Tombstone
Born: October 7, 1976 – Affiliation Change from Waterloo Royals
Re-Branded: 1989 (Waterloo Diamonds)
First Game: April 15, 1977 (L 11-7 @ Burlington Bees)
Last Game: August 29, 1988 (W 5-1 @ Quad City Angels)
Midwest League Champions: 1980 & 1986
Stadium
Municipal Stadium (5,400)11986 Waterloo Indians Program
Dimensions: Left: 335′, Center: 360′, Right: 335′21986 Waterloo Indians Program
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners: Waterloo Professional Baseball, Inc.
Major League Affiliation: Cleveland Indians
Attendance
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Source: Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Third Edition (Durham, NC: Baseball America, 2007)
Background
The Waterloo Indians were an Iowa-based Class A farm club of the Cleveland Indians from 1977 until 1988. The Tribe arrived in October 1976, transferring their Class A operation from San Jose, California to replace the departing Kansas City Royals as Waterloo’s parent club.
Waterloo won Midwest League crowns in 1980 and 1986. The club posted only two losing seasons during a twelve-year run under the Indians’ banner.
Future Major League All-Stars Von Hayes (Waterloo ’80), Kelly Gruber (’81), Greg Swindell (’86) and Albert Belle (’88) came through town during the Indians years.
Pitcher John Farrell (Waterloo ’84) managed the Boston Red Sox to a World Series victory in 2013.
Demise
The Cleveland Indians informed Waterloo Professional Baseball officials on September 15, 1988 of the termination of their player development contract. The move left Waterloo in limbo throughout the fall of 1988 and at risk of a summer without pro ball for the first time since 1957. Ultimately, team official’s managed to cobble together a co-op arrangement with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. The club was re-named the Waterloo Diamonds for the 1989 season.
Waterloo eventually lost its Midwest League franchise in 1994 after 36 seasons of operation. The team moved to Springfield, Illinois on the eve of the 1994 season.
Waterloo Indians Shop
In Memoriam
Pitcher Steve Olin (Waterloo ’88) died in a boating accident along with Cleveland Indians teammate Tim Crews during spring training camp on March 22, 1993. Olin was 27 years old.
Links
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One Response
I have the book Waterloo Diamonds. I bought it in Cooperstown, NY at one of the shops on Main Street. Great read.