Sunset League

The Sunset League was one of many short-lived minor leagues of the late 1940s and early 1950s. The Class C circuit ran from 1947 through 1950. Las Vegas, El Centro and Riverside were members every year. It was an extremely high-octane offensive league; Bill James notes that in '47 Las Vegas averaged 9 runs a game and finished 73-67. The league merged with the Arizona-Texas League in 1951 to form the Southwest International League.

In 1902 the Sunset League included Beaumont (8-4), Lake Charles (7-6), Crowley (6-6) and Houston 3-8). Houston disbanded May 22 and the league shortly thereafter. W-L are from the Crowley, LA "Daily Signal" and are not official.

Cities Represented

1902

• Beaumont, TX 1902
• Crowley, LA 1902
• Houston, TX 1902
• Lake Charles, LA 1902

1947-1950

• Anaheim, CA: Anaheim Valencias 1947-1948
• El Centro, CA: El Centro Imperials 1947-1950, moved to Southwest International League 1951
• Las Vegas, NV: Las Vegas Wranglers 1947-1950, moved to Southwest International League 1951-1952
• Mexicali, Baja California: Mexicali Aguilas 1948-1949; Mexicali Eagles 1950, moved to Southwest International League 1951-1952, Arizona-Texas League 1953-1954, Arizona-Mexico League 1955-1958
• Ontario, CA: Ontario Orioles 1947
• Porterville, CA: Porterville Packers 1949-1950
• Reno, NV: Reno Silver Sox 1947-1949, moved to Far West League 1950-1951
• Riverside, CA: Riverside Dons 1947; Riverside Rubes 1948; Riverside Dons 1949; Riverside Rubes 1950
• Salinas, CA: Salinas Colts 1949
• San Bernardino, CA: San Bernardino Valencias 1948; San Bernardino Pioneers 1949-1950
• Tijuana, Baja California: Tijuana Potros 1949-1950, moved to Southwest International League 1951-1952
• Yuma, AZ: Yuma Panthers 1950, moved to Southwest International League 1951-1952

Teams and Statistics

1947-1948

1947 Sunset League
President: W.R. Bill Schroeder

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Riverside Dons	80	60	.571	-	45,477	Norman DeWeese / Jack Rothrock
Anaheim Valencias	79	61	.564	1	16,452	Jack Rothrock / Jerry Gardner
Las Vegas Wranglers	73	67	.521	7	44,574	Newt Kimball
Reno Silver Sox	69	69	.500	10	22,866	Thomas Lloyd
Ontario Orioles	64	75	.460	15.5	23,932	Hal Spindel
El Centro Imperials	53	86	.381	26.5	45,429	Bob Boken / Ray Viers

Playoffs: Riverside 3 games, Las Vegas 0; Anaheim 3 games, Ontario 0.
Finals: Anaheim 4 games, Riverside 1.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Paul Zaby	Las Vegas	BA	.401		Clarence Jaime	Ontario	W	22
Calvin Felix	Las Vegas	Runs	173		Don Robertson	Reno	SO	242
Calvin Felix	Las Vegas	Hits	236		Robert Masters	Riverside	ERA	3.55
Calvin Felix	Las Vegas	RBI	182		Don Tisnerat	Anaheim	PCT	.765 13-4
Calvin Felix	Las Vegas	HR	52
Calvin Felix	Las Vegas	TB	443

1948 Sunset League - schedule
President: Les Powers

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Mexicali Aguilas	81	59	.579	-	68,567	Dominic Castro / Dick Wilson
Las Vegas Wranglers	78	62	.557	3	41,748	Ken Meyers
Reno Silver Sox	77	63	.550	4	34,325	Thomas Lloyd
Riverside Rubes	74	66	.529	7	52,199	George Caster / Henry Bartolomei
El Centro Imperials	67	73	.479	14	42,221	Ray Viers
Anaheim/San Bernardino#	43	97	.307	38	21,760	Jerry Gardner / Claude "Bob" Williams

# Anaheim (13-42) moved to San Bernardino June 25.
Playoffs: Reno 3 games, Mexicali 0; Las Vegas 3 games, Riverside 1.
Finals: Reno 3 games, Las Vegas 2.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Bobby Balcena	Mexicali	BA	.369		Al Corwin	Reno	W	26
Don Barclay	Reno	Runs	171		Robert Schulte	Riverside	SO	276
Don Jameson	Riverside	Hits	202		Manuel Echeverria	Mexicali	ERA	2.83
Dick Wilson	Mexicali	RBI	188		Manuel Echeverria	Mexicali	PCT	.875 14-2
Dick Wilson	Mexicali	HR	42

1949-1950

1949 Sunset League - schedule
President: Les Powers

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Las Vegas Wranglers	88	38	.698	-	61,050	Ken Meyers
Mexicali Aguilas	79	47	.627	9	59,810	Ed Wheeler
San Bernardino Pioneers	62	64	.492	26	35,871	Jack Rothrock
Porterville Packers	61	65	.484	27	66,280	Thomas Lloyd
El Centro Imperials	59	66	.472	28.5	34,957	Ray Viers / Frank Stinson
Salinas Colts/ Tijuana Potros#	58	68	.460	30	39,701	Bruce Ogrodowski
Reno Silver Sox	49	75	.395	38	37,780	Lilio Marcucci
Riverside Dons	46	79	.368	41.5	32,450	Don Jameson

# Salinas moved to Tijuana August 5.
Playoffs: None Scheduled.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Frosty Kennedy	Riverside	BA	.411		Eugene Roenspie	San Bernardino	W	20
Pete Hughes	Las Vegas	Runs	156		Warren Kanagy	Riverside/San Bern	SO	210
Frosty Kennedy	Riverside	Hits	194		Erwin Coutts	Mexicali	ERA	2.69
Bobby Balcena	Mexicali	RBI	132		Bob Shore	Las Vegas	PCT	.850 17-3
Pete Hughes	Las Vegas	HR	24
Pete Hughes	Las Vegas	BB	210

1950 Sunset League - schedule
President: Les Powers

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Mexicali Eagles	98	47	.676	-	80,871	Dolf Luque
El Centro Imperials	85	58	.595	12	46,380	Ken Meyers
Las Vegas Wranglers	76	69	.524	22	39,415	Ed Wheeler
Riverside Rubes	73	72	.503	23	49,270	Ray Viers
Tijuana Potros	70	77	.476	29	39,250	Zenon Ochoa / Fernandez / Moran
San Bernardino Pioneers	65	80	.448	33	28,250	Frank Demaree / Gerald Waitman
Yuma Panthers	62	83	.428	36	50,101	Butch Moran / Frank Gabler
Porterville Packers	52	95	.354	47	50,213	Thomas Lloyd / Bill Harris / Joe Gonzales

Playoffs: Mexicali 2 games, Las Vegas 1; El Centro 2 games, Riverside 1.
Finals: El Centro 2 games, Mexicali 1.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Pete Hughes	El Centro	BA	.393		Manuel Echeverria	Mexicali	W	28
Manuel Serrano	Mexicali	Runs	153		Manuel Echeverria	Mexicali	SO	333
Blas Guzman	Mexicali	Hits	216		Manuel Echeverria	Mexicali	ERA	2.74
Blas Guzman	Mexicali	RBI	138		Manuel Echeverria	Mexicali	IP	328
Ron D. Johnson	Las Vegas	HR	26		Nate Moreland	El Centro/Mexicali	PCT	.813 13-3

Source

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Second nd Third Editions.

• [1] Article on the Sunset League in The Hardball Times.