The Salem Angels were a 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...

 team in the class-A Northwest League

Northwest League

The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...

 from 1982-1987. The team represented the city of Salem

Salem, Oregon

Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, and was an affiliate of the California Angels

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...

. The team played their home games as the Chemeketa Community College

Chemeketa Community College

Chemeketa Community College is a community college located in Salem, Oregon, with smaller campuses in McMinnville, Dallas, Brooks, and Woodburn, and the Northwest Viticulture Center in Eola...

 baseball field.

1982 season

The Salem Angels' first season was both a disappointment and a success. They finished with a mediocre record of 34 wins and 36 losses, but was good enough to lead the Northwest League's Northern Division. The playoffs provided the team's success, as the Angels won the league championship.

Team manager

Manager (baseball)

In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...

, Joe Maddon

Joe Maddon

Joseph John Maddon is the Major League Baseball manager for the Tampa Bay Rays.He previously served as interim manager of the Anaheim Angels in both 1996 and 1999. He was also a long-time bench coach for the team.-Early life and career:Maddon attended Lafayette College, where he played baseball...

, who is currently the manager of the Tampa Bay 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...

 of the American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

, won the Northwest League's Manager of the year award. The team's future 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...

 players include second baseman

Second baseman

Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...

 Mark McLemore

Mark McLemore

Mark Tremell McLemore is a former second baseman and utility player in Major League Baseball....

, and four of their starting pitchers. These pitchers are Kirk McCaskill

Kirk McCaskill

Kirk Edward McCaskill is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher and a retired professional hockey player....

, who easily had the most extensive career of the four, Bob Kipper

Bob Kipper

Robert Wayne Kipper is a former middle-relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who was the eighth player drafted in the 1982 draft. He had signed to play baseball at Nebraska before his selection. He played from 1985 through 1992 for the California Angels , Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins...

, Urbano Lugo

Urbano Lugo

Rafael Urbano Lugo Colina is a former pitcher for Major League Baseball.Lugo was signed by the California Angels as an amateur free agent in 1982. During his career, Colina played for the Angels from 1985–1988, the Montreal Expos in 1989 and the Detroit Tigers in 1990...

, and Tony Mack

Tony Mack

Tony Lynn Mack is a former professional baseball player who played one season for the California Angels of Major League Baseball. He played college baseball for the Lamar University Cardinals.-References:...

.

1983 season

Returning manager Maddon and his Angels team's regular season record did not improve, their 31-39 win/loss record was only good enough for fourth in the league's Oregon division, and they did not qualify for the playoffs. Future Major Leaguers on this club were 3B

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...

/2B Jack Howell, and starter Ray Chadwick

Ray Chadwick

Ray Chadwick is a retired professional baseball player who played 1 season for the California Angels of Major League Baseball....

.

1984 season

Maddon moved onto Peoria for the 1984 season, and the managing duties were given to Larry Patterson, and the team finished with its third consecutive losing season, with a 35-39 record, and finished third in the Oregon division. Future Major Leaguers from this team include OF

Outfielder

Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...

/1B

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...

 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:...

, who went on to a long and successful career with the Angels and the Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...

, OF Doug Jennings

Doug Jennings

James Douglas Jennings , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a utility player from 1988–1991 and 1993....

, Catcher

Catcher

Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...

 Erik Pappas

Erik Pappas

Erik Daniel Pappas is a former professional baseball player who played for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. He appeared in 8 games for the Cubs during the 1991 season and appeared in a total of 97 games for the Cardinals during 1993 and 1994 seasons...

, 2B Pete Coachman

Pete Coachman

Bobby Dean Coachman is a retired professional baseball player who played 1 season for the California Angels of Major League Baseball.-References:...

, OF Brian Brady

Brian Brady (baseball)

Brian Phelan Brady is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the California Angels during the season. Listed at 5' 11", 185 lb., Brady batted and threw left-handed. A native of Elmhurst, New York, he attended New York Institute of Technology.Brady was...

, and 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...

 Sherman Corbett

Sherman Corbett

Sherman Stanley Corbett is a retired professional baseball player who played three seasons for the California Angels of Major League Baseball. He is currently the head coach of the baseball team at the University of Texas at San Antonio.-References:...

.

1985 season

For the 1985 season, manager Patterson was replaced with Bruce Hines

Bruce Hines

Bruce Edwin Hines is a Major League Baseball coach who is currently the minor league field coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers....

, and the Angels finished with its first winning season, with a 39-35 record, but still was only enough for third in the Oregon division, and did not qualify for the playoffs. Future Major leaguers include relief pitcher

Relief pitcher

A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...

 Chuck Finley

Chuck Finley

Charles Edward "Chuck" Finley is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1986-2002 for three different teams, but pitched primarily with the California Angels...

, who went on to a long and successful career as a starting pitcher

Starting pitcher

In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....

, SS

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...

 Bobby Rose

Robert Rose (baseball)

Robert Richard "Bobby" Rose, born March 15, 1967) is a former major league baseball player from Covina, California. He played on the California Angels in the major leagues, and on the Yokohama BayStars in the Japanese Central League.-Biography:...

, and RP Frank Dimichele

Frank Dimichele

Frank Lawrence Dimichele is a retired professional baseball player who played one season for the California Angels of Major League Baseball.-References:...

.

1986 season

Manager Hines returned for a second season, and again, he led his team to winning record (38-36), but also finished third in the Oregon division, and did not qualify for the playoffs. Future Major Leaguers include OF 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...

, pitchers Alan Mills

Alan Mills (baseball)

Alan Bernard Mills is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He batted and threw right-handed.-Early years:Mills was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the amateur draft, but did not sign...

, Mike Fetters

Mike Fetters

Michael Lee Fetters is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for eight teams during his sixteen year career from to...

, Roberto Hernández, and Colby Ward

Colby Ward

Colby Ward, born on January 2, 1964 in Lansing, Michigan, is a former professional baseball player, pitching for the Cleveland Indians in 1990....

.

1987 season

Manager Hines departed, and his duties were given to Chris Smith, and the team finished third in the Western division with a 34-41 record. It was to be the team's last season in the Northwest League, and future Major Leaguers include, OF/3B 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....

, C John Orton

John Orton

John Andrew Orton was a Major League Baseball catcher. He is an alumnus of the California Polytechnic State University....

, and P Gary Buckels

Gary Buckels

Gary Scott Buckels is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during one season at the major league level for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was signed by the California Angels as an amateur free agent in...

.