Western Baseball League (1999)
Tombstone
Born: 1999
Moved: 2000 (Solano Steelheads)
First Game: May 21, 1999 (W 9-5 @ Tri-City Posse)
Last Game: September 2, 1999 (L 9-8 @ Zion Pioneerzz)
Western League Championships: None
Stadium
Union Stadium (4,098)11999 Western Baseball League Media Guide & Record Book
Marketing
Mascot: Slammin Sammy (the Salmon)
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners: Bruce Portner
Major League Affiliation: Independent
Attendance
Background
The Sacramento Steelheads were an independent professional baseball team that existed for only season in the California capital before getting displaced by the return of Class AAA baseball to the city in the year 2000.
The 1999 Steelheads set up shop at Union Stadium on the campus of Sacramento City College. The team played one season in the six-team Western Baseball League, competing against teams from California, Nevada, Utah and Washington. They finished in last place with a 36-54 record.
Move to Vacaville
One month after the Steelheads debut season ended in September 1999, Sacramento broke ground on the new $46 million Raley Field ballpark with capacity for 14,000 fans. Obviously, this was not built for the low budget Steelheads. Instead, the Vancouver Canadians of the triple-A Pacific Coast League moved to town and became the Sacramento River Cats, top farm club of the Oakland Athletics. The River Cats debuted in the spring of 2000.
The Steelheads, meanwhile, moved 40 minutes west to Vacaville. As the Solano Steelheads, they played on for three more seasons until the folded up shop, along with the rest of the Western Baseball League, at the conclusion of the 2002 season.
Trivia
The Steelheads home opener on May 28, 1999, played before 3,752 at Sacramento City College, was the first pro baseball game in the capital in 23 years since the triple-A Sacramento Solons departed at the end of the 1976 season.
In Memoriam
Steelheads manager Bob Oliver passed away on April 19, 2020 at age 77.
Links
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