The first team to call this home was the Salt Lake City Bees. They had been the championship
team for the Rookie Level Pioneer League in 1946 and were looking to
repeat. The team was led on the mound by 19 year old Rob Drilling who had a fantastic
season going 23-5 with a 2.68 ERA. He was joined by future San Francisco
Seals and Pittsburgh Pirates' Con Dempsey (15-13, 2.95 ERA), Ted Savares (13-6,
4.47) and Rob Drilling's brother Dick Drilling (3-7, 6.12). At the plate was
the Boston Braves' former |
outfield Tommy Thompson (13 2B .287), Claude Rymer (31 2B, 20 3B, .290) and
Donald Collins (20 2B, 10 3B, 10 HR, .307). Together this team managed to push
the Bees back into 1st place and into the playoffs where they faced the Twin
Falls Cowboys. The Cowboys would end up denying the Bees their chance for a back
to back pennant, winning the Pioneer League title. From 1948-1950, the Bees would
continue on as a co-op team, playing without any affiliation to Major League
Baseball. In those three seasons, they would make the playoffs once... in 1949
behind the strong hitting of future Phillies OF Jim Westlake (.344) and pitcher
Dick Larner (19-7, 3.00) but lose in the 1st round. They failed to break .500
in either 1948 or 1950. In that time however, they produced some pretty impressive
players including Oliver Cheso who hit 22 doubles and 13 HR in 1948, former
Boston Brave Tommy Thompson would return in 1948 as well and bat .347, future
Philadelphia A's 2B Mike Baxes who hit .284, Wally Yonamine who hit 25 doubles
and 10 triples while batting .335 in 1950 and a terrific season by Bob VanEman
who hit .358 with 14 doubles and 11 HRs in 1950. |
