Las Vegas Baseball Teams

Las Vegas Stars: Name changed to the Las Vegas 51's as of 19 December 2000.
(The leonine mascot was named "Elvee".)

Las Vegas Wranglers: Defunct
Sunset League (1947-1948)
Southwest International League (1948-1952)
{An unidentified league} (1957-1958)
According to lifetime Las Vegas resident Nick Mojave:
"In 1947, the Las Vegas Wranglers were the Boston Braves' affiliate in the Sunset League. In '48, the affiliation ended, but the team survived until 1952. (The last two seasons, it was the Southwest International League). Other cities with teams in this league were El Centro, Ontario, Reno, Riverside, Mexicali, Salinas, Tijuana, Yuma, Porterville, Anaheim, and San Bernardino. The league disbanded after 1952. In 1957, the Wranglers played in the Arizona-Texas League, along with teams in Douglas, Phoenix, Mexicali, Cananea(?), and Tucson. In 1958, the California League's San Jose JoSox, a Pirates affiliate, moved to Las Vegas as the Wranglers before disbanding. Other Cal League cities at the time were Salinas, Reno, Modesto, Bakersfield, Stockton, and Fresno.
"As far as I know, all of these teams played at "Old Cashman Field", a mythical place that I have never found a picture of at the site of today's Cashman Field. I believe it seated around 8,000 in bleachers. In 1964, this old Cashman Field hosted an exhibition game between the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers."

According to Don Sciba of San Jose, CA:
"I was a kid of 13 living in San Jose in 1958 and remember crying when my beloved San Jose Pirates (not the old JoSox) moved to Las Vegas in mid-season of 1958. Playing the second half of that season as the Wranglers I believe they did very well, much better than the San Jose Pirates. Mr. Mojave has all the teams of the 1958 California League mentioned with the exception of only one - the Visalia Redlegs, a Cincinnati affiliate."

According to Karl Knickrehm of the Society for American Baseball Resaerch:
"In 1947, the Wranglers played at Wrangler Field, which was across the street approximately where the freeway offramp is now." ... "Wrangler Field was located in City Park, aka Helldorado Grounds bordered by 2nd St. to the west, Bonanza Rd. to the north, 5th St. (now Las Vegas Blvd.) to the east and Mesquite Ave. to the south. Old Cashman Field was located about where the [Cashman Center] exhibit halls are now."

For more information about the "Minors", visit the Minor League Baseball website.