Ogden Raptors
Encyclopedia
The Ogden Raptors are a minor league baseball
team in the Pioneer League based in Ogden, Utah
, United States. The club plays at Lindquist Field
, whose view beyond the outfield fence was named the best in professional baseball by a staff writer for Grand Slam Enterprises, INC.
The Raptors are one of six farm team
s of the Los Angeles Dodgers
. Milwaukee Brewers
pitcher
Ben Sheets
, first baseman
Prince Fielder
, shortstop
J. J. Hardy and third baseman
Bill Hall formerly played for the Raptors. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson
played for the Ogden Reds, a previous Ogden franchise in the Pioneer League. Also, Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda
managed the Ogden Dodgers to three consecutive Pioneer League titles from 1966-1968 and was present for the announcement that the Ogden franchise would again be an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers
. The Raptors' inaugural 1994 season is chronicled in the book Minor Players, Major Dreams (1997, University of Nebraska Press) by author-in-uniform Brett Mandel.
The official mascot
of the Ogden Raptors minor league baseball team is Oggie. Oggie is a cartoon green velociraptor
dinosaur
who wears the white home uniform with a ? as the number. He is a regular part of Raptors home games and events.
Prior to Ogden, the Raptors' franchise played in Pocatello, Idaho
; Salt Lake City, Utah
; and Calgary, Alberta.
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...
team in the Pioneer League based in Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, United States. The club plays at Lindquist Field
Lindquist Field
Lindquist Field is a stadium in Ogden, Utah. It is primarily used for baseball and soccer, and is the home field of the Ogden Raptors minor league baseball team. It was built in 1997....
, whose view beyond the outfield fence was named the best in professional baseball by a staff writer for Grand Slam Enterprises, INC.
The Raptors are one of six farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
s of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Ben Sheets
Ben Sheets
Ben M. Sheets is an American baseball starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is a four-time All-Star, but has been hampered with injury problems throughout his career.-Prep and college:...
, first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
, shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
J. J. Hardy and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Bill Hall formerly played for the Raptors. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
played for the Ogden Reds, a previous Ogden franchise in the Pioneer League. Also, Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
managed the Ogden Dodgers to three consecutive Pioneer League titles from 1966-1968 and was present for the announcement that the Ogden franchise would again be an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. The Raptors' inaugural 1994 season is chronicled in the book Minor Players, Major Dreams (1997, University of Nebraska Press) by author-in-uniform Brett Mandel.
The official mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the Ogden Raptors minor league baseball team is Oggie. Oggie is a cartoon green velociraptor
Velociraptor
Velociraptor is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that existed approximately 75 to 71 million years ago during the later part of the Cretaceous Period. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the past. The type species is V. mongoliensis; fossils...
dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
who wears the white home uniform with a ? as the number. He is a regular part of Raptors home games and events.
Prior to Ogden, the Raptors' franchise played in Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
; Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
; and Calgary, Alberta.
Notable alumni
- Mike AdamsMike Adams (baseball pitcher)Jon Michael Adams is a right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers. Adams throws hard, his fastball routinely reaching the mid-90s.-Early years:...
- Larry BarnesLarry BarnesLarry Richard Barnes, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He attended Bakersfield High School and then Fresno State University....
- Craig BreslowCraig BreslowCraig Andrew Breslow is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He throws left-handed, and is considered a lefty specialist....
- Marcos CarvajalMarcos CarvajalMarcos Jose Carvajal [car-va-HAL] is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the St. George Roadrunners of the Golden Baseball League....
- Prince FielderPrince FielderPrince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
- Bill Hall
- J.J. HardyJ.J. HardyJames Jerry "J.J." Hardy is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles.-Early life:...
- Corey Hart
- Ben HendricksonBen HendricksonBenjamin John Hendrickson is a free-agent baseball pitcher.Hendrickson originally signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in the tenth round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft...
- Dave KrynzelDave KrynzelDavid Benjamin Krynzel , is a Major League Baseball outfielder. He made his major league debut on September 1, ....
- Brad NelsonBrad NelsonBradley John Nelson is a Minor League Baseball player who is currently in the Texas Rangers organization. He has played primarily first base and outfield. When he is not playing defensively he also serves as a designated hitter.-High school:Nelson played high school baseball at Bishop Garrigan...
- Ben SheetsBen SheetsBen M. Sheets is an American baseball starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is a four-time All-Star, but has been hampered with injury problems throughout his career.-Prep and college:...
- Russell MartinRussell MartinRussell Nathan Jeanson Coltrane Martin, Jr is a Canadian Major League Baseball catcher for the New York Yankees.Martin became the everyday catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers immediately upon his Major League debut, and continued in that role for nearly 5 years...
- Chad BillingsleyChad BillingsleyChad Ryan Billingsley is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Biography:...
- Xavier PaulXavier PaulXavier Brooks Paul, Jr. is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent.-Early life:...
- Blake DeWittBlake DeWittBlake Robert DeWitt is an American professional baseball utility player with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.-High school:...