American Association (1969-1997)
Pacific Coast League (1998-2010)
Tombstone
Born: 1969 – American Association expansion franchise
Re-Branded: 1999 (Omaha Golden Spikes)
Born Again: 2002 – Re-branded from Omaha Golden Spikes
Re-Branded: November 15, 2010 (Omaha Storm Chasers)
First Game: April 18, 1969 (W 9-0 @ Oklahoma City 89ers)
Last Game: September 6, 2010 (W 9-1 @ Oklahoma City RedHawks)
American Association Champions: 1969, 1970, 1978 & 1990
Pacific Coast League Championships: None
Stadium
Rosenblatt Stadium (14,000)11982 Omaha Royals Program
Opened: 1948
Demolished: 2012-2013
Dimensions (1982): Left: 343′, Center: 420′, Right: 343′21982 Omaha Royals Program
Marketing
Radio:
- 2001: KOSR (1490 AM)
Radio Broadcasters:
- 2001: Mark Nasser & Kevin McNabb
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1969-1985: Kansas City Royals (Ewing Kauffman)
- 1986-1991: Gus Cherry
- 1991-2001: Union Pacific Railroad, Warren Buffett & Walter Scott
- 2001-2006: Matt Minker, Warren Buffett & Walter Scott
- 2006-2010: Bill Shea, Warren Buffett & Walter Scott
Major League Affiliation: Kansas City Royals
Background
Omaha, Nebraska has hosted the top farm club of the Kansas City Royals since the Major League club’s inception in 1969.
Initially known as the Omaha Royals, the Class AAA club won four league championships of the American Association, including back-to-back titles in their first two seasons in 1969 and 1970. The manager of those 1969-70 Omaha Royals clubs was Jack McKeon, who later won a World Series as manager of the Florida Marlins in 2003.
Move To The Pacific Coast League
The American Association folded following the 1997 season and the Royals moved on to the Pacific Coast League in 1998. The following year, the team stepped away from its use of the “Royals” brand after 30 seasons. For the 1999 season, the ball club re-branded as the Omaha Golden Spikes. The majority owner of the franchise at the time was the Union Pacific Railroad. The Golden Spike symbolized the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 and retains a prominent role in the railroad’s modern day iconography and PR efforts. The name received a lukewarm reception from Omaha baseball fans, however. After Matt Minker bought controlling interest in the team from Union Pacific in 2001, he abandoned the Golden Spikes moniker and restored the Omaha Royals name for the 2002 season.
Opening of Werner Park & Re-Branding
The Royals played in Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the College World Series, for 42 seasons. In 2011, the team moved to $36 million Werner Park. With the move to the new ballpark, the team re-branded once again in November 2010. “Omaha Storm Chasers” beat out a list of eight other finalists, including Cattlemen, Commanders, Force, Hailstorm, Omahogs, Sodbusters, Windwalkers and the option of simply keeping the name Royals.
Omaha Royals Shop
In Memoriam
Manager Harry Malmberg (Royals ’73-’74) died of pancreatic cancer on October 29, 1976 at 51 years old.
Team owner Gus Cherry (’86-’91), a former minor league player himself, died in April 1993 at age 76.
Owner Matt Minker (’01-’06) passed away from cancer on November 11, 2007 at age 60.
Manager Gordon Mackenzie (’79) passed away on August 12, 2014 at the age of 77.
Links
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One Response
Losing Rosenblatt still stings a lot of people because even now, a lot of people have a hard time not having the Omaha Royals or the home of the College World Series not being summer camp for 12 Weeks, even though it was 2.