Long Beach Armada
Encyclopedia
The Long Beach Armada was an independent professional baseball team based in Long Beach, California
, in the United States
. The Armada was a member of the North Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League
, which was not affiliated with either Major League Baseball
or Minor League Baseball
. From the 2005 season to the present, the Armada has played its home games at Blair Field
.
The Armada fielded a team for the Arizona Summer League
in 2010 months after suspending GBL operations. They would later field a team in the Arizona Winter League
in 2011. The franchise has been owned by Diamond Sports & Entertainment, primary investors in the current North American League
(NAL), since 2005. The NAL website lists the Long Beach Armada as a franchise that has been approved to begin play for the 2012 season.
The team has had 13 different players, during its first five seasons, that played at the major league level. In addition, 21 Long Beach Armada players have had their contracts purchased by major league organizations over the last five years.
The team was one of the original eight GBL charter teams that began play in 2005 along with the Chico Outlaws
, Fullerton Flyers
and San Diego Surf Dawgs
in California; Mesa Miners
, Surprise Fightin' Falcons
and Yuma Scorpions
in Arizona and the traveling Japan Samurai Bears
. They began play in May 2005, three years after their predecessors, the Long Beach Breakers
folded along with the Western Baseball League
. Ironically, former Armada manager Steve Yeager
managed the Breakers to the WBL Championship in 2001, that team's inaugural season, beating the Chico Heat
3 games to 2.
, engaged lawyers to take action against the City of Long Beach
and Long Beach State University alleging that the two public entities conspired to prematurely end the Armada's permit to play at Blair Field that still had three years left on it. The City of Long Beach made an arrangement to either sell or provide a long-term lease to Long Beach State University for the college to take over the maintenance and cost of running Blair Field; but first, the city had to revoke the Armada's permit which was standing in the way of completing a deal and had usage and concessions rights.
As a result, the Armada suspended operations following the 2009 season.
in June 2010. They played along side the Bisbee Miners
and San Diego Surf Dawgs
. They replaced the El Centro Imperials
.
released their schedule and it was announced the Armada would be joining the league along with the returning Sonora Pilots
and two new teams, the Arizona RoadRunners
and Team Mexico
and would become the second team (behind the Surf Dawgs) to have played in all three leagues within the GBL/NABL system.
Batting Average: Ryan Webb .344
Games Played: Chris Klemm 203
Hits: Chris Klemm 222
Doubles: Jeff Larue 56
Home Runs: Jeff Larue 24
RBIs: Jeff Larue 127
Stolen Bases: Jon Kaplan 63
Games Pitched: Justin Ramsey 69
Games Started: Ryan Claypool 56
Wins: Ryan Claypool 20
Innings: Ryan Claypool 330
Saves: Dane De la Rosa 16
Strikeouts: Ryan Claypool 207
.
Ex-major leaguers who have played for the Long Beach Armada include Bud Smith, Nick Bierbrodt, Adam Pettyjohn (the only Armada to have made it back to the big leagues from the club), Jose Lima, Hideki Irabu, Mark Quinn, Alan Newman, Chris Wakeland, Jose Canseco, Cleatus Davidson, Tony Torcato, Steve Smyth, Seth Etherton, and Jerome Williams.
In February 2008, The Armada signed Tony Torcato
, who has since been traded to the Chico Outlaws.
One month later, in March 2008, the Long Beach Armada signed former Major League Baseball
pitcher Jerome Williams
.
Former Dodger Jose Lima
was on the roster at the time of his death in May 2010.
Ex-Yankee Hideki Irabu
and outfielder Josh Womack, who became a web sensation in June 2009 with the video of his "spinning bat trick" were also on the roster.
Arizona Summer League (2010-future):
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Armada was a member of the North Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
, which was not affiliated with either Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
or Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. From the 2005 season to the present, the Armada has played its home games at Blair Field
Blair Field
Blair Field is a stadium in Long Beach, California. It originally opened in 1956 and is primarily used for baseball. It holds 3,238 people. It is named for Frank Blair, the sports editor for the Long Beach Press-Telegram newspaper for 32 years....
.
The Armada fielded a team for the Arizona Summer League
Arizona Summer League
The Arizona Summer League is a short-season instructional summer professional baseball league affiliated with the independent North American League...
in 2010 months after suspending GBL operations. They would later field a team in the Arizona Winter League
Arizona Winter League
The Arizona Winter League is the short-season instructional independent winter professional baseball league affiliated with the independent North American League...
in 2011. The franchise has been owned by Diamond Sports & Entertainment, primary investors in the current North American League
North American League
The North American League is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season...
(NAL), since 2005. The NAL website lists the Long Beach Armada as a franchise that has been approved to begin play for the 2012 season.
The team has had 13 different players, during its first five seasons, that played at the major league level. In addition, 21 Long Beach Armada players have had their contracts purchased by major league organizations over the last five years.
Team history
The Armada were the longest running professional sports team in the City of Long Beach history after completing their fifth season in 2009.The team was one of the original eight GBL charter teams that began play in 2005 along with the Chico Outlaws
Chico Outlaws
The Chico Outlaws are a professional baseball team based in Chico, California, in the United States. The Outlaws are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
, Fullerton Flyers
Fullerton Flyers
The Fullerton Flyers are a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They are an independent franchise which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
and San Diego Surf Dawgs
San Diego Surf Dawgs
The San Diego Surf Dawgs are an independent professional baseball team representing San Diego, California, that play in the short-season instructional Arizona Winter League and Arizona Summer League, based out of Yuma, Arizona. They played for two seasons in the now-defunct Golden Baseball League,...
in California; Mesa Miners
Mesa Miners
The Mesa Miners are an independent professional baseball team that is based in Mesa, Arizona. They began as a member of the Arizona Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League in 2005...
, Surprise Fightin' Falcons
Surprise Fightin' Falcons
The Surprise Fightin' Falcons are an inactive professional baseball team based in Surprise, Arizona. They played in the Arizona Division of the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
and Yuma Scorpions
Yuma Scorpions
The Yuma Scorpions are a professional baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, in the United States. The Scorpions are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League. From the 2005 season to the present, the Scorpions have played their home games at Desert Sun Stadium at the...
in Arizona and the traveling Japan Samurai Bears
Japan Samurai Bears
The Japan Samurai Bears are a defunct traveling professional baseball team that played in the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball. They were based in the Arizona Division...
. They began play in May 2005, three years after their predecessors, the Long Beach Breakers
Long Beach Breakers
This article is about the former Western Baseball League team, for the American Basketball Association team, go to Long Beach Breakers .The Long Beach Breakers were a minor league baseball team that played at Blair Field in Long Beach, California...
folded along with the Western Baseball League
Western Baseball League
The Western Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in the Western United States and Western Canada. It's member teams were not associated with any Major League Baseball teams. It operated from 1995 to 2002....
. Ironically, former Armada manager Steve Yeager
Steve Yeager
Stephen Wayne "Steve" Yeager is an American right-handed former major league baseball catcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career, from through , with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last year, , he played for the Seattle Mariners...
managed the Breakers to the WBL Championship in 2001, that team's inaugural season, beating the Chico Heat
Chico Heat
The Chico Heat were a professional independent baseball team operating in Chico, California in the Western Baseball League. They had no operating agreement with any Major League Baseball team. They were created by Chico Heat Professional Baseball LLC, with former supermarket entrepreneur Steve...
3 games to 2.
Legal issues with the city
On December 18, 2009, the Long Beach Armada, to protect its ability to play at Blair FieldBlair Field
Blair Field is a stadium in Long Beach, California. It originally opened in 1956 and is primarily used for baseball. It holds 3,238 people. It is named for Frank Blair, the sports editor for the Long Beach Press-Telegram newspaper for 32 years....
, engaged lawyers to take action against the City of Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and Long Beach State University alleging that the two public entities conspired to prematurely end the Armada's permit to play at Blair Field that still had three years left on it. The City of Long Beach made an arrangement to either sell or provide a long-term lease to Long Beach State University for the college to take over the maintenance and cost of running Blair Field; but first, the city had to revoke the Armada's permit which was standing in the way of completing a deal and had usage and concessions rights.
As a result, the Armada suspended operations following the 2009 season.
Arizona Summer League (2010-present)
The Armada fielded a team in the Arizona Summer LeagueArizona Summer League
The Arizona Summer League is a short-season instructional summer professional baseball league affiliated with the independent North American League...
in June 2010. They played along side the Bisbee Miners
Bisbee Miners
The Bisbee Miners were a season-season independent professional baseball team that played in the Arizona Summer League representing Bisbee, Arizona. They play their home games at Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma, Arizona, home of the North American League's Yuma Scorpions. They were one of two teams...
and San Diego Surf Dawgs
San Diego Surf Dawgs
The San Diego Surf Dawgs are an independent professional baseball team representing San Diego, California, that play in the short-season instructional Arizona Winter League and Arizona Summer League, based out of Yuma, Arizona. They played for two seasons in the now-defunct Golden Baseball League,...
. They replaced the El Centro Imperials
El Centro Imperials
The El Centro Imperials are an inactive independent professional baseball team based out of El Centro, California. Founded in 1947 and revived on April 3, 2009, the Imperials were introduced as one of the four charter members of the new Arizona Summer League, an instructional summer professional...
.
Arizona Winter League (2011-present)
On January 5, 2011, the Arizona Winter LeagueArizona Winter League
The Arizona Winter League is the short-season instructional independent winter professional baseball league affiliated with the independent North American League...
released their schedule and it was announced the Armada would be joining the league along with the returning Sonora Pilots
Sonora Pilots
The Sonora Pilots are a professional independent baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona and represent Sonora, Mexico. They play in the International Division of the developmental Arizona Winter League, a short-season instructional winter league sanctioned by the North American League and they play...
and two new teams, the Arizona RoadRunners
Arizona RoadRunners
The Arizona RoadRunners are a professional baseball team based out of Yuma, Arizona and are currently a member of the American Division of the Arizona Winter League, a short-season developmental program run by the North American League...
and Team Mexico
Team Mexico (Arizona Winter League baseball team)
Team Mexico is a professional independent baseball team representing Mexico. They play in the developmental Arizona Winter League, a short-season instructional winter league affiliated with the North American League and play in the International Division along with the Saskatchewan Silver Sox,...
and would become the second team (behind the Surf Dawgs) to have played in all three leagues within the GBL/NABL system.
All-time Armada statistical leaders
Career Leaders 2005-2009:Batting Average: Ryan Webb .344
Games Played: Chris Klemm 203
Hits: Chris Klemm 222
Doubles: Jeff Larue 56
Home Runs: Jeff Larue 24
RBIs: Jeff Larue 127
Stolen Bases: Jon Kaplan 63
Games Pitched: Justin Ramsey 69
Games Started: Ryan Claypool 56
Wins: Ryan Claypool 20
Innings: Ryan Claypool 330
Saves: Dane De la Rosa 16
Strikeouts: Ryan Claypool 207
Notable players
Notable players include former MLB star José CansecoJosé Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
.
Ex-major leaguers who have played for the Long Beach Armada include Bud Smith, Nick Bierbrodt, Adam Pettyjohn (the only Armada to have made it back to the big leagues from the club), Jose Lima, Hideki Irabu, Mark Quinn, Alan Newman, Chris Wakeland, Jose Canseco, Cleatus Davidson, Tony Torcato, Steve Smyth, Seth Etherton, and Jerome Williams.
In February 2008, The Armada signed Tony Torcato
Tony Torcato
Anthony Dale Torcato is a professional baseball player. At the young age of 14, Torcato was an amateur boxer, winning the 1994 California Golden Gloves boxing championship, and continued to box until the age of 16 before turning to baseball full time.-MLB career:Tony was drafted in the 1st round ...
, who has since been traded to the Chico Outlaws.
One month later, in March 2008, the Long Beach Armada signed former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher Jerome Williams
Jerome Williams (baseball)
Jerome Lee Williams is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball...
.
Former Dodger Jose Lima
José Lima
José Desiderio Rodriguez Lima was a Dominican right-handed pitcher who spent thirteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers , Houston Astros , Kansas City Royals , Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets...
was on the roster at the time of his death in May 2010.
Ex-Yankee Hideki Irabu
Hideki Irabu
was a professional baseball player of Okinawan and American mixed ancestry. He played professionally in both Japan and the United States.-Early life:...
and outfielder Josh Womack, who became a web sensation in June 2009 with the video of his "spinning bat trick" were also on the roster.
Season-by-season records
Golden Baseball League (2005–2009):| Season | W | L | Win % | Place | Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 49 | 41 | .544 | 3rd, California Division | Wild Card |
| 2006 | 37 | 43 | .463 | 3rd/5th | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | 48 | 28 | .632 | 2nd/1st | Lost in GBL Championship Series, 3-1 |
| 2008 | 47 (19/28) | 40 (19/21) | .540 | 3rd/1st, South Division | Won South Division 2nd Half Title. Lost to Orange County in Division Series. |
- 1 2008 Season in Progress
Arizona Summer League (2010-future):
| Season | W | L | Win % | Place | Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 4 | 8 | .333 | 3rd | No playoffs. |