Tombstone
Born: January 14, 1978 – Pioneer League expansion franchise1Crump, Steve. “Pioneer adds Helena”. The Tribune (Great Falls, MT). January 15, 1978
Folded: December 1983
First Game: June 23, 1978 (9-7 vs. Billings Mustangs)
Last Game: August 31, 1983 (W 6-5 vs. Idaho Falls A’s)
Pioneer League Championships: None
Stadium
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1978: Carson Aasen, Ron Iverson, Al McCarthy, Joe Sparkman, et al.
- 1979: Al McCarthy, Ron Iverson, et al.
- 1982-1983: Al McCarthy, Jim Cannon, et al.
Major League Affiliation: Philadelphia Phillies
Attendance
Background
The Helena Phillies were established in January 1978 as part of a two-team expansion of the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Butte, Montana joined shortly after Helena to boost the circuit from 6 to 8 clubs. When the Phils debuted in June 1978 it marked the first pro baseball played in Montana’s capital city since 1914.
Helena Professional Sports, Inc. launched with $20,000 in seed capital, put up by 20 backers who committed $1,000 apiece (Helena Independent Record 6/17/2003). KBLL radio manager Carson Aasen put together the initial group of investors.
Ballplayers at this lowest rung of the minor leagues were typically between 17 and 22 years old and in their first season of professional baseball.
Future Stars
The 1978 Helena squad was notable for producing two future Major League Most Valuable Players: 18-year old outfielder George Bell and fellow 18-year old shortstop Ryne Sandberg. Bell went on to become a slugging outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays and won the American League MVP award in 1987 after hitting 47 home runs that summer. But Bell failed to hit a single homer in 120 plate appearances with Helena in 1978.
Sandberg converted to second base in the Majors with the Chicago Cubs. He won National League MVP honors in 1984 while leading the Chicago Cubs to their first postseason appearance in 39 years. Sandberg’s 1978 Helena teammate Bob Dernier also starred for that ’84 Cubs team, batting leadoff and winning the 1984 National League Gold Glove Award for centerfielders.
The best Helena Phillies player to actually help out the Major League parent club was catcher Darren Daulton (Helena ’80), who went on to become a three-time National League All-Star in 14 seasons with Philadelphia.
Demise
Future stars aside, the Helena Phillies were usually wretched. 1979 was the team’s only winning season as a Philadelphia farm club. They finished last in their division each year from 1981 to 1983. The Phils’ final summer in 1983 was especially horrible. Helena tied a trifecta of Pioneer League all-time futility records that season including fewest wins (16), most losses (54) and longest losing streak (19 games).
At the end of the 1983 season, Helena’s ownership group declined to renew their affiliate agreement with Philadelphia. But they found no willing partners to replace the Phillies. The ownership group split about the way forward. General Manager and part-owner Jim Cannon attempted to sell the team to a new ownership group from Casper, Wyoming. But the Pioneer League voted down the attempted sale in October 1983.
After Helena Pro Sports Inc. defaulted on its debts in December 1983, the Pioneer League seized control of the franchise. The Pioneer League admitted a new Helena franchise, known as the Gold Sox, the following month to replace the Phillies for the 1984 season.
Helena Phillies Shop
In Memoriam
Coach Bobby Demeo (Helena ’81) was expected to take over as Helena’s field manager for the 1982 season. He was killed in a car accident in Denver, Colorado on December 10, 1981 at age of 29.
General Manager Ward Goodrich (Helena ’80-’81) passed away on December 1, 2008 of complications for Alzheimer’s Disease. Helena Independent-Record obituary.
Catcher Darren Daulton (Helena ’80) passed away on August 6, 2017 after a long battle with brain cancer. He was 55 years old. New York Times obituary.
Downloads
8-29-1980 Helena Phillies vs. Medicine Hat Blue Jays Game Notes
Links
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