Palm Springs Angels
The Palm Springs Angels were a minor league baseball team of the Class A California League from 1986 to 1993 and an affiliate of the California Angels. They began in 1986 when the Redwood Pioneers relocated to Palm Springs and they relocated to Lake Elsinore, California after the 1993 season and became the Lake Elsinore Storm.
| Palm Springs Angels 1986–1993 Palm Springs, CA | |
| Minor league affiliations | |
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| Previous classes |
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| League | California League |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams | California Angels |
| Team data | |
Previous parks | Ontario Baseball Park |
History
The team was brought to this desert city in 1986 (formerly the Redwood Pioneers), where the major league team under country music legend and team owner Gene Autry had the Angels use Palm Springs as a spring training camp in Palm Springs Stadium. Palm Springs stadium was originally built in 1950 and was renovated in the late 1990s for use by minor league teams.
Although average game attendance was below average of the league in the late 1980s, the P.S. Angels picked up on fans in the early 1990s, when stadium attendance records surpassed the 100,000 mark in 1992 and again in 1993.
The last team owner, Ken Stickney in The Desert Sun interview stated the P.S. Angels' move was due to a lack of city council support to approve a new minor league ballpark, after the California Angels left for a new spring training facility in Tempe, Arizona.
Former Palm Spring Angels players include Pete Rose, Jr., Dante Bichette, J. T. Snow, Tim Salmon, Garret Anderson, Troy Percival and Jim Edmonds.
Notable Alumni
- Garret Anderson (1992) 3 x MLB All-Star
- Floyd Bannister (1991) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Dante Bichette (1986) 4 x MLB All-Star
- Bob Boone (1987) 7 x Gold Glove; 4 x MLB All-Star
- John Candelaria (1986) MLB All-Star; 1977 NL ERA Leader
- Jim Edmonds (1990-1991) 8 x Gold Glove; 4 x MLB All-Star
- Mike Fetters (1987)
- Kelly Gruber (1993) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Bryan Harvey (1986) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Roberto Hernandez (1989) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Kirk McCaskill (1987)
- Mark McLemore (1988, 1990)
- Mike Marshall (1991) MLB All-Star
- Donnie Moore (1987-1988) MLB All-Star
- Dan Petry (1988) MLB All-Star
- Troy Percival (1992) 4 x MLB All-Star
- Eduardo Perez (1992)
- Bryan Price (1986)
- Tim Salmon (1990) 1993 AL Rookie of the Year
- Paul Sorrento (1986, 1988)
- Lee Stevens (1987)
- Mark Sweeney (1993) All-Time MLB Pinch Hit RBI leader
- Fernando Valenzuela (1991) 6 x MLB All-Star; 1981 NL Rookie of the Year; 1981 NL Cy Young Award