1966 California League season
Sports season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1966 California League was a Class A baseball season played between April 19 and September 5. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, as the winner of each half of the season qualified for the California League championship round.
| 1966 California League season | |
|---|---|
| League | California League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 19 – September 5 |
| Games | 140 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Modesto Reds |
| Season MVP | Dave Duncan, Modesto Reds |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Modesto Reds |
The Modesto Reds won the California League championship, as they had the best record in both halves of the season.
Team changes
- The Modesto Colts returned to the league following a one-year leave of absence. The club was renamed to the Modesto Reds and began an affiliation with the Kansas City Athletics.
- The Reno Silver Sox returned to the league following a one-year leave of absence. The club began an affiliation with the Cleveland Indians.
- The Salinas Indians relocated to Lodi, California and were renamed to the Lodi Crushers. The club ended their affiliation with the Cleveland Indians and began a new affiliation with the Chicago Cubs.
Teams
Map of teams
California League Teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Modesto Reds finished with the best record in the regular season for the first time since 1959.
- The Modesto Reds defeated the San Jose Bees in a tie-breaking game to win the first half of the season.
Standings
| California League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Modesto Reds | 88 | 53 | .624 | – |
| San Jose Bees | 77 | 64 | .546 | 11 |
| Fresno Giants | 74 | 66 | .529 | 13.5 |
| Reno Silver Sox | 69 | 71 | .493 | 18.5 |
| Santa Barbara Dodgers | 69 | 71 | .493 | 18.5 |
| Bakersfield Bears | 68 | 72 | .486 | 19.5 |
| Lodi Crushers | 59 | 81 | .421 | 28.5 |
| Stockton Ports | 57 | 83 | .407 | 30.5 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Gail Hopkins, Lodi Crushers | .358 |
| H | Ed Bays, Reno Silver Sox | 168 |
| R | Danny Greenfield, Modesto Reds | 111 |
| 2B | Ed Bays, Reno Silver Sox Jackie Disher, Fresno Giants | 33 |
| 3B | Al Gallagher, Fresno Giants | 12 |
| HR | Dave Duncan, Modesto Reds | 46 |
| RBI | Larry Wilson, Modesto Reds | 117 |
| SB | Danny Greenfield, Modesto Reds | 42 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Richard Armstrong, Santa Barbara Dodgers Greg Conger, Modesto Reds John Fouse, Reno Silver Sox | 16 |
| ERA | Greg Conger, Modesto Reds | 2.73 |
| CG | Tim Sommer, Stockton Ports | 15 |
| SHO | Robert Barisoff, Santa Barbara Dodgers | 5 |
| IP | Tim Sommer, Stockton Ports | 226.0 |
| SO | Richard Armstrong, Santa Barbara Dodgers | 186 |
Playoffs
- There were no playoffs held, as the Modesto Reds had the best record in both halves of the season.
- The Modesto Reds won their fourth California League championship.
Playoff bracket
| Finals | ||||
| 1 | Modesto | |||
Awards
| California League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Dave Duncan, Modesto Reds |