1979 Tacoma Tugs baseball program from the Pacific Coast League

Tacoma Tugs

Pacific Coast League (1979)

Tombstone

Born: October 1978 – Re-branded from Tacoma Yankees1Van Sickel, Charlie. “The Dutch Rub”. The Daily Chronicle (Spokane, WA). November 1, 1978
Re-Branded:
November 16, 1979 (Tacoma Tigers)

First Game: April 11, 1979 (L 5-4 @ Portland Beavers)
Last Game
: September 1, 1979 (W 9-1 vs. Vancouver Canadians)

Pacific Coast League Championships: None

Stadium

Cheney Stadium
Opened: 1960

Ownership & Affiliation

Owner:

Major League Affiliation: Cleveland Indians

Attendance

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Source: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3rd ed.), Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, 2007

 

Background

The Tacoma Tugs were a one-season only Class AAA farm club of the Cleveland Indians in the Pacific Coast League during the summer of 1979.  The late 70’s were an unsettled period in Tacoma’s baseball history. The franchise cycled through four different parent clubs in four seasons between 1977 and 1980.  The Tugs replaced the Tacoma Yankees (1978) and gave way to the Tacoma Tigers (1980-1994).

The Tugs were 74-73 in Tacoma’s only season as an Indians affiliate.

25 Tugs players saw service time in the Major Leagues at some point in their pro careers.  Among the more accomplished of these players were relief pitcher Larry Andersen, who played parts of 17 seasons in the Majors, pitcher Juan Berenguer (15 seasons), catcher Ron Hassey (14 seasons), and the late Bo Diaz, a two-time Major League All-Star.

Juan Berenguer led the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts (220) during the 1979 season.

 

Tacoma Tugs Shop

 

 

In Memoriam

Tugs catcher Bo Diaz died in an accident on November 23, 1990 while trying to fix a satellite dish on his roof in his native Venezuela.  He was 37.

Tugs infielder Taylor Duncan passed away from a stroke on January 3, 2004 at age 50.

 

Links

Pacific Coast League Media Guides

Pacific Coast League Programs

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Comments

One Response

  1. I love how they advertise being the 1978 PCL champions without mentioning that all of those players were future Yankees and are now all gone!

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