Tombstone
Born: July 1, 1955 – The Channel Cities Oilers relocate to Reno, NV
Re-Branded: October 9, 1980 (Reno Padres)
First Game:
Last Game:
California League Champions: 1960, 1961, 1975 & 1976
Stadium
Moana Stadium (3,000)11975 San Jose Bees Program
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners: Washoe Youth Foundation
Major League Affiliations:
- 1956: Brooklyn Dodgers
- 1957-1962: Los Angeles Dodgers
- 1963-1964: Pittsburgh Pirates
- 1965: Did Not Operate
- 1966-1974: Cleveland Indians
- 1975-1976: Co-Op (Minnesota Twins & San Diego Padres)
- 1977-1981: San Diego Padres
Background
The Class A Reno Silver Sox of 1955-1980 were the longest-lasting of four Nevada ball clubs that have used the Silver Sox monitor since World War II. The other versions were included the Silver Sox of the Sunset League and the Far West League (1947-1951), the 1988-1992 seasons of this same California League franchise, and the 2006-2008 Silver Sox of the independent Golden League. Those teams will be covered in separate FWiL entries (some day).
The Silver Sox were born in midseason 1955. The financially exhausted directors of the California League’s Channel Cities Oilers (Santa Barbara/Ventura, California) handed off the club to a group of Reno backers. The Silver Sox played their first game on July 1, 1955, a 9-3 loss to the Salinas Packers. The 1955 club had no Major League affiliation and finished 63.5 games out of first place with a dismal 40-106 record.
The Washoe Youth Foundation, a civic-minded non-profit group, operated the Silver Sox throughout their time in the California League.
Dodgers Era
The Silver Sox fortunes improved for their first full season in Reno in 1956. The club struck an affiliation with the Brooklyn Dodgers and posted a winning record (73-67). The club won back-to-back California League titles as a Dodgers farm club in 1960 and 1961.
Notable Silver Sox during the Dodgers era included:
- Center fielder Willie Davis (California League MVP in 1959 with the Silver Sox)
- Second baseman Bobby Cox (Silver Sox ’60)
In 2001, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues published a list of the Top 100 minor league clubs of all time. The 1961 Reno Silver Sox came in at #55. Managed by Roy Smalley, the 1961 club won a league record 97 games and claimed the league championship without playoffs by virtue of winning both halves. Pitcher Joe Moeller, corner men Ken McMullen and Dick Nen and catcher Hector Valle all went on to make the Majors from the 1961 squad.
Shortstop Dick Williams, the California League’s 1961 MVP and batting champion, never made it. Neither did 22-year old pitching ace Bruce Gardner, who went 20-4 with a 2.82 ERA and 18 complete games. Arm and ankle injuries derailed Gardner’s promise and he took his own life on the pitching mound of his college team in 1971.
After The Dodgers
The Dodgers shifted their California League operation to Santa Barbara after the 1962 season. The Pittsburgh Pirates took over as Reno’s parent club in 1963 and 1964. The Silver Sox sat out the 1965 season because the league had an odd number of clubs, but kept their league membership active and returned to play in 1966 as a Cleveland Indians farm club.
Key players during the Indians years (1966-1974) included:
- Catcher and future Major League All-Star Ray Fosse (Silver Sox ’66)
- Pitcher Dick Tidrow (Silver Sox ’67-’71)
- Catcher Alan Ashby (Silver Sox ’70-’71)
- Pitcher Larry Andersen (Silver Sox ’71-’73)
- Pitcher Dennis Eckersley (Silver Sox ’72-’73)
- Shortstop Alfredo Griffin (Silver Sox ’74)
Tidrow had a weird resume for a future Major Leaguer. He spent parts of five straight seasons in Class A ball in Reno before making the Major Leagues in 1972. He won 18 games for the 1977 & 1978 New York Yankees World Series champion teams.
In 1975 and 1976 the Silver Sox had no formal affiliation, but received players from both the Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres in a co-operative relationships. Both teams provided top prospects, including catch Butch Wynegar from the Twins and 1975 #1 overall draft pick Gene Richards from the Padres. The Silver Sox won back-to-back California League crowns during this two-year partnership. Richards lit up the California League in 1975 (.381, 12 HRs, 58 RBIs, 85 steals) en route to MVP honors.
Re-Branding & Aftermath
In 1977 the San Diego Padres formally took over as Reno’s parent club. San Diego kept the Silver Sox name for four more seasons. But in October 1980 they pushed through a name change to the Reno Padres, effective for the 1981 season.
When the Padres affiliation ended after the 1987 season, Reno took back the Silver Sox name. This version of the Silver Sox played from 1988 to 1992. The franchise moved to Riverside, California for the 1993 season.
Trivia
On May 30th, 1977 Dennis Eckersley of the Cleveland Indians threw a no-hitter against the California Angels at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. Both Eckersley and his catcher that day, Ray Fosse, were Silver Sox alumni.
Eckersley and Bobby Cox (Silver Sox ’60) both went on to earn election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Eckersley entered the Hall in 2004. Cox was voted in for his accomplishments as a manager with the Class of 2014.
Reno Silver Sox Shop
In Memoriam
Pitcher Bruce Gardner (Silver Sox ’61) died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on June 7, 1971. Death on the Mound, Ira Berkow & Murray Olderman, Inside Sports, August 1980
Pitcher Eric Show (Silver Sox ’79) passed away on March 16, 1994 at age 37 after a struggle with drug abuse. New York Times coverage.
Outfielder Willie Davis (Silver Sox ’59) died on March 9, 2010 at age 69. New York Times obituary.
Downloads
August 1975 Silver Sox vs. Bakersfield Dodgers Game Notes
August 1975 Reno Silver Sox vs. Bakersfield Dodgers Game Notes
Links
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4 Responses
Great to see something about the Silver Sox! Great times at the ballpark in the 70’s. They played an exhibition against UNR’s college team in 1976, and some tall righthander with a mustache pitched great that night for the Wolf Pack. He mowed them down! Any memory of that pitcher? I also remember an earlier Sox team featuring Dennis Eckersley, Duane Kuiper, and Rick Manning. Those were the minor league baseball days in Reno.
Remember being a ball boy spotting foul balls in the field behind the stands to be retrieved and re-used. Paid $4 a game (silver dollars). Think it was 1958 or 1959. Home plate was on the SE corner of the field with old wooden covered stands and the press box on its roof which is were I stood to spot the foul balls.
Only names I really remember were the manager “buffalo” Ray Perry (swore like a sailor) and an outfielder named Fran Boniar who hit around 50 home runs and had a batting average over 400. Apparently curve balls caught up to him since that was the last I heard about him.
Nothing but fond memories of those days.
Rodney – great story! Thanks for visiting and posting.
Andrew