Western International League
Encyclopedia
The Western International League was a mid- to higher-level circuit in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canadian 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...

. It operated in 1923, 1937-42, and 1946-54. In 1955
1955 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Johnny Podres, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at County Stadium: National League, 6-5 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce...

, it changed its name to the 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...

, and still operates today as a Short Season A loop under that name.

The WIL consisted of teams in the U.S. states of 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...

, Washington and Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

 and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

. It was a Class B league through 1951
1951 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games tiebreaker series over the Brooklyn Dodgers.-Major League Baseball:...

 and was upgraded to Class A in 1952
1952 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Shibe Park: National League, 3-2 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: La Habana *College World Series: Holy Cross...

. In its final season, it included teams in Calgary, Edmonton, Lewiston
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...

, 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...

, Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...

, Kennewick
Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford nuclear site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities...

-Richland
Richland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...

-Pasco
Pasco, Washington
Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...

 (playing as "Tri-City
Tri-Cities, Washington
The Tri-Cities is a mid-sized metropolitan area in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, consisting of three neighboring cities: Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland. The cities are located at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia rivers in the semi-arid region of...

"), Vancouver, Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

, Wenatchee
Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...

 and Yakima
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...

.

Throughout much of the 1930s and 1940s its teams were largely unaffiliated with 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...

 farm systems and provided talent to the strong 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...

 of the era.

Member teams

  • Bellingham Chinooks
  • Bremerton Bluejackets
  • Calgary Broncos
  • Calgary Stampeders
  • Edmonton Eskimos
    Edmonton Eskimos (baseball)
    The Edmonton Eskimos were a baseball team that played in the class-D Western Canada League from 1909 until the league's demise in 1914 , and later in a revival of the league between 1919 and 1921. They were known as the Gray Birds in 1912 and 1913. They joined the Western International League...

  • Lewiston Broncs
  • Salem Senators

  • Spokane Hawks
  • Spokane Indians
    Spokane Indians
    The Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...

  • Tacoma Tigers
  • Tri-City Braves
  • Vancouver Beavers
  • Vancouver Capilanos
  • Vancouver Maple Leafs

  • Victoria Athletics
    Victoria Athletics
    The Victoria Athletics were a Western International League baseball team based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada that existed from 1946 to 1951. From 1947 to 1949, they were affiliated with the New York Yankees. They played their home games at Royal Athletic Park.Gil McDougald played for them....

  • Victoria Tyees
  • Wenatchee Chiefs
    Wenatchee Chiefs
    The Wenatchee Chiefs were a minor league baseball team based in Wenatchee, Washington. The team was founded in 1937, and was a part of the Western International League from its founding until 1954, although the team did not operate in 1941 and the entire league was suspended during World War II,...

  • Yakima Bears
    Yakima Bears
    The Yakima Bears are a minor league baseball team in Yakima, Washington. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2001, formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers from the team's creation in 1990 when the Salem...

  • Yakima Packers
  • Yakima Pippins
  • Yakima Stars


Champions

  • 1923—Calgary
  • 1937—Tacoma
  • 1938—Bellingham
  • 1939—Tacoma
  • 1940—Tacoma
  • 1941—Spokane

  • 1942—Vancouver
  • 1946—Wenatchee
  • 1947—Vancouver
  • 1948—Spokane
  • 1949—Vancouver

  • 1950—Yakima
  • 1951—Spokane
  • 1952—Victoria
  • 1953—Spokane
  • 1954—Vancouver
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