The Yuma Scorpions
are a professional baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, in the United States. The Scorpions are a member of the South Division of the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or
Minor League Baseball. From the 2005 season to the present, the Scorpions have played their home games at Desert Sun Stadium. They are one of the last reminding league-owned teams. Their team president is former Los Angeles Dodgers star Mike Marshall, general manager is Jason Matclok and field manager (as of 2009) is Boris Villa. They have a short-season instructional team in the Arizona Winter League, where they are two-time champions in 2007 & 2009.
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YUMA SCORPIONS TICKETS
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Team History
Golden Baseball League (2005-present)
The Yuma Scorpions were one of the Golden Baseball League charter members in 2005 along with the
Chico Outlaws,
Fullerton Flyers,
Long Beach Armada and
San Diego Surf Dawgs in California;
Mesa Miners and
Surprise Fightin' Falcons in Arizona and the
Japan Samurai Bears, the league's first (and so far only) traveling team. The Scorpions, along with the Outlaws, Armada and Flyers remain the only charter teams still active in the league.
The team replaced the former
Bullfrogs as the city of Yuma's professional baseball team. The Bulldogs played in the defunct
Western Baseball League from 2000 to 2002, and later Arizona Independent League (2003-04) at Desert Sun Stadium. Other baseball teams are the Yuma Desert Dawgs of the defunct
Golden State League (1995-96) and American West Leagues (1997-99). The
San Diego Padres used Desert Sun Stadium for preseason spring training games in the 1970s and 1980s before they went to a new facility in
Peoria, Arizona in 1991.
Arizona Winter League (2007-present)
In 2007, the
Arizona Winter League announced the Scorpions as one of their six charter teams. The AWL is an instructional league also affiliated with the GBL. They play from January to March at the same field as the GBL version, along with the
Blythe Heat,
Palm Springs Chill,
San Diego Surf Dawgs,
San Luis Atleticos,
Saskatchewan Silver Sox,
Team Canada and
Western Canada Miners and were placed in the American Division in 2009. They captured the first AWL championship defeating the Miners in 2007 and their second by defeating the Atleticos in 2009.
Colombian affiliation
On May 20, 2009 the
Yuma Sun reported that the team had signed an affiliation agreement with the
Colombian Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
[1] Under the terms of the affiliation, the CPBL will handle all on-field personnel and player issues while the team will retain control of promotions, concessions, and other front-office business. The team will act as a farm team for all four CPBL teams.
[2] It is reportedly first time an independent American club has formed an affiliation with a foreign team or league. This partnership will be a feature story on ESPN.
[3] This move has been met by criticism.
[4]
Quick facts
Founded:
2005
Stadium:
Desert Sun Stadium
Uniform Colors:
Cardinal red hats and white jerseys are worn for home games, while grey jerseys are worn for road games.
Logo Design:
The "Yuma Scorpions" wordmark is centered above the scorpion logo in scripted letters in cardinal red with black outline. The scorpion includes a cap and a baseball bat.
Mascot:
Stinger.
Current ownership
: Golden Baseball League
Local Radio
: (As of June 2009)
First Play-by-Play Broadcaster:
Radio: Jim Howell
Current Broadcasters:
Radio: Jeff Edwards
Remembering the Imperials
During the 2008 season, the Scorpions played four of their home games at
Stark Field in
El Centro, California, just 60 miles west of Yuma, and would don classic uniforms of the
El Centro Imperials of the
Sunset League from the late 1940's to early 1950's.
[5]
As a result, the Imperials were revived in 2009 and are now a member of the
Arizona Summer League.
Season-by-season records
Golden Baseball League:
| Season
| W
| L
| Win %
| Place
| Playoff
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| 2005
| 47
| 43
| .522
| 2nd, Arizona Division
| Did not qualify
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| 2006
| 32
| 48
| .400
| 4th/6th
| Did not qualify
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| 2007
| 42
| 34
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| 3rd/2nd
| Did not qualify
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| 2008
| 47 (25/22)
| 39 (19/20)
| .547
| 2nd/4th, South Division
| Did not qualify
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Arizona Winter League:
| Season
| W
| L
| Win %
| Place
| Playoff
|
| 2007
| 13
| 8
| .619
| T-1st
| Qualified. Defeated Canada in the Championship Game.
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| 2008
| 8
| 11
| .421
| T-4th
| Did not qualify.
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| 2009
| 15
| 5
| .750
| 1st, American Division
| Qualified. Defeated San Luis in the Championship Game.
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References
- http://www.yumasun.com/news/affilated-50191-colombian-league.html
- http://www.yumasun.com/sports/really-50324-taxes-president.html
- ESPN Filming Feature Story on Yuma Scorpions, GBL website, June 30, 2009
- the FORMER Yuma Scorpions, GBL Facebook Discussion Board
- Our Sports Central: Golden Baseball League