Author Description

Over nine decades, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox franchise survived the Great Depression, two world wars and the disco era to remain a vigorous part of the Pacific Coast League and Minor League Baseball. The 70-Year Road Trip captures the big events and even bigger personalities that have shaped the third oldest continuing singular Triple-A franchise in league history. Since the beginning, innovation and a maverick spirit have been cornerstones to the club s success from Sacramento in 1918 to its 27 years in Honolulu and on through its present-day incarnation at the foot of Pikes Peak. Built on a foundation of solid research, The 70-Year Road Trip provides a glimpse into Minor League Baseball s glorious past and provides insight into how much the game and the business has changed. As Senators, Solons, Islanders and Sky Sox, the franchise has been affiliated with 10 major league clubs and has even gone long stretches with no affiliation at all. What has always been true of this franchise is that it has never been ordinary, even if the results sometimes were. Fans of the franchise have been disappointed at times, but they ve rarely been bored. Consider, for example: Sacramento was the first franchise in the PCL to stage a night game. That was in 1930 five years ahead of the major leagues. Hawaii tied a modern PCL record when it won 98 games during the 1970 season. In 1976, the IRS padlocked the team s offices, and the league voted the franchise vacated, meaning that when the Islanders won the second of two consecutive PCL titles, they weren t technically a member of the league. The Sky Sox set a modern PCL record by scoring 33 runs against Tacoma at Spurgeon Field in 1988. Historical photos and comprehensive player stats allow fans to travel through the years of America s favorite pastime and relish the beginnings of some of today s biggest stars, including Albert Belle and Barry Bonds.