St. Joe Blacksnakes

American Association (2006-2007)

Background

The St. Joe Blacksnakes were a short-lived pro baseball club based out of St. Joseph, Missouri. The ‘Snakes competed in the first two seasons of the American Association in 2006 and 2007. The American Association was formed in late 2005 by a group of nine established independent baseball teams that split away from the Central Baseball League and the Northern League. The Blacksnakes joined the circuit in December 2005 and were the only brand new franchise among the league’s 10 member clubs.

Phil Welch Stadium, a 70-year old ballpark that lasted hosted professional baseball in 1954, was the ‘Snakes home field. The 3,600-seater is a no-frills affair with just a half dozen rows of modern box seats backed by bench seating. One of the quirks of the ballpark is that the stadium’s light poles stand inside the stadium’s grandstand and outfield walls. This serves both to obstruct the view of the field from some seating areas and to cause a hazard for outfielders, who have to navigate metal towers that sit within the field of play.

In Competition

The Blacksnakes were a competitive expansion entry in 2006 under field manager Chris Carminucci.  St. Joe missed the playoffs, but finished with a winning record of 49-46. Veteran indy ball outfielder Wil Quintana led the American Association with 21 home runs and earned the Blacksnakes lone postseason All-Star nod. Shortstop Jimmy Mojica was named the circuit’s Rookie Player of the Year.

St. Joe’s second season in the American Association was a catastrophe. Nearly the entire roster turned over with top performers like Quintana and Mojica among the departed. Local fans were left with an unfamiliar and not very good team that finished with the worst record (34-62) in the league.

Attendance also crashed through the floor in 2007, falling 50% to just 643 fans per game. The St. Joe Blacksnakes quietly folded at the end of the 2007 season. St. Joe’s membership in the American Association was replaced by a new club in Grand Prairie, Texas operated by former Blacksnakes founder Mark Schuster.

St. Joe Blacksnakes Shop

St. Joe Blacksnakes Video

St. Joe Blacksnakes commercial circa 2006 or 2007, designed by Veeck Advertising, the South Carolina ad agency run by long-time minor league baseball promoter Mike Veeck.

Links

American Association Media Guides 2006-Present

American Association Programs (2006-Present)

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