The Tampa Tarpons were a minor league baseball team based in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

. Their home ballpark was

Al Lopez Field Al López Field was a spring training and Minor League baseball ballpark in West Tampa, Tampa, Florida, United States. It was named for Al López, the first Tampa native to play Major League Baseball (MLB), manage an MLB team, and be enshrined i ...

, and they were a member of the Class A Florida State League (FSL) from 1955 until 1988, mostly as an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. In 1988, they were sold, relocated, and renamed the Sarasota White Sox. During their run in Tampa, they won three FSL league championships, in 1957, 1959 and 1961. For the 2018 season, the FSL

Tampa Yankees Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...

revived the name when they were rebranded as the Tampa Tarpons.

History

Tampa has had a long history of minor league baseball, beginning in 1919, when the original

Tampa Smokers The Tampa Smokers was a name used between 1919 and 1954 by a series of minor league baseball teams based in Tampa, Florida. The nickname was a nod to the local cigar industry, which was the most important industry in Tampa during the years in wh ...

began play as charter members of the Florida State League. The Smokers moved to the

Florida International League The Florida International League was a lower- to mid-level circuit in American and Cuban minor league baseball that existed from 1946 through July 27, 1954. It was designated Class C for its first three seasons, then upgraded to Class B in 1949 fo ...

before both the league and the team folded in 1954, temporarily leaving Tampa without a professional baseball team. The city built

in 1954, and the Tampa Tarpons became the ballpark's first tenant when they began play there in 1955 as a new member of the Class D Florida State League. The Tarpons were an independent minor league team until 1957, when they became an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1961, they began a long affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds. They won three league championships, in 1957, 1959 and 1961. In 1964 minor league baseball was realigned, and the Florida State League became a Class A league (now

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

). During the 1980s talk spread of a major league team coming to the

Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the Unite ...

, which would threaten the viability of the Tarpons and other minor league teams in the region. Prior to the 1988 season the Reds moved their spring training from Tampa to

Plant City, Florida Plant City is an incorporated city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. The population was 39,764 at the 2020 census. Despite many thinking it was named for flora ...

, and moved their Class A franchise to

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

(the

Greensboro Hornets Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

). The Chicago White Sox subsequently moved their Class A affiliation to Tampa for the 1988 season, amid rumors that the major league White Sox would be moving to the area soon thereafter. That season the club, renamed the Tampa White Sox, drew 55,900 fans, seventh in the 14-team FSL, and went 35–35 in the first half before they won the western division second-half title at 36–24. They fell in the second round of the playoffs to the St. Lucie Mets 2 games to 0. The club was managed by

Marv Foley Marvis Edwin Foley (born August 29, 1953) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and coach, and minor league manager. He played for the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers in all or part of five seasons between 1978 and 1984, w ...

and had one FSL All-Star, pitcher

Jerry Kutzler Jerry Scott Kutzler (born March 25, 1965) is an American former baseball pitcher. A right-handed starting pitcher, Kutzler appeared in seven games for Major League Baseball's (MLB) Chicago White Sox in the 1990 season. He earned his first MLB vi ...

. Foley won FSL Manager of the Year honors. After the 1988 season, owner Mitchell Mick sold his franchise to the Chicago White Sox, who relocated the club to

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

as the Sarasota White Sox. The franchise exchanged major league affiliates and nicknames several times before 2010, when they became an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and were moved and renamed the

Bradenton Marauders The Bradenton Marauders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Bradenton, Florida, and play their home games at LECOM Park, which also serves as the ...

. Meanwhile, Tampa was without professional baseball until the

re-joined the Florida State League in 1994. After the 2017 season, that team rebranded itself as the Tarpons.

Notable Tarpon alumni

Many former Tarpons went on to play in the major leagues, including important members of Cincinnati's

Big Red Machine The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division ti ...

of the 1970s. In 1961

Pete Rose Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...

led the first place Tarpons with a .331 batting average and 30 triples – still a FSL record. Other Reds players from that era who started with the Tarpons include Ken Griffey, Sr., Johnny Bench,

Dan Driessen Daniel Driessen (born July 29, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1973 to 1987, most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won three National Leag ...

, Rawly Eastwick, and Dave Concepcion. When the Reds won their next world series in 1990 with manager (and Tampa native)

Lou Piniella Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals and ...

, they again had several former Tarpons on the roster, including

Tom Browning Thomas Leo Browning (April 28, 1960 – December 19, 2022) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1984 to 1995, spending almost his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds. In his rookie season in 1985, B ...

Rob Dibble Rob or ROB may refer to: Places * Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia * Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia People * Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn * Rob ( ...

, and Paul O'Neill. Another notable former Tarpon was outfielder Randy Poffo, who gave up on a short minor league baseball career at the age of 21 after batting .232 with the team in 1974. Poffo later become much more successful in

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

, where he took on the stage name

"Macho Man" Randy Savage Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrest ...

Notable Tarpon players and coaches

* Johnny Bench (1965) 14 x MLB All-Star, 2 x NL MVP, Baseball Hall of Fame *

Bill Bonham William Gordon Bonham (born October 1, 1948) is a retired former pitcher for the Chicago Cubs (1971–77) and Cincinnati Reds (1978–80). He played for the UCLA Bruins and was a member of the 1969 College World Series team with Chris Chambliss. ...

(1980) *

(1983) MLB All-Star * Ben Chapman (1951, MGR) 4 x MLB All-Star * Dave Concepcion (1968) 9 x MLB All-Star *

Doug Corbett Douglas Mitchell Corbett (born November 4, 1952) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher who played for the Minnesota Twins, California Angels and Baltimore Orioles between 1980 and 1987. Early years Doug Corbett was ...

(1975-1976) MLB All-Star *

(1984) 2 x MLB All-Star *

(1970-1971) * Rawly Eastwick (1970) 2 x NL Saves Leader *

Doug Flynn Robert Douglas Flynn, Jr. (born April 18, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1975 to 1985 as an infielder for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Montreal Exp ...

(1972) *

Tom Foley Thomas Stephen Foley (March 6, 1929 – October 18, 2013) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 49th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 1995. A member of the Democratic Party, Foley represen ...

(1979) * Ken Griffey, Sr. (1971) 3 x MLB All-Star *

Chris Hammond Christopher Andrew Hammond (born January 21, 1966) is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Hammond was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the amateur draft. Hammond had not sustained considerable success unt ...

(1986) *

Lenny Harris Lenny or Lennie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lenny (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lennie (surname), a list of people * Lenny (singer) (born 1993), Czech songwriter Arts and entertainment Music * ''L ...

(1985) * Steve Henderson (1975) *

Jay Howell Jay Canfield Howell (born November 26, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1980), Chicago Cubs (1981), New York Yankees (1982–1984), Oakland Athletics (1985–1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1988–1992), ...

(1977) 3 x MLB All-Star *

Tom Hume Thomas Hubert Hume (born March 29, 1953) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies, from to . Hume was drafted by the Reds with the 16th pic ...

(1972) MLB All-Star *

Mike LaCoss Michael James LaCoss (born May 30, 1956), is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Baseball career Minor Leagues LaCoss was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the third round of the 1974 amateur draft. Cincinnati Reds LaCoss made ...

(1975) MLB All-Star *

Charlie Leibrandt Charles Louis Leibrandt, Jr. (; born October 4, 1956) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1979 to 1993 for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, and Texas Rangers. Leibrandt was a productive pitcher thr ...

(1978) *

Hal McRae Harold Abraham McRae (; born July 10, 1945) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1968, 1970–72) and Kansas City Royals (1973–87). Utilized as a designated hitter for most of his career, McRa ...

(1965) 3 x MLB All-Star *

Lee May Lee Andrew May (March 23, 1943 – July 29, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman and designated hitter from to for the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Baltimo ...

(1961-1962) 3 x MLB All-Star * Jeff Montgomery (1984) 3 x MLB All-Star * Paul O'Neill (1983) 5 x MLB All-Star; 1994 AL Batting Title *

Ron Oester Ronald John Oester (born May 5, 1956) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He played his entire MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds from 1978 to 1990. He is a native of Cincinnati. Baseball career Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds ...

(1975) * Joe Oliver (1985) *

Camilo Pascual Camilo Alberto Pascual Lus (born January 20, 1934) is a Cuban former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During an 18-year baseball career (1954–71), he played for the original modern Washington Senators franchise (which became the Mi ...

(1952) 7 x MLB All-Star * Joe Price (1978) *

Gary Redus Gary Eugene Redus (born November 1, 1956) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Texas Ranger ...

(1980) *

(1961) 17 x MLB All-Star; 1975 World Series Most Valuable Player; 3 x NL Batting Title (1968-1969, 1973); 1963 NL Rookie of the Year; 1973 NL Most Valuable Player *

Jeff Russell Jeffrey Lee Russell (born September 2, 1961) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played 14 years from 1983 to 1996. Russell played for the Cincinnati Reds of the National League and the Texas Rangers, Oakland A's, Boston Red Sox and ...

(1981) 2 x MLB All-Star * Mario Soto (1976) 3 x MLB All-Star *

Danny Tartabull Danilo Tartabull Mora (born October 30, 1962) is a Cuban– Puerto Rican former professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners (1984–1986), Kansas City R ...

(1981) MLB All-Star *

Dave Tomlin David Allen Tomlin (born June 22, 1949) is a retired American professional baseball player. During his 13-season career in Major League Baseball, he was a relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1972–73 and 1978–80), San Diego Padres (1974� ...

(1968-1969) *

Johnny Vander Meer John Samuel Vander Meer (November 2, 1914 – October 6, 1997) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher, most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds where he became the on ...

(1961-1962, MGR) 4 x MLB All-Star *

Milt Wilcox Milton Edward Wilcox (born April 20, 1950) is an American former baseball pitcher. He pitched for 16 years in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds (1970–1971), Cleveland Indians (1972–1974), Chicago Cubs (1975), Detroit Tigers (1977� ...

(1968-1969) *

Jim Wynn James Sherman Wynn (March 12, 1942March 26, 2020), nicknamed "The Toy Cannon", was an American professional baseball player. He played 15 seasons as a center fielder; he spent ten of his fifteen seasons with the Houston Colt .45s / Astros befor ...

(1962) 3 x MLB All-Star *

Joel Youngblood Joel Randolph Youngblood III (born August 28, 1951) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a versatile player, who could play many different positions, as well as pinch hit. After his playing career ended, he served as the third ...

(1970) MLB All-Star

Tampa Bay Rays connections

In 2006 the

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home ve ...

, embarked on a rebranding effort that would include a name change; they considered adopting the Tampa Bay Tarpons name in honor of the minor league team before making the less radical step of shortening their nickname to simply the Rays in 2008. The (Devil)-Rays have worn Tampa Tarpons uniforms for several "Turn Back the Clock" games: *On July 17, 1999, the Devil Rays wore 1960 Tarpons uniforms against the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

, who wore uniforms reminiscent of those worn by their 1969 championship team. *On June 24, 2006, the Devil Rays wore 1975 Tarpon uniforms against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

, who wore their

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

road uniforms. Coincidentally, two Rays coaches, third-base coach

and hitting coach Steve Henderson, had both played for the Tarpons in the mid-1970s. *On August 13, 2010, the Rays wore 1970 Tarpons uniforms against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

, who wore all-orange road uniforms used occasionally by their 1971 pennant-winning squad."Rays will turn back the clock on Aug. 13" - St. Pete Times, July 1, 2010
/ref>

References

External links