The Tucson Saguaros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona that began play in 2016. The club is a member of the Pecos League, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with MLB or Minor League Baseball.
Video Tucson Saguaros
History
Announced in November 2015 as an expansion franchise, Tucson began play in the 2016 season. The team plays its home games Thursday through Sunday at Saguaros Park which is also known as Reid Park Field #5. The team plays neutral site home games Monday through Wednesday in Winslow, Arizona at Vargas Field.
The team's home field was Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium for the 2016 and 2017 seasons with the exception of Sunday games, which were played at Warren Ballpark in Bisbee, Arizona.
The team conducts Spring Training at Pascua Yaqui Pueblo Park on the Pascua Pueblo Yaqui Reservation. They are known colloquially as the "Cactus Crew."
2016: Inaugural season and a Pecos League championship
The team began signing players for its first season in winter preparing for opening of its training camp in May.
2016 Saguaros manager J.D. Droddy was featured in the 2014 Fox Sports 1 six-episode reality TV show "The Pecos League" as the manager of the Trinidad Triggers. He spent twenty years in the United States Air Force, flying 44 combat missions in the Vietnam War. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1989, he practiced law in Portland, Oregon, but "hated every minute of practicing law." Afterward, he became a college professor, wrote plays, and became a self-taught composer, writing a ballet called the "Lady of White Sands." Before managing the Trinidad Triggers, he was a host for Pecos League players.
The Saguaros opened their inaugural season 6-0, sweeping the Santa Fe Fuego in a 4-game series. In a high-scoring 22-12 victory on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 against the White Sands Pupfish in Alamogordo, New Mexico, the Saguaros had 29 hits and four home runs, one of which was hit by the starting pitcher, Carlos Diaz.
On July 4, 2016, the Saguaros broke the all-time Pecos League record by drawing 8,720 fans to their contest against Roswell, an 8-4 Invaders win.
On August 11, 2016, the Saguaros became the 2016 Pecos League Champions by defeating the Trinidad Triggers 2 games to 0 in a 5-4 victory. Entering the bottom of the 9th inning, the Trinidad Triggers were leading 4-1. Catcher Jesse Baker scored the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning when Christian Schneider threw a wild pitch to pinch hitter Thomas McKenna. The Saguaros set a Pecos League record with 51 wins in a season.
2017: Best record in Pecos League
Kirby Campbell was announced as the new manager on October 12, 2016, while the previous manager, J.D. Droddy, remained on the Saguaros as the Director of Player Procurement until becoming the manager of the Salina Stockade (baseball) of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Campbell, a 2014 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, began the 2016 season as the starting first baseman of the Great Bend Boom and became Great Bend's manager midway through the season. Five players returned from the inaugural season: pitchers Brandon Cook, Jake Eaton, and Matt Kelley, as well as outfielders Burnell Dailey and Thomas McKenna. The Saguaros finished the season with the best record in the Pecos League, 46-11, but they lost in the playoffs to the High Desert Yardbirds 1-2 in the Pecos League Pacific Division Series.
2018: Move to Reid Park
The Saguaros moved from the Pacific Division to the Southern Division of the Pecos League. The team also moved their home field to Gene C. Reid Park Field #5.
Maps Tucson Saguaros
Roster
Season-by-Season
Quick facts
- First Game: vs Santa Fe Fuego, 11-4 win (5/19/2016)
- First Hit: Burnell Dailey, (5/19/2016)
- First Home Run: Adam Urbania, (5/19/2016)
- First Winning Pitcher: David Contreras (5/19/2016)
- First Save: Daniel Hurtado (5/21/2016)
Individual awards
Pecos League Pitcher of the Year
- 2016 - Steven Borkowski
Pecos League Pacific Division Pitcher of the Year
- 2017 - Clay Miller
Pecos League Pacific Division Hitter of the Year
- 2017 - Fernando Garza
Pecos League All-Star
- Adam Urbania (2016)
- David Robles (2016)
- Jesse Baker (2016)
- Michael Morris (2016)
- Ryan Retz (2016)
- Steven Borkowski (2016)
- Brandon Cook (2017)
- Clay Miller (2017)
- Darryl Baca (2017)
- Eric Morell (2017)
- Fernando Garza (2017)
- Frank Trimarco (2017)
- Kevin Baron (2017)
- Matt Kelley (2017)
- Nicholas Vitale (2017)
- Thomas McKenna (2017)
- Tre Porter (2017)
- Zack Gonzalez (2017)
Single season records
Batting
- Games: Burnell Dailey, 65 (2016), Thomas McKenna, 65 (2016), Ryan Retz, 65 (2016)
- Batting Average: Jimmy Heck, .426 (2016)
- On-base Percentage: Thomas McKenna, .489 (2017)
- Slugging Percentage: Fernando Garza, .687 (2017)
- At Bats: Ryan Retz, 281 (2016)
- Runs: Ryan Retz, 73 (2016)
- Doubles: Ryan Retz, 19 (2016)
- Triples: Ryan Retz, 7 (2016)
- Home Runs: Fernando Garza, 14 (2017)
- RBI: Fernando Garza, 69 (2017)
- Walks: Michael Morris, 47 (2016)
- Strikeouts: Burnell Dailey, 64 (2016)
- Stolen Bases: Ryan Retz, 42 (2016)
- Singles: Michael Morris, 98 (2016)
Pitching
- Earned Run Average: Redmond Floyd, 1.12 (2017)
- Won-Loss Percentage: Steven Borkowski, 1.000 (2016), Clay Miller, 1.000 (2017), Eric Morell, 1.000 (2017)
- WHIP: Tyler Herr, .550 (2016)
- Games: David Robles, 29 (2016)
- Saves: Garrett Baker, 8 (2017)
- Innings: Steven Borkowski, 79.1 (2016)
- Strikeouts: Steven Borkowski, 92 (2016)
- Complete Games: Randy Keen, 2 (2016), Josh Freeman, 2 (2017)
- Walks Allowed: Steven Borkowski, 46 (2016)
- Hits Allowed: Cameron Cox, 79 (2016)
- Wins: Steven Borkowski, 10 (2016)
- Losses: Aaron Smith, 3 (2016), Brian Luebcke, 3 (2016), Garrett Baker, 3 (2017), Josh Freeman, 3 (2017)
- Earned Runs Allowed: Cameron Cox, 43 (2016)
Fielding
- Putouts: Ryan Retz, 506 (2016)
- Assists: Michael Morris, 167 (2016)
- Fielding Average by an Infielder: Jesse Baker, .995 (2016)
- Fielding Average by an Outfielder: Logan Coughlin, .979 (2017)
References
External links
- Tucson Saguaros website
- Pecos League website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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