San Diego Surf Dawgs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
San Diego Surf Dawgs
Founded in 2005
San Diego, California

Team Logo
Cap Insignia
League affiliations

Golden Baseball League
Name
  • San Diego Surf Dawgs (2005-2006, 2008-present)
  • Sonora Surf Dawgs (2007, AWL)
Other nicknames
Team Colors
  • Columbia Blue, Navy Blue, Gold
                  
Ballpark
Championships
  • League titles: 1 (GBL, 2005)
  • Division titles: 1 (GBL California, 2005) 
Owner(s)/Operated By: Golden Baseball League
General Manager:
Manager: Terry Kennedy (GBL version)
Cory Snyder (AWL version)
Media: The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Yuma Sun
Website: www.goldenbaseball.com/SanDiego

The San Diego Surf Dawgs are a professional baseball team based in San Diego, California, that currently play in the short-season instructional Arizona Winter League played in the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball. Their now-former home stadium is named after former Padres great Tony Gwynn, and is located on the campus of San Diego State University. They currently play at Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma, Arizona as part of the AWL, but are rumored to rejoin the GBL in 2009.

Contents

[edit] Team history

[edit] Golden Baseball League (2005-2006)

The Surf Dawgs were one of the eight original GBL charter teams that began play in 2005 along with the Chico Outlaws, Fullerton Flyers and Long Beach Armada in California; Mesa Miners, Surprise Fightin' Falcons and Yuma Scorpions in Arizona and the traveling Japan Samurai Bears. They were known for playing in the same city as a Major League Baseball team, the National League's San Diego Padres.

The signing of Rickey Henderson gave the team national exposure. (Henderson had also played for the Padres at one point in his career.) Former first-round draft pick Matt Wheatland is among five San Diegans on the roster.

The 2005 team won the first ever GBL California Division title, and on Labor Day weekend 2005 they won the inaugural GBL Championship tournament, coming back on the last day to win two games.

The team again made news in June 2006 by signing former Major League player José Canseco. He made his debut on July 3, 2006 and struck out 4 times. Prior to the game, the Juiced author looked like the Bash Brother of old during batting practice, knocking multiple pitches out of the park. After playing in one game with the Surf Dawgs, Canseco requested to be traded to a team closer to his home in Los Angeles [1] and was sent to the Long Beach Armada.

The Surf Dawgs became the fourth franchise of the GBL to be deactivated on February 8, 2007. A published report in The San Diego Union-Tribune stated the team had suspended operations for financial reasons. [2] But the league disputes that because they still own the rights to the team.

[edit] Arizona Winter League (2007-present)

The team joined the Arizona Winter League as the Sonora Surf Dawgs in January of 2007 [3], but reverted back to San Diego for the 2008 season. During the AWL regular season, they are managed by Cory Snyder, who also manages the GBL's St. George RoadRunners.

[edit] Season-by-season records

Golden Baseball League:

Season W L Win % Place Playoff
2005 52 38 N/A 1st, California Division Won California Division
Defeated Mesa in the Championship Series.
2006 35 (16/19) 45 (24/21) N/A 4th Did not qualify.

Arizona Winter League:

Season W L Win % Place Playoff
2007 (as Sonora) 10 11 .476 3rd Did not qualify.
2008 10 9 .526 3rd Lost to Canada in Playoffs.

[edit] Rebirth?

Though the Surf Dawgs play in the Arizona Winter League, there has been talk about a possible return of the team to the GBL by 2009. They are currently looking for a more suitable stadium after having issues regarding Tony Gwynn Stadium. Some say their best bet is to play at a ballpark in Chula Vista, California, which was to have hosted the Tijuana Toros in 2005 and is waiting for a GBL team to occupy. [4] An announcement could come as early as October.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Canseco seeks, receives trade for personal reasons (ESPN.com, July 5, 2006)
  2. ^ Baseball Surf Dawgs won't play in '07 (San Diego Union-Tribune, February 8, 2007)
  3. ^ Yuma Zone AWL baseball
  4. ^ Stammer.eu : Chula Vista, California

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Sports teams based in and around San Diego
Baseball
MLB: San Diego Padres - GBL: San Diego Surf Dawgs
Basketball
Football
Soccer
College athletics
Related
 This article about a baseball team is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Surf_Dawgs"
Personal tools