The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league

Minor league

Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...

 baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 (Triple A) team in the Pacific Coast League

Pacific Coast League

The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...

, ending with the 2004 season. Home games were played at Telus Field

TELUS Field

Telus Field is a baseball stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is home to the Edmonton Capitals of the independent North American League, and was home to the former Edmonton Trappers, an AAA baseball team of the Pacific Coast League. The Trappers moved to Round Rock, Texas, and became the...

 in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

The Trappers joined the PCL in 1981 when Edmonton businessman Peter Pocklington

Peter Pocklington

Peter Hugh Pocklington is a Canadian entrepreneur.He made his initial fortune as the owner of one of the largest auto dealerships in Canada, and later took over a meat packing company involved in a high-profile labour strike....

 purchased the Ogden A's

Ogden A's

The Ogden A's were a former minor league baseball team located in Ogden, Utah. They played as the Triple-A farm club of the Oakland Athletics. The team only played for two seasons, and...

 franchise from Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

 trucker Dennis Job. The team's games were originally played in Renfrew Park (later called John Ducey Park

John Ducey Park

John Ducey Park was a 6,500 seat baseball stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Originally built in 1935, it was torn down after sixty years of use in 1995 and replaced by Telus Field on the same site...

). The Trappers were immediately popular with the community, often above the league average in attendance attracting almost half a million fans every season. http://www.digitalballparks.com/Pacific/Telus.html A total of 8 million fans came to see them play over the course of their 24 year existence.

In 1984, the Trappers (who, at the time, were the Triple-A farm team of the California Angels) became the first Canadian franchise to win a championship. They were also the only team to win a PCL Championship, and first to win any championship, under affiliation with the Angels. The manager was Moose Stubing.

In 1995, John Ducey Park was torn down and replaced by Telus Field where the Trappers celebrated three PCL titles in their last decade, most recently in 2002 under the affiliation of the Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...

. In 2003, the team became the major affiliate of the Montréal Expos

Montreal Expos

The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...

. Edmonton was the most successful, longest running, and second last triple A team in Canada which gave the city of Edmonton the name Baseball City of Canada.

On June 11, 2004, future Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....

 pitcher Scott Downs

Scott Downs

Scott Jeremy Downs is an American professional baseball relief pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays...

 threw a no-hitter against Las Vegas. It was the first no hitter by a Trapper since August 8, 1996 when Aaron Small

Aaron Small

Aaron James Small is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is probably best remembered for his short successful stint as a starter for the New York Yankees in ....

 threw one against the Vancouver Canadians

Vancouver Canadians

The Vancouver Canadians are a minor league baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadians are the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The C's have previously affiliated with the Oakland Athletics between 2000-2010. They are the only Canadian team in the...

.

Edmonton qualified for playoffs for the last time in history in September 2003 when they defeated the Portland Beavers to make the post-season but were eliminated immediately by the Sacramento Rivercats 3 games to 0.

In October 2003, the Trappers' fate in Edmonton was sealed when the team, then owned by the Canadian Football League

Canadian Football League

The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....

's Edmonton Eskimos

Edmonton Eskimos

The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...

, was sold to a group led by Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan

Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....

 and his son Reid. The sale shocked many fans in Edmonton. The Ryans moved the team after the 2004 season to Round Rock, Texas

Round Rock, Texas

Round Rock is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the metropolitan area. The 2010 census places the population at 99,887....

, where it is now known as the Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express

The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...

. The last home game, a sizeable crowd filled the stadium to give the Trappers a final sendoff against the Las Vegas 51s

Las Vegas 51s

The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...

. The game, however, was rained out after only one inning.

Edmonton is now home to the Edmonton Capitals

Edmonton Capitals

The Edmonton Capitals are a professional baseball team based in Edmonton, Alberta. Known originally as the Edmonton Cracker-Cats, they began play in the Northern League in 2005 before switching to the Golden Baseball League in 2008. The team was sold to Daryl Katz in 2009, after which the team was...

 who are part of the North American League

North American League

The North American League is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season...

.

Notable former Trappers

• Juan Agosto
  Juan Agosto
  Juan Roberto Agosto Gonzalez is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and the Seattle Mariners.-Professional career:...
  
  
• Rubén Amaro, Jr.
  Rubén Amaro, Jr.
  Rubén Amaro, Jr. is the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.He is also a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from to . He is the son of former infielder Rubén Amaro, Sr....
  
  
• Dante Bichette
  Dante Bichette
  Alphonse Dante Bichette, Sr. is a former Italian-American Major League Baseball player. Bichette was a four-time All-Star as a member of the Colorado Rockies.-Career:...
  
  
• Casey Blake
  Casey Blake
  William Casey Blake is a Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently a free agent.Blake previously played with the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers. He had alternated between playing at third base and first base before...
  
  
• Mike Brown
  Mike Brown (outfielder)
  Michael Charles Brown is a former Major League Baseball outfielder born on Tuesday, December 29, 1959, in San Francisco, California. He played all or part of five seasons in the major leagues between and , and one season in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants in ....
  
  
• Eric Chavez
  Eric Chavez
  Eric Cesar Chavez is an American Major League Baseball infielder. Chavez has played for the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees...
  
  
• Ryan Church
• Michael Cuddyer
  Michael Cuddyer
  Michael Brent Cuddyer is a Major League Baseball right fielder who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed, and wore number 5 for Minnesota Twins.-High school:...
  
  
• Gary DiSarcina
  Gary DiSarcina
  Gary Thomas DiSarcina is a front office executive and a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was raised in Billerica, Massachusetts and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst. DiSarcina was drafted by the California Angels in the 6th round of the 1988 amateur draft...
  
  
• Scott Downs
  Scott Downs
  Scott Jeremy Downs is an American professional baseball relief pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays...
  
  
• David Eckstein
  David Eckstein
  David Mark Eckstein is a former American professional baseball player who was an infielder in Major League Baseball for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona...
  
  
• Jim Edmonds
  Jim Edmonds
  James Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...
  
  
• Jason Giambi
  Jason Giambi
  Jason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...
  
  
• Wally Joyner
  Wally Joyner
  Wallace Keith "Wally" Joyner is a former first baseman and hitting coach in Major League Baseball. He played for four major league teams during a 16-year career, most notably for the California Angels, for whom he was an All-Star...
  
  
• Ron Kittle
  Ron Kittle
  Ronald Dale Kittle is a former left fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who was known mostly for his home run power, being named the 1983 AL Rookie of the Year...
  
  
• Jason McDonald
  Jason McDonald
  Jason Adam McDonald , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder for the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers from 1997-2000. He attended Sacramento City College.-External links:...
  
  
• Mark McLemore
  Mark McLemore
  Mark Tremell McLemore is a former second baseman and utility player in Major League Baseball....
  
  
• Darrell Miller
  Darrell Miller
  Darrell Keith Miller is a former Major League Baseball catcher/outfielder, playing from 1984 through 1988. Before being drafted to the major leagues, he played three seasons at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California...
  
  
• Justin Morneau
  Justin Morneau
  Justin Ernest George Morneau is a Canadian Major League Baseball first baseman for the Minnesota Twins. At 6 feet 4 inches and 225 lbs, Morneau was originally drafted as a catcher by the Twins in 1999. He converted to first base in the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in 2003...
  
  
• John Orton
  John Orton
  John Andrew Orton was a Major League Baseball catcher. He is an alumnus of the California Polytechnic State University....
  
  
• Gary Pettis
  Gary Pettis
  Gary George Pettis is the current first base coach of the Texas Rangers. Prior to coaching, he spent eleven seasons as a center fielder in Major League Baseball....
  
  
• Gus Polidor
  Gus Polidor
  Gustavo Adolfo Polidor González [poh-lee-DOR], , was a shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the California Angels , Milwaukee Brewers and Florida Marlins . He was born in Caracas, Venezuela.His best year was 1987 with the Angels, when he hit for a .263 batting average, with 2 homers...
  
  
• Mike Ramsey
  Mike Ramsey (infielder)
  Michael Jeffrey Ramsey was a Major League Baseball infielder. He attended Appalachian State University.Ramsey played for Roswell High School. He was drafted in the 26th round of the 1972 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs, but did not sign. In 1975, Ramsey was again drafted, this time in the 3rd...
  
  
• Tim Salmon
  Tim Salmon
  Timothy James Salmon is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter who played his entire career with the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels...
  
  
• Johan Santana
  Johan Santana
  Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela....
  
  
• Terrmel Sledge
  Terrmel Sledge
  Terrmel Sledge is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball, who currently plays for the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Sledge's career began in with the Montreal Expos. He moved with the team to Washington, D.C...
  
  
• Matt Stairs
  Matt Stairs
  Matthew Wade Stairs is a former Canadian professional Major League baseball outfielder, first baseman, designated hitter, and pinch hitter. He played for 12 different teams, a major league record he shares with Octavio Dotel, Mike Morgan and Ron Villone...
  
  
• Lee Stevens
  Lee Stevens
  DeWain Lee Stevens is a former first baseman and designated hitter drafted by the California Angels out of Lawrence High School in the first round of the 1986 amateur draft in Major League Baseball who played from to and from to for the California Angels, Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, and...
  
  
• Miguel Tejada
  Miguel Tejada
  Miguel Odalis Tejada was a Major League Baseball infielder who has played for the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres, the Houston Astros, the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics...
  
  
• Javier Valentín
  Javier Valentín
  José Javier Valentín Rosario is a catcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. From -, he played for the Cincinnati Reds after playing with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and playing in four brief stints for the Minnesota Twins from -. He is the younger brother of former Major League...
  
  
• Devon White
• Ernie Young
  Ernie Young
  Ernest Wesley Young is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for Oakland Athletics , Kansas City Royals , Arizona Diamondbacks , Detroit Tigers , and Cleveland Indians . He also played one season in Japan for the Yokohama BayStars In 8 seasons, he played in 288 games, had 179 hits,...
  
  

External links

• Edmonton Trappers website (archive.org)