The Salt Lake City Bees was a primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams, based in Salt Lake City, Utah between 1911 and 1970 under various names. After minor league baseball first began in Salt Lake City in 1900, the Bees were long-time members of both the Pacific Coast League and Pioneer League. The Salt Lake Bees played their home games at Derks Field.
History Salt Lake hosted two teams in the 1900 Independent Utah-Idaho Intermountain League, the Rio Grande Rios and Short Line Shorts. They were followed by the Salt Lake City White Wings in the 1901 Class D Inter-Mountain League, a team in the 1902 Utah State League and the Salt Lake City Elders (1903-1904)/Salt Lake Fruit Pickers (1905) of the Pacific National League. The 1909 Salt Lake City Mormons played in the Inter-Mountain League and the 1909 Salt Lake City Cubs played in the Montana State League
The direct predecessor to the Bees were the Salt Lake City Skyscrapers that played in the class-D Union Association from 1911–1914. The Association folded after the 1914 season. However, in 1915, the San Francisco Missions were sold to Utah businessman Bill "Hardpan" Lane who moved the team to Salt Lake City. The club was named the Bees from 1915–1925. Due to the high altitude and the dimensions of the club's Bonneville Park stadium, the Bees recorded some of the best batting records in the PCL during this period.
The club was named the Bees name from 1915–1925. However Lane moved the team to Los Angeles for the 1926 season. Originally they were known as the Hollywood Bees, but soon changed their name to the Hollywood Stars.
The Bees' baseball was still available though in the city with Salt Lake City's team in the Utah–Idaho League from 1926–1928. The team won its first title in their final 1928 season. In 1939 the third incarnation of the Bees was formed and played in the Pioneer League, winning titles in 1946 and 1953. The city returned to the Pacific Coast league from 1958–1965, winning the league title in 1959.
From 1967–1968, the city was represented by the Salt Lake City Giants, who again played in the Pioneer League, now a rookie-level class league. The team was affiliated with the San Francisco Giants The team played the 1969 and 1970 seasons renamed as the Bees.
After their 1969, the club returned to Triple-A status and the PCL. In 1971, the club was renamed the Salt Lake City Angels, when they became the affiliate of the California Angels through the 1974 season. In their first season as the Angels, the club won the southern division of the PCL with a 78-68 record. The team would then go on to defeat the Tacoma Twins 3 games to 1 to claim the league pennant. The team was renamed the Salt Lake City Gulls in 1975 but remained as the Angels' top affiliate through the 1981 season. In 1979, the team swept the Hawaii Islanders and capture their final league title.
In 1982, the Gulls switched to the Seattle Mariners organization. Following the 1984 season, the team was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, and became the Calgary Cannons in 1985.
When the PCL returned to Salt Lake City in 1994, the new team chose the name Salt Lake Buzz in part to pay homage to the Bees heritage. In November 2005, the Buzz—at that point the Salt Lake Stingers—changed their name to the Salt Lake Bees, reviving the name once again.
Notable players Lefty Gomez (1928) Inducted, Baseball Hall of Fame Jeff Newman, MLB All-Star catcher and manager
Year-by-year record
Year League Record Finish Manager Playoffs Salt Lake City Skyscrapers1911 Union Association 85-58 2nd Cliff Blankenship 1912 Union Association 77-61 2nd Art Weaver 1913 Union Association 75-47 2nd John McCloskey 1914 Union Association 52-34 2nd Harry Hester Lost Finals to Ogden Canners 4-2Salt Lake City Bees I1915 Pacific Coast League 108-89 2nd Cliff Blankenship 1916 Pacific Coast League 99-96 3rd Cliff Blankenship 1917 Pacific Coast League 102-97 3rd Bill Bernhard 1918 Pacific Coast League 48-49 5th Walter McCredie 1919 Pacific Coast League 88-83 3rd Ed Herr 1920 Pacific Coast League 95-92 5th Ernie Johnson 1921 Pacific Coast League 73-110 7th Gavvy Cravath 1922 Pacific Coast League 95-106 4th Duffy Lewis 1923 Pacific Coast League 94-105 5th Duffy Lewis 1924 Pacific Coast League 101-100 5th Duffy Lewis 1925 Pacific Coast League 116-84 2nd Oscar Vitt Salt Lake City Bees II1926 Utah–Idaho League 52-70 5th Bud Orr / Bert Whaling / Chet Chadbourne 1927 Utah–Idaho League 59-50 2nd Harry O'Neill 1928 Utah–Idaho League 68-49 1st Bobby Coltrin Won League Championship vs. Boise Senators, 4-1Salt Lake City Bees III1939 Pioneer League 59-65 4th Eddie Mulligan 1940 Pioneer League 79-51 1st Tony Robello Lost first round 1941 Pioneer League 68-60 3rd Tony Robello Lost first round 1942 Pioneer League 55-63 4th Andy Harrington 1946 Pioneer League 76-40 1st Joe Orengo League Champs 1947 Pioneer League 81-57 1st Tommy Thompson Lost League Finals 1948 Pioneer League 60-65 5th Tommy Thompson 1949 Pioneer League 73-53 4th Tommy Thompson Lost first round 1950 Pioneer League 55-70 6th Earl Bolyard / Robert White 1951 Pioneer League 84-52 1st Hub Kittle Lost first round 1952 Pioneer League 60-71 6th Hub Kittle 1953 Pioneer League 69-62 4th Eddie Murphy / Burt Barkelew / Charlie Gassaway League Champs 1954 Pioneer League 78-53 1st Charlie Gassaway Lost League Finals 1955 Pioneer League 61-70 6th Bobby Sturgeon / Sven Jessen 1956 Pioneer League 70-62 2nd (tie) Frank Lucchesi 1957 Pioneer League 61-64 5th Cliff Dapper 1958 Pacific Coast League 77-77 5th Larry Shepard 1959 Pacific Coast League 85-69 1st Larry Shepard Won ChampionshipNo playoffs 1960 Pacific Coast League 80-73 3rd Larry Shepard 1961 Pacific Coast League 67-87 8th Herman Franks/ Fred Fitzsimmons 1962 Pacific Coast League 81-73 2nd Bob Kennedy 1963 Pacific Coast League 73-85 9th El Tappe 1964 Pacific Coast League 58-98 9th Vedie Himsl 1965 Pacific Coast League 56-91 10th Stan Hack Salt Lake City Giants1967 Pioneer League 25-41 4th Harvey Koepf 1968 Pioneer League 16-45 5th Ray Malgradi Salt Lake City Bees IV1969 Pioneer League 38-33 4th Dave Garcia 1970 Pacific Coast League 44-99 8th Don Zimmer Salt Lake City Angels1971 Pacific Coast League 78-68 2nd Del Rice Won Championship vs. Tacoma Twins, 3-11972 Pacific Coast League 80-68 3rd Les Moss 1973 Pacific Coast League 79-65 3rd Les Moss 1974 Pacific Coast League 69-73 5th Norm Sherry Salt Lake City Gulls1975 Pacific Coast League 80-64 2nd Norm Sherry Lost Championship vs. Hawaii Islanders, 4-21976 Pacific Coast League 90-54 1st Jimy Williams Lost Championship vs. Hawaii Islanders, 3-21977 Pacific Coast League 74-65 3rd Jimy Williams 1978 Pacific Coast League 72-65 5th Deron Johnson Lost Semifinals vs. Albuquerque Dukes, 3-0 1979 Pacific Coast League 80-68 2nd Jimy Williams Won Semifinals vs. Albuquerque Dukes, 2-0Won Championship vs. Hawaii Islanders, 3-01980 Pacific Coast League 77-65 4th Moose Stubing 1981 Pacific Coast League 63-71 6th Moose Stubing 1982 Pacific Coast League 73-70 4th Bobby Floyd Lost Semifinals vs. Albuquerque Dukes, 2-0 1983 Pacific Coast League 67-75 7th Bobby Floyd 1984 Pacific Coast League 74-66 2nd Bobby Floyd Lost Semifinals vs. Edmonton Trappers, 3-2
References
See also Salt Lake Bees – (includes Buzz, Stingers) Salt Lake City Trappers