Northern League (2005-2007)
Golden Baseball League (2008-2010)
North American League (2011)
Tombstone
Born: April 3, 2004 – Northern League expansion franchise1Cowley, Norm. “It’s official: Northern League coming to town”. The Journal (Edmonton, AB). April 4, 2004
Folded: 2011
First Game: May 20, 2005 (L 7-3 @ Sioux City Explorers)
Last Game: September4, 2011 (L 9-2 @ Edmonton Capitals)
Northern League Championships: None
Golden Baseball League Champions: 2009
North American League Championships: None
Stadium
Foothills Stadium
Opened: 1966
Marketing
Team Colors:
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 2004: Hiro Masawa & Naoto Higuchi
- 2005 – 2009: Jeff Gidney & Peter Young
- 2009 – 2011: Jeff Gidney
Major League Affiliation: Independent
Attendance
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Sources:
- 2008 Northern League Media Guide & Record Book (2005 – 2007 Vipers & Northern League figures)
- 2009 Baseball America Almanac (2008 Vipers & Golden Baseball League figures)
- 2010 Baseball America Almanac (2009 Vipers & Golden Baseball League figures)
- 2011 Baseball America Almanac (2010 Vipers & Golden Baseball League figures)
- 2012 Baseball America Almanac (2011 Vipers & North American League figures)
Background
The Calgary Vipers were an independent professional baseball team that competed for seven precarious seasons between 2005 and 2011. The Vipers came into Calgary three years after the city lost the Cannons, its long-time Class AAA team in the Pacific Coast League, at the end of the 2002 season. A previous independent team, the Calgary Outlaws of the Canadian Baseball League, attempted to replace the Cannons in 2003 but that league collapsed midway through its debut season.
Calgary and Edmonton (another city that had recently lost its Pacific Coast League franchise) both entered the Northern League as expansion franchises for the 2005 season. The NL, founded in 1993, was the oldest and one of the most respected independent leagues in North America. Most of its member clubs were in the American Upper Midwest and Great Plains, so the new Alberta-based clubs were forced to pay an additional assessment of $60,000 CAD to subsidize travel costs for the NL’s American clubs.
The Vipers typically fielded very strong clubs on the field. But the team fared poorly at the box office every year and relegated itself to membership in a lower and lower quality leagues over the course of six seasons of competition.
Calgary Vipers Shop
In Memoriam
Team owner Jeff Gidney (Vipers ’05 -’11) passed away on August 16th, 2012 following a lengthy illness. The Winnipeg-based businessman was 65 years old.
Links
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