Sunset League

Sunset League
Classification	Class C (1947–1950)
Sport	Minor League Baseball
First season	1947
Ceased	1950
Replaced by	Southwest International League
President	W.R. Bill Schroeder (1947); Les Powers (1948–1950)
No. of teams	13
Country	Mexico; United States of America
Most titles	1; Anaheim Valencias (1947); Reno Silver Sox (1948); Las Vegas Wranglers (1949); El Centro Imperials (1950)
Related; competitions	Arizona–Texas League

The Sunset League was a minor league baseball circuit that operated from 1947 through 1950.

The Sunset League was a Class C level league, with franchises based in the United States and Mexico. The league expanded from six to eight teams from 1949 to 1950. There was a previous league called the "Sunset League" that briefly played in Texas in the 1902 season.

For the 1951 season, the circuit merged with the Arizona–Texas League to form the Southwest International League.

History[edit]

In 1902, a "Sunset League" included Beaumont (8–4), Lake Charles (7–6), Crowley (6–6) and Houston (3–8). Records are from the May 27, 1902, Houston Daily Post and are not official.^{[citation needed]}^[1]

The Sunset League was one of many short–lived minor leagues of the late 1940s and early 1950s. The Class C level circuit ran from 1947 through 1950. Las Vegas, El Centro and Riverside were members every year. It was an extremely high offensive league; in 1947, Las Vegas averaged 9 runs a game and finished 73–67.^[2] The league merged with the Arizona-Texas League in 1951 to form the Southwest International League.^[3]

Cities represented[edit]

Anaheim, CA: Anaheim Valencias (1947); Anaheim/San Bernardino Valencias (1948)
El Centro, CA: El Centro Imperials (1947–1950)
Las Vegas, NV: Las Vegas Wranglers (1947–1950)
Mexicali, Baja California: Mexicali Eagles (1948–1949)
Ontario, CA: Ontario Orioles (1947)
Porterville, CA: Porterville Packers (1949–1950)
Reno, NV: Reno Silver Sox (1947–1949)
Riverside, CA: Riverside Dons (1947; 1949); Riverside Rubes (1948; 1950)
Salinas, CA: Salinas Colts (1949)
San Bernardino, CA: San Bernardino Pioneers (1949–1950)
Tijuana, Baja CA: Tijuana Potros (1949–1950)
Yuma, AZ: Yuma Panthers (1950)

Standings and statistics[edit]

1947 to 1948[edit]

1947 Sunset League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Riverside Dons	80	60	.571	–	45,477	Norman DeWeese / Jack Rothrock
Anaheim Valencias	79	61	.564	1.0	16,452	Jack Rothrock / Jerry Gardner
Las Vegas Wranglers	73	67	.521	7.0	44,574	Newt Kimball
Reno Silver Sox	69	69	.500	10.0	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

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	3.0	41,748	Ken Meyers
Reno Silver Sox	77	63	.550	4.0	34,325	Thomas Lloyd
Riverside Rubes	74	66	.529	7.0	52,199	George Caster / Henry Bartolomei
El Centro Imperials	67	73	.479	14.0	42,221	Ray Viers
Anaheim Valencias / San Bernardino Valencias	43	97	.307	38.0	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 to 1950[edit]

1949 Sunset League
schedule

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Las Vegas Wranglers	88	38	.698	–	61,050	Ken Meyers
Mexicali Aguilas	79	47	.627	9.0	59,810	Ed Wheeler
San Bernardino Pioneers	62	64	.492	26.0	35,871	Jack Rothrock
Porterville Packers	61	65	.484	27.0	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	30.0	39,701	Bruce Ogrodowski
Reno Silver Sox	49	75	.395	38.0	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

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Mexicali Eagles	98	47	.676	–	80,871	Dolf Luque
El Centro Imperials	85	58	.595	12.0	46,380	Ken Meyers
Las Vegas Wranglers	76	69	.524	22.0	39,415	Ed Wheeler
Riverside Rubes	73	72	.503	23.0	49,270	Ray Viers
Tijuana Potros	70	77	.476	29.0	39,250	Zenon Ochoa / Eugene Fernandez / Butch Moran
San Bernardino Pioneers	65	80	.448	33.0	28,250	Frank Demaree / Gerald Waitman
Yuma Panthers	62	83	.428	36.0	50,101	Butch Moran / Frank Gabler
Porterville Packers	52	95	.354	47.0	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

^[4]

Championship teams[edit]

* Playoffs were not played

References[edit]

Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles (1993). Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-96-371898-3

^ "The Houston Daily Post (Houston, Tex.), Vol. XVIIITH YEAR, No. 53, Ed. 1, Tuesday, May 27, 1902". The Portal to Texas History. May 27, 1902.
^ "1947 Sunset League". Baseball-Reference.com.
^ "1951 Southwest International League (SIL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
^ The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

External links[edit]

[1] "The Houston Daily Post (Houston, Tex.), Vol. XVIIITH YEAR, No. 53, Ed. 1, Tuesday, May 27, 1902". The Portal to Texas History. May 27, 1902.

[2] "1947 Sunset League". Baseball-Reference.com.

[3] "1951 Southwest International League (SIL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.

[encyc-4] The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

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