Bellingham Dodgers
The Bellingham Dodgers were a Minor League Baseball team in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League, based in Bellingham, Washington. The franchise played four season as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1973-1976. In 1977 the team would change names to Bellingham Mariners representative of their new parent club.
| Bellingham Dodgers 1973–1976 Bellingham, Washington | |
| Minor league affiliations | |
|---|---|
| Class | Class A-Short Season |
| League | Northwest League |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Minor league titles | |
| Division titles (1) | 1974 |
| Team data | |
| Colors | Dodger blue, white |
Previous parks | Joe Martin Field |
| Manager | Bill Berrier |
History
The franchise arrived in 1973 as the Bellingham Dodgers, affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After three seasons in Medford and one season in Spokane in 1972, the Dodgers moved their Northwest League affiliate to Bellingham for 1973. In their first season the Dodgers posted a record of 42-37. The Dodgers would build upon their initial success. Bellingham went 52-32 on the year to win the West Division title. In the best of three games league championship series, the Dodgers fell to the Eugene Emeralds.
The team gained unwanted national notoriety in 1975 when it opened the season with 25 straight losses;[1][2][3] they finished at 17–61 (.218). The Dodgers would again find themselves at the bottom of the league standings in 1976. Following the season the franchise signed a player development contract with the expansion Seattle Mariners. The Los Angeles Dodgers shifted their short season affiliation to Lethbridge, where they would play as the Lethbridge Dodgers of the Pioneer League.
Ballpark
The Bellingham franchise played at Joe Martin Field, a venue with a seating capacity near 1,600. The park is currently the home of the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast League.[4]
Season-by-season record
| Season | PDC | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | Post-season | Manager | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham Dodgers | ||||||||||
| 1973 | LAD | South | 2nd | 42 | 37 | .638 | Bill Berrier | 38,396 | ||
| 1974 | LAD | West | 1st | 52 | 32 | .619 | Lost to Eugene in championship series 1-2 | Bill Berrier | 30,350 | |
| 1975 | LAD | North | 6th | 17 | 61 | .217 | Bill Berrier | 21,357 | ||
| 1976 | LAD | South | 6th | 30 | 42 | .416 | Bill Berrier | 23,225 | ||
| Division winner | League champions |
See also
- Bellingham Dodgers players (1973–1976)
References
- Hopper, Betty (July 13, 1975). "Bellingham Dodgers: maybe you can lose 'em all..." Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. D1.
- "Northwest League standings". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). July 13, 1975. p. D2.
- "Bellingham ends string, starts over". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. July 14, 1975. p. 10.
- "Joe Martin Field". Bellingham Bells. Archived from the original on September 1, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
External links
| Preceded by Expansion franchise |
Northwest League franchise 1973-1976 |
Succeeded by Bellingham Mariners |