Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

DODGERS 1979 CHAMPIONS

Date

1979

Materials

FELT, COTTON

No. Pieces

1

Height

124.7

Length

234

Width

0.8

Description

OVERSIZED PENNANT, TRIANGLE SHAPED. OFF-WHITE FELT FABRIC WITH EMBROIDERY IN RED FELT LETTERING THAT READS, “CHAMPIONS 1979, PIONEER LEAGUE, LETHBRIDGE DODGERS.” ROYAL BLUE WOVEN EDGING. REVERSE IS BLANK WITH RED STITCHING VISIBLE.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

SPORTS

History

IN 1977, THE LETHBRIDGE EXPOS OF THE PIONEER LEAGUE BEGAN AN AFFILIATION WITH THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS AND BECAME KNOWN AS THE LETHBRIDGE DODGERS. THE TEAM CAPTURED A CHAMPIONSHIP FOR MANAGER GAIL HENLEY IN ITS FIRST SEASON(1977). HENLEY RETURNED AS THE TEAM'S MANAGER IN 1979, AND THE DODGERS RESPONDED BY GOING 38–30 AND CAPTURING ANOTHER LEAGUE TITLE. AFTER THE 1983 SEASON, THE DODGERS RELOCATED TO IDAHO AND BECAME THE POCATELLO GEMS. THEIR OPERATIONS WERE SUSPENDED AFTER THE 1985 SEASON. ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY PAT SULLIVAN, PUBLISHED IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 1979, “GAIL HENLEY SAT SMOKING A CIGAR, RELAXING IN THE LETHBRIDGE DODGER CLUBHOUSE MONDAY AFTERNOON. SUNDAY NIGHT HIS CLUB HAD JUST CLINCHED THE SECOND PIONEER BASEBALL LEAGUE PENNANT IN THREE YEARS WITH A 2-0 WIN IN HELENA, OVER THE PHILLIES. HENLEY WAS AT THE HELM OF THE DODGERS IN 1977 WHEN THE CLUB EMERGED WITH ITS FIRST PENNANT. DODGERS, BY VIRTUE OF A 2-1 WIN AT HOME SATURDAY NIGHT, WON THE PENNANT IN TWO STRAIGHT GAMES IN THE BEST-OF-THREE FINAL BETWEEN THE TWO DIVISION CHAMPS. DODGERS WON THE NORTH WHILE THE PHILLIES WERE TOPS IN THE SOUTH DESPITE FINISHING IN A TIE WITH BILLINGS MUSTANGS. “IT WAS EASY,” SMILED HENLEY. “WE HAD IT IN THE BAG. NO SWEAT. WHO AM I TRYING TO KID?” THESE WERE TWO OF THE BEST GAMES OF THE SEASON. MY GUYS GAVE IT THEIR BEST SHOT BOTH NIGHTS AND I COULDN’T BE PROUDER. HELL, WE HAD OUR PROBLEMS DOWN THE STRETCH BUT THIS MAKES IT ALL WORTHWHILE. WE HAD A COUPLE OF GUYS HURTING. IT’S PRETTY TOUGH GOING INTO A SHORT SERIES WITHOUT YOUR TOP PITCHER. BUT THE GUYS CAME THROUGH.” DODGERS LOST THE SERVICES OF LEFT-HANDER RICH RODAS JUST PRIOR TO THE PLAYOFFS. RODAS, 12-0 OVER THE REGULAR SEASON, CAME UP WITH A CIRCULATION PROBLEM IN HIS LEFT ARM AND WAS UNABLE TO THROW IN THE PLAYOFFS. “NO ONE WANTED TO PITCH MORE THAN RICH DID,” SAID HENLEY. “BUT THERE’S TOO MUCH FUTURE AT STAKE FOR HIM TO TRY AND THROW WHEN HE’S HURTING.” AS IT WAS DODGERS GOT EXCELLENT STARTING PITCHING FROM MORRIS MADEN SATURDAY AND CASEY LINDSAY SUNDAY. BUT POSSIBLY THEY KEY TO THE ENTIRE OUTCOME WAS THE RELIEF WORK OF DAVE DANIELS. “HE WAS MY STOPPER ALL YEAR,” HENLEY POINTED OUT. “HE CAME IN SATURDAY NIGHT AND DID THE JOB. SUNDAY I ASKED IF HE HAD TWO GOOD INNINGS LEFT. HE TOLD ME HE DID AND BY GOLLY HE WAS RIGHT.” LINDSAY WAS THE WINNER SUNDAY NIGHT. HE WENT SEVEN AND TWO-THIRDS INNINGS BEFORE TIRING. HENLEY NOTICED LINDSAY’S PITCHES WERE STARTING TO COME IN HIGHER IN THE EIGHT AND AFTER A WALK TO TRENT PURCELL AND A SINGLE BY JOE BRUNO WENT TO THE BULLPEN FOR DANIELS. “WITH NONE AWAY DANIELS GAVE UP A BUNT SINGLE TO RUSS HAMRIC TO LOAD THE BASES. DANIELS THEN WENT TO WORK STRIKING OUT JON LINDSEY AND KEN MARTINSON AND GETTING KEN ELLEN BERG TO LINE OUT. HELENA LOSER JAY BALLER GAVE UP JUST FIVE HITS IN EIGHT AND TWO-THIRD INNINGS BUT WAS TOUCHED FOR TWO RUNS IN THE FOURTH. SINGLES BY JOHN HOUSETON AND BOB SILICANI AND A WALK TO O.J. BRADLEY LOADED THE BASES. BALLER WALKED TO SKIP MANN WITH WHAT PROVED TO BE THE WINNING RUN AND CATCHER BILL SOBBE SACRIFICED HOME THE INSURANCE MAKER. SUNDAY’S FAME FOLLOWED THE SAME PATTERN AS SATURDAY’S WHEN MADDEN HAD THINGS UNDER CONTROL UNTIL THE EIGHTH INNING WHEN THE PHILLIES SCORED THEIR LONE RUN. MADDEN WENT SEVEN AND TWO-THIRDS INNINGS, WHILE WALKING THREE AND FANNING EIGHT. PHILLIES PICKED UP THEIR ONLY RUN OF THE GAME IN THE EIGHTH WHEN BRUNO SCORED FROM SECOND ON A SINGLE BY ELLENBERG. DANIELS FOUND HIMSELF IN A STICKY SITUATION IN THE NINTH. WITH JUST ONE AWAY PHILLIES HAD MEN AT THE CORNERS BUT DANIELS PROCEEDED TO STRIKE OUT THE LAST TWO MEN TO PRESERVE MADDEN’S WIN. DODGERS’ ONLY RUN CAME IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST WHEN A DOUBLE OFF THE BAT OF GREG BROCK CHASED SOBBE AND MURPHY SUA HOME WITH ALL THE RUNS THE LOCALS NEEDED. KYLE MONEY WENT ALL THE WAY FOR HELENA. HE GAVE UP JUST FOUR HITS WHILE STRIKING OUT NINE. DODGERS WERE EXPECTED TO STAY THE NIGHT IN HELENA BUT HENLEY DECIDED TO GET HOME EARLY MONDAY MORNING. “THESE GUYS HAVE PLAYED A LOT OF BASEBALL AND I’M SURE THEY WANTED TO GET BACK TO LETHBRIDGE AND START MAKING PLANS FOR THE TRIP HOME. THERE WASN’T MUCH SENSE US STAYING IN BILLINGS.” THE CLUB ARRIVED HOME ABOUT SIX MONDAY MORNING AND THE ENTIRE TEAM, BUS AND ALL, GOT CLUB PRESIDENT RENO LIZZI OUT OF BED TO PRESENT HIM WITH THE TROPHY. “I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT,” SAID AN OBVIOUSLY HAPPY LIZZI MONDAY AFTERNOON. “THERE I AM STANDING IN PAJAMAS AND THE GUYS ARE THERE WITH A TROPHY. IT CERTAINLY CAPS OFF A GREAT SEASON. I KNOW I ALWAYS SAY THIS BUT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT SEASON ALREADY.”” FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20120006000

Acquisition Date

2012-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail