Channel Cities Oilers
|
Channel Cities Oilers 1954–1955 Ventura, California | |
| Class-level | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Class-C |
| Minor league affiliations | |
Previous leagues | California League |
| Team data | |
Previous parks | Babe Ruth Field |
The "Channel Cities Oilers" were a minor league level team in the California League that played from 1954 to 1955. They were based in the Pacific Ocean coastal town of Ventura, California, and also in the neighboring well-known resort town of Santa Barbara, California. They played their home games at Laguna Park and Babe Ruth Field (named for famous baseball player George Herman ("Babe") Ruth, (1895-1948) of Baltimore) in Seaside Park. Their team name reflected the off-shore oil well drilling industry in the Santa Barbara Channel that began in the 1950s and was curtailed by a catastrophic oil spill in 1969.[1]
Notable major league players include Chuck Essegian, Al Gionfriddo, Dario Lodigiani (who managed the Ventura team in 1954) and Dave Melton.[2] They moved west to Reno, Nevada to become the Reno Silver Sox midway through the 1955 season, continuing in the California League. Batboys for the 1954 season included Frank and Robert Buck.