Edmonton Trappers

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Edmonton Trappers
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Minor league affiliations
ClassTriple-A (1981–2004)
LeaguePacific Coast League (1981–2004)
Major league affiliations
Team
Minor league titles
League titles (4)
  • 1984
  • 1996
  • 1997
  • 2002
Division titles (6)
  • 1984
  • 1990
  • 1996
  • 1997
  • 2002
  • 2003
Team data
NameEdmonton Trappers (1981–2004)
MascotHomer (1986–2004)
Ballpark

The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league baseball team in Edmonton, Alberta. They were a part of the Triple-A level in the Pacific Coast League, ending with the 2004 season. Their home games were played at Telus Field in downtown Edmonton.

The Trappers joined the PCL in 1981 when Edmonton businessman Peter Pocklington purchased the Ogden A's franchise from Utah trucker Dennis Job.[2] The team's games were originally played in Renfrew Park (later called John Ducey Park). The Trappers were immediately popular with the community, often above the league average in attendance, attracting almost half a million fans every season.[3] A total of 8 million fans came to see them play over the course of their 24-year existence.

In 1984, the Trappers (then the Triple-A affiliate of the California Angels) became the first Canadian franchise to win a championship.[2] They were also the only team to win a PCL championship, and first to win any championship, under affiliation with the Angels. The manager was Moose Stubing.

In 1995, John Ducey Park was torn down and replaced by Telus Field where the Trappers celebrated three PCL titles in their last decade, most recently in 2002 under the affiliation of the Minnesota Twins.[2] In 2003, the team became the major affiliate of the Montreal Expos. The Trappers were one of the most successful, longest running, and second-to-last affiliated team in Canada.

In 2004, future Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Scott Downs threw a no-hitter against Las Vegas on June 11. It was the first no hitter by a Trapper since August 8, 1996, when Aaron Small threw one against the Vancouver Canadians.

Edmonton qualified for playoffs for the last time in September 2003. They defeated the Portland Beavers to make the post-season, but were eliminated immediately by the Sacramento River Cats in a three-game sweep.

In October 2003, the Trappers' fate in Edmonton was sealed when the team, then owned by the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos, was sold to a group led by hall of famer Nolan Ryan and his son Reid. The sale shocked many fans in Edmonton. The Ryans moved the team after the 2004 season to Round Rock, Texas, a suburb north of Austin, and it was renamed the Round Rock Express.[2] The last home game in Edmonton had a sizeable crowd against the Las Vegas 51s, but it was rained out after only one inning.

Notable former Trappers

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Baseball Hall of Fame

References

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  1. ^ "Telus Field gets a new name and lease on life" CBC News. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
  2. ^ a b c d "Edmonton to be without pro baseball for a second consecutive season after Capitals unable to land a home for 2013" Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
  3. ^ "Telus Field" DigitalBallparks.com.
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