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Garden City Wind

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Garden City Wind
Information
LeaguePecos League (2015–present) (Mountain)
LocationGarden City, Kansas
BallparkClint Lightner Field
Founded2015
Division championships2022
ColorsBlue, powder blue, light gray
     
General ManagerRandy Ralston
MediaKYUL 1310 AM
Websitegardencitywind.com

The Garden City Wind are a professional baseball team based in Garden City, Kansas, in southwest Kansas. The Wind are a franchise of the Pecos League, which is not affiliated with a Major League Baseball organization. They play their home games at Clint Lightner Field, a 1,500-seat facility that dates to 1936.

History

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The Garden City Wind were established for the 2015 season, as the Pecos League, which at the time was established in Colorado, New Mexico, and West Texas, becoming the first Kansas-based franchise in the league's history.[1]

After struggling to a 21–43 record in their inaugural season, the Wind responded with their first winning season in 2016, going 38-26 and reaching the postseason, dropping a hard-fought best-of-three series 2–1 to the Trinidad Triggers in the North Division championship.

Hard times came the two subsequent seasons as the Wind staggered to a last-place, 18–43 mark in 2017, followed by a woeful 11-50 campaign in 2018, worst in the league.

2019, though, saw another major turnaround as the Wind finished second in the Mountain division with a franchise-best 42–20 mark, though they were bounced by Roswell in two straight games in the first round.

The Wind sat out the 2020 season as the Pecos League elected to play a 36-game season in Houston, Texas with four teams. Garden City did not participate due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Returning in 2021, the Wind finished second in the Mountain North division with a 33–22 record and won a playoff series for the first time in franchise history by defeating the Colorado Springs Snow Sox 2–1 in a best-of-three series, though once more, the Wind were denied by Roswell in another 2–1 series as Roswell advanced to the Pecos League finals.

The winning ways continued in 2022 as the Wind won their first-ever division title, taking the Mountain Division crown with a 36–10 mark. The season also saw the Wind host the Mountain Division All-Star Game for the first time on July 10, 2022.[2] However, the season once again ended at the hands of Roswell, who dispatched Garden City in the first round of the playoffs. Despite the heartbreak, the Wind did set unofficial Pecos League records for single-season and per-game attendance, drawing nearly 25,000 fans to 37 home games.[3]

For the third consecutive year, the Wind were playoff-bound in 2023, going 30-20 and snagging the fourth and final playoff spot, edging out longtime nemesis Roswell. However, eventual Mountain Division champion Tucson Saguaros took out the Wind in two straight games to eliminate Garden City.

Following the 2023 season, manager Garrett Totty, who had been with the club since 2021, left Garden City to manage the Roswell Invaders. Totty went 99–52 in three seasons with the Wind, reaching the playoffs in all three campaigns and departing as the club's all-time winningest skipper.[4]

Season-by-season records

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Garden City Wind
Season League Division Record Win % Finish Manager Playoffs
2015 Pecos North 21–43 .328 4th Mike Reeves Did not qualify
2016 Pecos North 38–26 .594 1st Bill Moore Lost North Division finals (Trinidad) 1–2
2017 Pecos Mountain 20–43 .317 5th David Peterson Did not qualify
2018 Pecos Mountain 11–51 .177 4th Ian Horne (2–13)[a]
Nolan Cherniwchan (9–38)		 Did not qualify
2019 Pecos Mountain 42–20 .677 2nd David Peterson Lost Mountain Division Semifinals (Roswell) 0–2
2020 Pecos Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)
2021 Pecos Mountain North 33–22 .600 2nd Garrett Totty Won Mountain Division Semifinals (Colorado Springs) 2–1
Lost Mountain Division Finals (Roswell) 1–2
2022 Pecos Mountain 36–10 .783 1st Garrett Totty Lost Mountain Division Semifinals (Roswell) 1–2
2023 Pecos Mountain 30–20 .600 4th Garrett Totty Lost Mountain Division Semifinals (Tucson) 0–2
2024 Pecos Mountain North 42–9 .824 1st Easton Barnes Won Mountain Division Semifinals (Trinidad) 2–0
TBD Mountain Division Finals (Alpine)
Totals 273–244 .528 — — 7–11 (.389)
  1. ^ Horne managed Garden City until he left to join the Salina Stockade, who were guests of the Can-Am League as a player 6/8/18. Cherniwchan managed Garden City the rest of the season.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Pecos League moves to Garden City Kansas for 2015". The Pecos League. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Garden City Wind will host the 2022 Mountain Division All Star Game". Pecos League. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Minor League Baseball 2022 Attendance Analysis" (PDF). Number Tamer. David Kronheim. p. 262. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Garrett Totty will manage the Roswell Invaders for the 2024 season". Pecos League. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Pecos League Managing Records by Year - 2018". pecosleague.com. Pecos League. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
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