Tombstone
Born: October 9, 1980 – Re-branded from Reno Silver Sox1Benson, Frank. “Silver Sox change name to Reno Padres”. The Gazette-Journal (Reno, NV). October 9, 1980
Re-Branded: 1987 (Reno Silver Sox)
First Game: April 10, 1981 (L 11-9 @ Fresno Giants)
Last Game: September 10, 1987 (L 5-0 @ Fresno Giants)
California League Championships: None
Stadium
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners: Washoe Youth Foundation
Major League Affiliation: San Diego Padres
Attendance
Background
For more than 30 years a not-for-profit corporation known as the Washoe Youth Foundation operated Reno, Nevada’s minor league ball club in the Class A California League. From 1955 until 1980, the club was known as the Reno Silver Sox and the club cycled through a number of Major League tie-ups. In October 1980, Reno’s latest Major League parent club, the San Diego Padres, compelled the Foundation to take on the Padres brand name and logo for the 1981 season.
Road To The Majors
During the seven seasons that followed, a number of Padres prospects passed through Reno’s Moana Stadium en route to Major League stardom. Notables included:
- Shortstop Ozzie Guillen (Reno ’82)
- First baseman/outfielder John Kruk (Reno ’82)
- Outfielder Kevin McReynolds (Reno ’82)
- Pitcher Mitch Williams (Reno ’83-’84)
- Catcher Benito Santiago (Reno ’84)
- Future Hall-of-Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar (Reno ’86)
Only Benito Santiago, who earned four National League All-Star elections in San Diego from 1989-1992, became a major contributor for the Padres. The others had their greatest success elsewhere.
Back To The Future
At the end of the 1987 season the San Diego Padres ended their affiliation with Reno. The Padres’ withdrawal put the club’s future in immediate jeopardy. The Washoe Youth Foundation was unable to find a new Major League parent organization to subsidize the operation.
The Foundation took back the historic Silver Sox identity for the 1988 season and managed to cobble together a truly wretched independent club that finished 39-103. At the end of the 1988 season, the Foundation sold the club to private owners after 34 years of non-profit operation.
The former Padres/Silver Sox franchise moved to Riverside California following the 1992 season.
In the late 1990’s and into the 2000’s, Reno hosted a succession of lower-profile independent pro teams, including the Chukars (1996-1998), the Blackjacks (1999) and a re-boot of the Silver Sox (2006-2008).
Baseball in Reno experience a massive revival in 2009 with the opening of the 9,000-seat, $50 million Aces Ballpark and the arrival of the Class AAA Reno Aces, top farm club of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Reno Padres Shop
Links
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