Burlington Bees
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Burlington Bees Founded in 1924 Burlington, Iowa (First Season: 1889) | |||||
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| Class-level | |||||
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| Current | Single-A | ||||
| Previous | Class B, Class C, Class D | ||||
| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| League | Midwest League (1962–present) | ||||
| Division | Western Division | ||||
Previous leagues |
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| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Current | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2013–present) | ||||
| Previous |
Oakland Athletics (2011–12) Kansas City Royals (2001–10) Chicago White Sox (1999–2000) Cincinnati Reds (1932, 1997–98) San Francisco Giants (1995–96) Montreal Expos (1993–94, 1986–87) Houston Astros (1991–92) Atlanta Braves (1988–90) Texas Rangers (1982–85) Milwaukee Brewers (1975–81) Kansas City Athletics / Oakland Athletics (1963–74) Pittsburgh Pirates (1960–62) Chicago Cubs (1955–59) Cleveland Indians (1947–49) | ||||
| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles (6) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Nickname | Burlington Bees (1924–32, 1954–81, 1993–present) | ||||
Previous names |
Burlington Astros (1991–92) Burlington Braves (1988–90) Burlington Expos (1986–87) Burlington Rangers (1982–85) Burlington Flints (1952–53) Burlington Indians (1947–49) Burlington Pathfinders (1906–16) Burlington Flint Hills (1905) Burlington River Rats (1904) Burlington Hawkeyes (1890, 1898) Burlington Colts (1895–97) Burlington Babies (1889) | ||||
| Ballpark | Community Field (1947–present) | ||||
Previous parks | Summer Street Park | ||||
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | City of Burlington, Iowa | ||||
| Manager | Chad Tracy | ||||
| General Manager | Chuck Brockett | ||||
The Burlington Bees are a Class A minor league baseball team, and are an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The franchise was originally founded in 1889. The Bees have played in the Midwest League since 1962. The team was first known as the "Bees" from 1924 to 1932 and again from 1954 to 1981. The Bees nickname was revived for the 1993 season and remains. Their home since 1947 is Community Field in Burlington, Iowa. Baseball Hall of Fame members Billy Williams and Paul Molitor played for Burlington.
History
The team began playing in Burlington in 1889 as the Burlington Babies. Teams with various nicknames played until the Burlington Pathfinders were named in 1906, keeping the nickname until 1916 and playing in the Central Association. After a hiatus, the Burlington Bees played in the Mississippi Valley League from 1924 to 1932. The franchise then returned as the Burlington Indians in 1947, the same year that their current stadium, Community Field, opened.[1] They won the league championship in 1949, their third and final year in the Central Association. The team joined the Three-I (Illinois, Iowa, Indiana) League in 1952 as the Burlington Flints but was renamed the Bees in 1954. In 1958, Billy Williams played 61 games with the Bees before joining the Cubs. Burlington joined the Midwest League in 1962 as a farm team of the Pittsburgh Pirates.From 1963 through 1974 they were a farm team of the Kansas City (later Oakland) A's; subsequent affiliations included the Brewers (1975–81), Rangers (1982–85), Expos (1986–87 and 1993–94), Braves (1988–90), Astros (1991–92), Giants (1995–96), Reds (1997–98), and White Sox (1999–2000). The Bees won the Midwest League championship in 1965, 1977, 1999, 2008, and 2009.
Catcher Herbert Whitney of the Burlington Pathfinders was killed by a pitched ball in 1906. On June 26 in Waterloo, Iowa, Whitney was beaned by a pitch from Fred Evans of the Waterloo Microbes. He suffered a skull fracture and died that day as a result.[2][3]
The team was first known as the Bees from 1924 to 1932 and again from 1954 to 1981. Starting in 1982, they used the nickname of their major league parent club. The Bees nickname was revived for the 1993 season and remains.
In addition to Baseball Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Paul Molitor, many former Burlington players have enjoyed major league success including: Sal Bando, Vida Blue (who struck out a team-record 231 batters in 1968), George Hendrick, Phil Garner, Chet Lemon, Claudell Washington, Larry Walker, Rubén Sierra, Kenny Rogers, José Vidro, Ugueth Urbina, Javy López, Mark Buehrle, Mike Moustakas, and Salvador Perez. Over 100 former Bees have played in the majors.
In 2007, the Bees changed their logo and uniforms. Since 2000, the Bees have had three affiliates: the Kansas City Royals (2001–10), Oakland Athletics (2011–12), and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2013–present).
Ballpark
The Bees have called historic Community Field, nicknamed "the hive", their home since 1947. The original grandstand portion of the stadium was destroyed in a 1971 fire and rebuilt. The stadium was upgraded again prior to the 2004 season, including a revamped concessions area, partial covering of the grandstand, improved sound system, and a new scoreboard. Named the 2013 "Field of the Year" in the state of Iowa by the Iowa Sports Turf Management Association, capital improvements are supported by The Friends of Community Field, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.[4]
Notable players
- Glenn Abbott (1971)
- Gene Alley (1960) 2 x GG; 2 x MLB AS
- George Altman (1957)
- Sal Bando (1965) 4 x MLB AS
- Vida Blue (1968) 6 x MLB AS;1971 AL Cy Young Award; 1971 AL Most Valuable Player
- Kent Bottenfield (1987) MLB AS
- Jim Brewer (1958) MLB AS
- Lloyd Brown (1949) 12 MLB Seasons/31 Total Seasons
- Mark Buehrle (1999) 4 x GG; 5 x MLB AS
- Shawn Estes (1995) MLB AS
- Dan Ford (1971-72) "Disco Dan"
- Phil Garner (1971) 3 x MLB AS
- Wayne Gross (1973-74) MLB AS
- Moose Haas (1975)
- George Hendrick (1968, 1970) 4 x MLB AS
- Eric Hosmer (2009) (* Active)
- Doug Jones (1979) 303 career saves; 5 x MLB AS
- Matt Keough (1974) MLB AS
- Chad Kreuter (1985) 16 MLB Seasons
- Chet Lemon (1973-74) 3 x MLB AS
- Javy López (1990) 3 x MLB AS
- Bob McClure (1981) 19 MLB Seasons
- Paul Molitor (1977) 7 x MLB AS; 3,319 Career Hits; Baseball Hall of Fame (2004)
- Mike Mordecai (1989)
- Mike Moustakas (2008) MLB AS (*Active)
- Dwayne Murphy (1974)
- Mike Norris (1973) 2 x GG; MLB AS
- Carlos Perez (1993) MLB AS
- Salvador Perez (2009) 3 x GG; 3 X MLB AS (* Active)
- Randy Ready (1981) 13 MLB Seasons
- Mel Rojas (1987) MLB AS
- Kenny Rogers (1984) 219 MLB Wins; 5 x GG; 4 x MLB AS
- Addison Russell (2012) (* Active Player)
- Rubén Sierra (1984) 1989 AL RBI Leader; 4 x MLB AS
- Mike Stanley (1985) MLB AS
- Mike Stanton (1988) MLB AS
- Dave Stenhouse (1956) MLB AS
- Hal Trosky (1932) 1936 AL Runs-Batted-In Leader (162)
- Ugueth Urbina (1993) 1999 NL Saves Leader; 2 x MLB AS
- Johnny Vander Meer (1953 Player/MGR) 2-Consecutive MLB No-Hitters
- Jose Vidro (1993) 3 x MLB AS
- Larry Walker 7 x GG; 5 x MLB AS; 3 x NL Batting Title; 1997 NL Home Run Leader; 1997 NL Most Valuable Player
- Claudell Washington (1973) 3 x MLB AS
- Billy Williams (1958) 7 x MLB AS; Baseball Hall of Fame
Roster
| Burlington Bees roster | ||||
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| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
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Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Players (1947–present)
- Burlington Bees (1993–present)
- Burlington Astros (1992–92)
- Burlington Braves (1988–90)
- Burlington Expos (1986–87)
- Burlington Rangers (1982–85)
- Burlington Bees (1954–81)
- Burlington Flints (1952–53)
- Burlington Indians (1947–49)
Angels franchise affiliations
| Level | Team | League | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | American League | Los Angeles, CA |
| AAA | Salt Lake Bees | Pacific Coast League | Salt Lake City, UT |
| AA | Arkansas Travelers | Texas League | Little Rock, AR |
| A+ | Inland Empire 66ers | California League | San Bernardino, CA |
| A | Burlington Bees | Midwest League | Burlington, IA |
| Rookie | Orem Owlz | Pioneer League | Orem, UT |
| Rookie | AZL Angels | Arizona League | Tempe, AZ |
References
- ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Burlington&state=IA&country=US&empty=0
- ↑ http://www.deathattheballpark.com/overview.html
- ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Herbert_Whitney
- ↑ http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20081015&content_id=41255838&sid=t420&vkey=team2|publisher
Sources
- Dinda, J. (2003), "Burlington, Iowa, in the Midwest League," http://www.mwlguide.com/cities/burlington/index.html
External links
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