Western Baseball League (1995-1997)
Tombstone
Born: 1994 – WBL founding franchise
Ceased Operations (Salinas): January 1998
Franchise Moved: 1998 (Zion Pioneerzz)
First Game: May 19, 1995 (L 8-7 @ Sonoma County Crushers)
Last Game: August 31, 1997 (L 9-6 vs. Chico Heat)
Western League Championships: None
Stadium
Salinas Municipal Stadium (4,000)
Marketing
Team Colors: Burnt Orange & Green11997 Sonoma County Crushers Program
Mascot: Pepe (the Pepper)
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1995-1996: Bruce Engel
- 1997: Dennis Narlinger, Pat Elster, Paula Pyers, et al.
Major League Affiliation: Independent
Background
The Salinas Peppers were a minor league baseball team from Monterrey County, California that played three seasons in the independent Western Baseball League. Peppers owner Bruce Engel, a Portland, Oregon businessman, was also the Western League’s founder and President.
Salinas Municipal Stadium, built in 1949, got a modest overhaul in preparation for the Peppers’ debut in May 1995. Bleacher seating was installed down both foul lines and the two new permanent concessions stands were added to the ballpark.
On The Diamond
The Peppers finished the WBL’s 1995 inaugural season with the league’s best record at 60-30. 27-year old Kevin Reardon, a right-hander with no prior pro experience, was the league’s top pitcher with a 14-2 record and 2.29 ERA. However, the Peppers lost two straight at home in the opening round of the playoffs to eventual champion Long Beach.
The Peppers’ great success story was pitcher Ben Weber, who joined the club for the 1996 season at age 26. Weber was a former 20th round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays (1991) who hit a wall in Toronto’s farm system. He won 12 games with the Peppers in 1996, sparking interest from the Taiwan Major League where he played the next two seasons. Weber eventually signed with the San Francisco Giants and made his Major League debut at age 30 in 2000. He won a World Series championship with the Anaheim Angels in 2002 and enjoyed a six-year career in the Majors.
The End
After two seasons, team founder and WBL President Bruce Engel sold the Peppers to Dennis Narlinger in January 1997. Narlinger lost a reported $200,000 during his first season as owner in 1997 (The Salinas Californian 1/8/1998).
With two years left on the Peppers’ Municipal Stadium lease, Narlinger attempted to move the Peppers to Redding, California in late 1997. After the Redding City Council voted down a loan package to lure the ballclub to town, Narlinger elected to shut down operations of the team in January 1998. He apparently retained his franchise rights though. After going dark for the 1998 season, Narlinger and his business partner Pat Elster moved the husk of the former Peppers franchise to St. George, Utah in 1999 where it was known as the Zion Pioneerzz.
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