Stockton Ports
- Location: Stockton, CA
- League: California League 1946-1972, 1979-1983, 1985-1999, 2002-2019`; Low-A West 2021; California League 2022-
- Affiliation: Chicago White Sox 1949; St. Louis Browns 1951-1952; Chicago Cubs 1953-1954; Oakland Oaks 1955; Vancouver Mounties 1957; St. Louis Cardinals 1958; Baltimore Orioles 1959-1971; California Angels 1972; Milwaukee Brewers 1979-1983, 1985-1999; Cincinnati Reds 2002; Texas Rangers 2003-2004; Oakland A's 2005-present
- Ballpark: Billy Hebert Field 1950-1972, 1979-1983, 1985-1999, 2002-2004; Stockton Ballpark 2005-present
- Famous Alumni: Don Baylor, Paul Blair, Al Bumbry, Jeff Cirillo, Vince DiMaggio, Pumpsie Green, Bobby Grich, Darryl Hamilton, Dave Henderson, Geoff Jenkins, Davey Johnson, Troy O'Leary, Dan Plesac, Ben Sheets, Gary Sheffield
Team History[edit]
The Stockton Ports, of the Single-A California League and briefly in Low-A West, claim 19th-century Stockton, CA, baseball inspired Casey at the Bat. The Oakland Athletics farmhands play their home games at Stockton Ballpark in Stockton, CA - which the team calls Banner Island Ballpark.
Dating back to the 1941 league founding, three different franchises have played in Stockton with the vast majority of their seasons played as the Ports. Together, these clubs have collected 11 Cali League championships and 12 other appearances in the championship series.
Casey author Ernest Thayer never disclosed what location inspired Mudville and reportedly confided to a colleague before his death that the poem had "no basis in fact".[1]
Holliston, MA, also claims the honor - pointing out that Thayer was born in Boston, MA, and reared in Worcester, MA, and that his family owned a business in Holliston.
Stockton relies on the fact that Casey was written and published while Thayer was writing for The Daily Examiner of San Francisco in 1888 - in fact, his last article for that paper - and that year appears in the piece's subhead.[2] This would at least suggest he was writing from more recent experience than long-ago childhood memories.
Complicating any resolution, both cities had neighborhoods called Mudville that predate the poem's publication. The franchise took the Casey idea onto the field during the 2000 and 2001 seasons by playing as the Mudville Nine.
MLB's 2021 Minor League Reorganization lowered the Ports, and most of the California League, one level.
A Ports cap was among five Cali League ones that became clues to solving a murder in TV's Life (2007-2009).
The Ports play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Caballos de Stockton (Stockton Horses).
Year-by-Year Record[edit]
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 78-52 | 1st | Tony Governor / Harry Goorabian | League Champs |
| 1947 | 95-45 | 1st | Johnny Babich | League Champs |
| 1948 | 72-68 | 4th | Vince DiMaggio | Lost League Finals |
| 1949 | 64-76 | 6th | Nino Bongiovanni | |
| 1950 | 79-61 | 3rd | Harry Clements | Lost League Finals |
| 1951 | 79-68 | 3rd | Harry Clements | Lost in 1st round |
| 1952 | 59-81 | 7th | Harry Clements / Tony Freitas | |
| 1953 | 72-68 | 4th | Bill Salkeld | Lost League Finals |
| 1954 | 80-60 | 3rd | Gene Handley | Lost in 1st round |
| 1955 | 94-53 | 3rd | Roy Partee | Lost League Finals |
| 1956 | 83-57 | 2nd | Roy Partee | Lost League Finals |
| 1957 | 61-79 | 7th | Roy Partee | |
| 1958 | 70-68 | 3rd | Don Pries | Lost in 1st round |
| 1959 | 76-63 | 3rd | Billy DeMars | |
| 1960 | 66-74 | 4th | Billy DeMars | none |
| 1961 | 54-81 | 6th | Harry Dunlop | none |
| 1962 | 70-68 | 3rd | Harry Dunlop | |
| 1963 | 87-52 | 1st | Harry Dunlop | League Champs |
| 1964 | 69-70 | 4th | Harry Dunlop | none |
| 1965 | 83-57 | 1st | Harry Malmberg | League Champs |
| 1966 | 57-83 | 8th | Harry Malmberg | |
| 1967 | 58-81 | 7th | Harry Malmberg | |
| 1968 | 67-73 | 6th | Joe Altobelli | |
| 1969 | 81-59 | 1st | Bill Werle | League Champs |
| 1970 | 54-86 | 7th | Bill Werle | none |
| 1971 | 67-71 | 5th | Ray Malgradi | |
| 1972 | 52-85 | 7th | Mike Stubbins |
External Links[edit]
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![[2]](https://blogs.loc.gov/catbird/files/2013/06/Casey1.jpg){kind=link}
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