Harper Lost in 1st round Jim Eppard Charles Nagy
2007 74-69 7th Brian Harper Lost in 1st round Jim Eppard Charles Nagy
2008 84-60 2nd Bobby Mitchell Lost in 1st round Jim Eppard Erik Bennett
2009 72-71 8th Bobby Mitchell Jim Eppard Erik Bennett
2010 73-71 9th Bobby Mitchell Jim Eppard Erik Bennett
2011 62-82 16th Keith Johnson Jim Eppard Erik Bennett
2012 73-71 10th Keith Johnson Jim Eppard / Tyrone Boykin / Francisco Matos Erik Bennett
2013 78-66 4th Keith Johnson Lost League Finals Francisco Matos Erik Bennett
2014 60-84 15th Keith Johnson Francisco Matos Erik Bennett
2015 58-86 15th(t) Dave Anderson John Narron Erik Bennett
2016 63-79 15th Keith Johnson Tom Tornincasa Erik Bennett
2017 72-70 7th Keith Johnson Lou Marson Erik Bennett Nathan Maldonado
2018 71-68 8th Keith Johnson (60-52) / Eric Chavez (11-16) Donnie Ecker Erik Bennett Ray Olmedo
2019 60-79 14th Lou Marson Brian Betancourth Pat Rice Ray Olmedo
2020 Season cancelled
2021 49-70 9th Lou Marson 6-4 Brian Betancourth Jairo Cuevas Ray Olmedo
2022 70-80 8th Lou Marson Brian Betancourth Jairo Cuevas Ray Olmedo
2023 70-79 6th Keith Johnson Joel Chimelis Derrin Ebert Jack Santora
2024 67-82 8th Keith Johnson Alonzo Powell Shane Loux Jack Santora, Andy Hawkins

Further Reading[edit]

  • Benjamin Hill: "Triple-A Salt Lake Bees generate buzz with evolution of logos, uniforms for 2025", mlb.com, November 25, 2024. [1]

Related Sites[edit]