The Orange Empire Outlaws were a short-lived semi-pro football outfit that competed in the California Football League during the summer of 1981. Former Los Angeles Rams star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Fears was part-owner and offensive coordinator of the Outlaws. After winning their debut game, the Outlaws lost their final nine contests to finish 1-9. The team disbanded quietly after the season.
The Cleveland Jaybirds were a men’s professional Slo-Pitch softball team that played at Elder Field in Brookside park in 1977 and 1978. The team was consistently strong but could not beat the powerhouse Detroit Caesars club in the playoffs either season. The team changed it name under new ownership prior to the 1979 American Professional Slo-Pitch League season.
The Columbus All-Americans were one of 12 original men’s softball franchises in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League during the summer of 1977. Overshadowed by the return of Triple-A minor league baseball to Columbus that summer, the All-Americans struggled to a 16-40 last place finish and quietly evaporated following the 1977 season.
The Halifax Citadels were the last professional hockey team to play in Nova Scotia’s capital city. The Citadels played in the American Hockey League (AHL) and operated as the top farm club of the NHL’s Quebec Nordiques from 1988 until 1993. Never an especially strong team, the Citadels managed only one winning season and never won a playoff series in five years of play.
The Daytona Cubs were a long-time Florida State League farm team of the Chicago Cubs, playing 22 seasons between 1993 and 2014. The club was notable for its dominant postseason performances, capturing 10 straight playoff series and six Florida State League titles over a 20-year period between 1993 and 2013. The franchise re-branded itself as the Daytona Tortugas in 2014 after the Chicago Cubs ended their partnership with the ball club.
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