Burlington, Iowa’s community-owned Minor League Baseball team has been known as the ‘Bees’ for the better part of seven decades dating back to 1954. The exception was a 10-year stretch from 1982 to 1992 when Burlington adopted the name of their Major League parent clubs during a series of short-lived partnerships. The last of these four Player Development Contracts was with the Houston Astros during the summers of 1991 and 1992.
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (1954-1961) Midwest League (1962-1981) Born: 1954 Re-Branded: Fall 1981 (Burlington Rangers) First Game: April 20, 1954 (L 3-1 @ Quincy Gems) Last Game: September 1, 1981
Pro baseball returned to Wausau, Wisconsin when the Midwest League chose the city of 32,000 over Lafayette, Indiana for an expansion club at the 1974 Baseball Winter Meetings. Wausau became the northernmost stop in the Class A circuit during the 1970’s, playing against intra-state rivals from Appleton and Wisconsin Rapids as well as clubs from Iowa and Illinois. From 1975 to 1978, Wausau served as a farm club for the National League’s New York Mets.
The Danville Suns were an Illinois-based farm team of the California Angels during the summer of 1982. The Suns marked the return of the Class A Midwest League to Danville after a five-year absence. The city previously hosted the league’s Danville Warriors (1970-1974) and Danville Dodgers (1975-1976). Team owner Lou Eliopulos moved the Suns to Peoria, Illinois in November 1982.
The Cedar Rapids Braves were a farm club of the National League’s Milwaukee Braves from 1958 to 1962. The Braves played in the Class A Three-I League from 1958 until that league closed down after the 1961 season. Cedar Rapids then shifted to the Class D Midwest League in 1962 for the city’s final summer as a Braves affiliate.
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