Tombstone
Born: 1986 – The Redwood Pioneers relocate to Palm Springs, CA
Move Announced: September 1, 1993 (Lake Elsinore Storm)1Bohannan, Larry. “Turn Out The Lights”. The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, CA). September 2, 1993
First Game: April 11, 1986 (W 7-1 vs. Visalia Oaks)
Last Game: September 1, 1993 (L 9-6 vs. Riverside Pilots)
California League Championships: None
Stadium
Ownership
Owners:
- 1986-1991: Bruce Corwin, et al.
- 1991-1993: Ken Stickney
Major League Affiliation: California Angels
Attendance
Background
The Palm Springs Angels were the Class A farm club of the California Angels from 1986 to 1993. They were the first professional baseball club to ever play in the desert community of Palm Springs, which doubled as the spring training home of the Major League Angels.
The California Angels left town in 1993, shifting their spring training base to Tempe, Arizona. The Angels minor league team followed suit and departed a year later. Lake Elsinore, California built a new $24 million ballpark to lure the team away. The franchise still exists in Lake Elsinore today, known as the Lake Elsinore Storm.
Notable Names
Future Major League stars who started up the pro ladder with the Palm Springs Angels included:
- Dante Bichette (Palm Springs ’86)
- Bryan Harvey (Palm Springs ’86)
- Jim Edmonds (Palm Springs ’90-’91)
- Tim Salmon (Palm Springs ’90)
- Garret Anderson (Palm Springs ’92)
- Troy Percival (Palm Springs ’92)
Cult baseball mainstay Mario Mendoza – of “Mendoza Line” fame – managed the Palm Springs Angels in 1992 and 1993.
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