Salt Lake Bees
From SoSH
| Location: | Salt Lake City, UT |
| Established: | 1994 |
| MLB Affiliation: | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim |
| League: | Pacific Coast League |
| Level: | AAA |
| Ballpark: | Franklin Covey Field |
| Championships: | |
| Division Titles: | 6 |
| Wild Card: |
The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team based in Salt Lake City, UT. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
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Franchise History
Known as the Salt Lake Buzz from 1994 to 2001, the team changed its name to the Salt Lake Stingers in 2002. The change was forced by a trademark dilution lawsuit filed by Georgia Tech, whose yellowjacket mascot is named Buzz. Later that year, the Angels won the 2002 World Series and made history in Game 7 when rookie pitcher John Lackey, called up from the Stingers earlier in the year, was the game's winning pitcher. He became the first rookie to do so in nearly 100 years.
On October 27, 2005, the team announced the Stingers would henceforth be known as the Salt Lake Bees, the name of the original PCL franchise which played in Salt Lake City from 1915 to 1926. The official press release read, in part: "Owner, Larry H. Miller, announced today that the Salt Lake Stingers have officially changed the teams name to the Salt Lake Bees. The new logo, colors and uniforms were also unveiled. The change brings Salt Lake baseball back to its original franchise name and look when the state's first Pacific Coast League team was named the Bees in 1915."
The team was owned by former major league player Joe Buzas until his death in 2003. It was then owned by the late Larry H. Miller, who owned the NBA's Utah Jazz.
Major League Affiliations
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2001–Present)
- Minnesota Twins (1994-2000)
Franchise Names
- Salt Lake Bees (2006–Present)
- Salt Lake Stingers (2002–2005)
- Salt Lake Buzz (1994–2001)
Notable Alumni
Notable Red Sox Who Played Here
Trivia
- In 1998, as the Salt Lake Buzz, the team gained national exposure when a fictionalized version of the team was the focus of the film Major League: Back to the Minors.
