Sunset League (1947-1950)
Far West League (1950-1951)
Tombstone
Born: 1947 – Sunset League founding franchise
Folded: January 7, 19521Cobb, Ty. “Far West League Suspends for ’52; Reno Will Carry On as Independent”. The Nevada State Journal (Reno, NV). January 8, 1952
First Game: April 20, 1947 (W 11-3 vs. Anaheim Valencias)
Last Game: September 9, 1951 (L 8-7 & L 17-6 @ Klamath Falls Gems)
Sunset League Champions: 1948
Far West League Championships: None
Stadium
Moana Stadium
Opened: 1946
Demolished: 2012
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1947: Reno Baseball Club, Inc. (Dave Carey)
- 1947-: Nevada Recreation Co. Inc. (Byron Morris, Wayne Hinckley, William Cashill, et al.)
Major League Affiliations:
- 1947-1949: New York Giants
- 1950-1951: Independent
Background
There have been four different versions of the Silver Sox baseball team in Reno since World War II. Today we will take a look at the original Silver Sox club, formed as a Class C farm club of the New York Giants in 1947.
The Silver Sox were one of six founding members of the new Sunset League in the spring of 1947. Initially, all of the Sunset League clubs were from Nevada and California but the circuit would soon add teams in Mexicali and Tijuana, Mexico in 1948 and 1949.
On The Diamond
Though Reno spent three seasons as a Giants farm club from 1947 through 1949, the 1947-1951 Silver Sox only produced one player who made it up to the Major Leagues.
21-year old rookie right-hander Al Corwin was the ace of Reno’s 1948 pitching staff (26-9, 3.54 ERA) when the team won the Sunset League playoff championship. Corwin made it up to the Polo Grounds with the Giants in 1951 and pitched in the World Series against the Yankees that October. Corwin earned a World Series ring as a member of New York’s 1954 championship team.
Into The Far West
Changes were afoot following the 1949 season. The Silver Sox’ partnership with the New York Giants came to an end. Reno also dropped out of the Sunset League in November 1949 in favor of the lower-tier Class D Far West League, citing geographic considerations. Reno’s Sunset League opponents were clustered in southern California and along both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. The Far West League membership was grouped in northern California and Oregon. Reno’s most distant rival in the Far West League in 1950 would be a shorter trip than its nearest rival in the Sunset League of 1949.2UNITED PRESS. “Reno Silver Sox Go To Far West League”. The Bee (Sacramento, CA). November 17, 1949
In January 1952, the Far West League disbanded after four seasons. The Silver Sox were in relatively strong health and in favor of continuing. But the withdrawal of the Pittsburgh and Redding clubs in California and Medford, Oregon’s franchise sank the circuit.
Reno boosters would spend the next three years seeking an opportunity to re-join professional baseball via the Class A California League. Finally, in 1955, Reno backers bailed out the California League’s financially exhausted Channel City Oilers (Santa Barbara/Ventura, California) and arranged for that club’s midseason transfer to Reno’s Moana Stadium. The team was immediately re-named the Silver Sox. That long running Silver Sox club is covered in a separate entry here on Fun While It Lasted.
Trivia
On April 20th, 1947, the Silver Sox hosted and defeated the Anaheim Valencias 11-3 at Moana Field on opening day of the Sunset League’s debut season. 1,600 fans attended the event that the Reno Evening Gazette claimed was Nevada’s “first regular professional baseball game”.3NO BYLINE. “Silver Sox Win Sunset Opener 11-3; Top Valencias With Power Hitting”. The Evening Gazette (Reno, NV). April 21, 1947
Reno Silver Sox Shop
Links
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One Response
Hello: Thanks for the memories. I was a kid in Mexicali during the Sunset League days, following the games on radio and newspaper alongside my dad and my brother. As I understand, In 1948 Mexicali Eagles won the regular season schedule, but lost the championship to Reno in playoffs.