Reno Aces
Encyclopedia
The Reno Aces are a minor league baseball
franchise based in Reno, Nevada
, in the United States
. The team is a member of the Pacific Coast League
and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks
.
The franchise is owned by SK Baseball, LLC and is a part of the Pacific Conference's North Division along with the Tacoma Rainiers
, Salt Lake Bees
, and Colorado Springs Sky Sox
. The Aces began their inaugural season on the road on April 10, 2009, and played their home opener in the new Aces Ballpark on April 17, 2009.
from 1998 to 2008. Before that, the team was first known as the Tucson Toros
. They were Tucson's Triple-A baseball club, playing at Hi Corbett Field
in midtown Tucson from 1969 to 1997. Part of the old 10-team configuration of the Pacific Coast League, the Toros won the PCL Championship in 1991 and 1993. The Toros were preceded by a number of other Tucson teams between 1915 and 1958, such as the Tucson Cowboys and the Tucson Lizards.
After the MLB expansion that added the Arizona Diamondbacks
in Phoenix
and Tampa Bay Devil Rays
, the Toros moved to Fresno
, California
, as the Fresno Grizzlies
. The Phoenix Firebirds
relocated to Tucson, briefly became the Tucson Toros (1997), and then became the Sidewinders (1998), the Triple-A affiliate of the new Diamondbacks. This was accomplished by what amounted to a "swap" in ownership in 1997, with Firebirds owner Martin Stone purchasing the Toros and Toros owner Rick Holtzman receiving interest in the Firebirds. The Tucson team retained management and staff primarily from the Toros, and traces its history from the Toros rather than the Firebirds.
The Phoenix Firebirds had played from 1958 through 1997 as an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants
. The franchise joined the Pacific Coast League as a charter member in 1903 as the San Francisco Seals, relocating to Phoenix when the major league New York Giants
moved to San Francisco. Seals alumni include Joe DiMaggio
.
The Tucson Toros have been affiliated with the Chicago White Sox
(1969–1972), the Oakland Athletics
(1973–1976), the Texas Rangers
(1977–1979), the Houston Astros
(1980–1996), and the Milwaukee Brewers
(1997 only, with one Diamondbacks prospect, Travis Lee
, playing with them by special arrangement). At the time of the change in venue and affiliations (1998), a new Tucson team name, the "Sidewinders" was chosen after a name the team contest was held.
The Toros have since become a member of the independent Golden Baseball League
, adopting their previous Triple-A history from 1969 to 1997.
, after the 2008 season. A new 9,100-capacity venue, Aces Ballpark, was constructed for the team in downtown Reno. They will remain a Triple-A affiliate of the Diamondbacks through 2012.
The move forced the Reno Silver Sox
of the independent Golden Baseball League to fold. The franchise dropped the name "Sidewinders" in place of a new identity. Some fans suggested that the team should adopt or purchase the rights to the Silver Sox name from the GBL for the new PCL club, but that was ruled out as that team was, at that point (prior to folding), likely to relocate to Carson City, Nevada
. The Reno Aces introduced their new team name and logo at a press conference on September 23, 2008. The nickname has a dual meaning: "ace" is a baseball slang term for a team's top pitcher, and the ace is the highest card in several card games (a reference to Nevada's legalized gambling history).
The Reno Aces were due to begin their inaugural season on Thursday, April 9, 2009, on the road against the Salt Lake Bees
. However, the game was postponed due to the death of Anaheim Angels' Nick Adenhart
(a Salt Lake alumni), who was killed by a hit-and-run driver earlier in the day. Adenhart had played for the Bees during the 2008 season, and was remembered the next day in what was originally the second game in a four game series between the Aces and the Bees. The Bees beat the Aces 6–2 on Friday, April 10, 2009. The Aces won their home opener at Aces Ballpark on Friday, April 17, 2009, 11–1 against the Salt Lake Bees, to an over-capacity sell-out crowd of 9,167.
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...
franchise based in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The team is a member of 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...
and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
.
The franchise is owned by SK Baseball, LLC and is a part of the Pacific Conference's North Division along with the Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
, Salt Lake Bees
Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bees serve as the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They play their home games at Spring Mobile Ballpark, known to fans as the Apiary, which was...
, and Colorado Springs Sky Sox
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...
. The Aces began their inaugural season on the road on April 10, 2009, and played their home opener in the new Aces Ballpark on April 17, 2009.
Team origins
The Aces were originally known as the Tucson SidewindersTucson Sidewinders
The Tucson Sidewinders were a minor league baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona. The team, which played in the Pacific Coast League, was the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major-league club....
from 1998 to 2008. Before that, the team was first known as the Tucson Toros
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
. They were Tucson's Triple-A baseball club, playing at Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field is a baseball stadium located in Tucson, Arizona. The stadium holds approximately 9,500 people. It was the spring training home of the Colorado Rockies, and is currently home to the Tucson Toros...
in midtown Tucson from 1969 to 1997. Part of the old 10-team configuration of the Pacific Coast League, the Toros won the PCL Championship in 1991 and 1993. The Toros were preceded by a number of other Tucson teams between 1915 and 1958, such as the Tucson Cowboys and the Tucson Lizards.
After the MLB expansion that added the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, the Toros moved to Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, as the Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
. The Phoenix Firebirds
Phoenix Firebirds
The Phoenix Firebirds, formerly the Phoenix Giants, were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Phoenix, Arizona, USA from 1958-1959, and 1966 until 1997....
relocated to Tucson, briefly became the Tucson Toros (1997), and then became the Sidewinders (1998), the Triple-A affiliate of the new Diamondbacks. This was accomplished by what amounted to a "swap" in ownership in 1997, with Firebirds owner Martin Stone purchasing the Toros and Toros owner Rick Holtzman receiving interest in the Firebirds. The Tucson team retained management and staff primarily from the Toros, and traces its history from the Toros rather than the Firebirds.
The Phoenix Firebirds had played from 1958 through 1997 as an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. The franchise joined the Pacific Coast League as a charter member in 1903 as the San Francisco Seals, relocating to Phoenix when the major league New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
moved to San Francisco. Seals alumni include Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
.
The Tucson Toros have been affiliated with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1969–1972), the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(1973–1976), the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1977–1979), the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
(1980–1996), and the 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...
(1997 only, with one Diamondbacks prospect, Travis Lee
Travis Lee
Travis Lee is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Lee graduated from Capital High School in Olympia, Washington in 1993, where he also played football. Being ambidextrous Lee played as a lefty in baseball and as a QB for the Capital High football team threw with his right...
, playing with them by special arrangement). At the time of the change in venue and affiliations (1998), a new Tucson team name, the "Sidewinders" was chosen after a name the team contest was held.
The Toros have since become a member of the independent 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....
, adopting their previous Triple-A history from 1969 to 1997.
A new era – Reno Aces
In late 2007, it was formally announced that the Sidewinders would be moving to Reno, NevadaReno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, after the 2008 season. A new 9,100-capacity venue, Aces Ballpark, was constructed for the team in downtown Reno. They will remain a Triple-A affiliate of the Diamondbacks through 2012.
The move forced the Reno Silver Sox
Reno Silver Sox
The Reno Silver Sox were a professional baseball team based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. They were a member of the North Division of the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
of the independent Golden Baseball League to fold. The franchise dropped the name "Sidewinders" in place of a new identity. Some fans suggested that the team should adopt or purchase the rights to the Silver Sox name from the GBL for the new PCL club, but that was ruled out as that team was, at that point (prior to folding), likely to relocate to Carson City, Nevada
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
. The Reno Aces introduced their new team name and logo at a press conference on September 23, 2008. The nickname has a dual meaning: "ace" is a baseball slang term for a team's top pitcher, and the ace is the highest card in several card games (a reference to Nevada's legalized gambling history).
The Reno Aces were due to begin their inaugural season on Thursday, April 9, 2009, on the road against the Salt Lake Bees
Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bees serve as the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They play their home games at Spring Mobile Ballpark, known to fans as the Apiary, which was...
. However, the game was postponed due to the death of Anaheim Angels' Nick Adenhart
Nick Adenhart
Nicholas James Adenhart was an American right-handed baseball starting pitcher who played two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...
(a Salt Lake alumni), who was killed by a hit-and-run driver earlier in the day. Adenhart had played for the Bees during the 2008 season, and was remembered the next day in what was originally the second game in a four game series between the Aces and the Bees. The Bees beat the Aces 6–2 on Friday, April 10, 2009. The Aces won their home opener at Aces Ballpark on Friday, April 17, 2009, 11–1 against the Salt Lake Bees, to an over-capacity sell-out crowd of 9,167.
Season-by-season record
| Season | Division | Affiliation | Record | Win % | GB | Finish | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | PCL Southern 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... |
Arizona Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... |
79–64 | .552 | 7 | Division: 2/4, league: 3/16 | — |
| 2010 | PCL Southern 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... |
Arizona Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... |
69–74 | .483 | 9.5 | Division: 3/4, league: 11/16 | — |
| 2011 | PCL Northern 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... |
Arizona Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... |
77-67 | .535 | — | Division: 1/4, league: 4/16 | Lost PCCS vs. Sacramento River Cats Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics.... , 3-2 |
| Totals | 225–205 | .523 | | | ||||