The Burlington Bees are a

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

team of the Prospect League. They are located in

Burlington, Iowa Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000 United States Census, 2000. Burlington ...

, and have played their home games at Community Field since 1947. Founded in 1889, the Bees played in

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

from 1962 to 2020. With

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, Burlington was not selected to continue in affiliated baseball. The team was first known as the "Bees" from 1924 to 1932 and again from 1954 to 1981. The Bees nickname was revived for the 1993 season and remains to this day.

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...

inductees

Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is an American former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National L ...

, Paul Molitor and

Larry Walker Larry Kenneth Robert Walker (born December 1, 1966) is a Canadian former professional baseball right fielder. During his 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played with the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals. I ...

played for Burlington. The Bees play in the Prospect League's Western Conference – Northwest Division along with the

Clinton LumberKings The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest Leag ...

, Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, and Quincy Doggy Paddlers.

History

The team began playing in Burlington in 1889 as the Burlington Babies. Teams with various nicknames played until the Burlington Pathfinders were named in 1906, keeping the nickname until 1916 and playing in the

Central Association The Central Association was an American minor league baseball league. The Central Association began play in 1908, evolving from the 1907 Iowa State League. The Central Association played continuously through 1917 before folding. The league reforme ...

. After a hiatus, the Burlington Bees played in the

Mississippi Valley League The Mississippi Valley League (MVL) was a baseball Class D level minor league that operated from 1922 through 1933. Playing its last year as a Class B level league, the league franchises were based in Iowa and Illinois. Like many leagues at the ...

from 1924 to 1932. The franchise then returned as the Burlington Indians in 1947, the same year that their current stadium, Community Field, opened. They won the league championship in 1949, their third and final year in the

. The team joined the Three-I (Illinois, Iowa, Indiana) League in 1952 as the Burlington Flints but was renamed the Bees in 1954. In 1958, Billy Williams played 61 games with the Bees before joining the Cubs. Burlington joined the Midwest League in 1962 as a farm team of the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

. From 1963 through 1974 they were a farm team of the Kansas City (later Oakland) A's; subsequent affiliations included the Brewers (1975–81), Rangers (1982–85), Expos (1986–87 and 1993–94), Braves (1988–90), Astros (1991–92),

Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...

(1995–96), Reds (1997–98), and

White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The club plays its home games at Rate Fie ...

(1999–2000). The Bees have won the Midwest League Championship four times, in four different decades: 1965 (won both halves), 1977 (defeated Waterloo Indians), 1999 (defeated Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) and 2008 (defeated South Bend Silver Hawks). Catcher Herbert Whitney of the Burlington Pathfinders was killed by a pitched ball in 1906. On June 26 in Waterloo, Iowa, Whitney was beaned by a pitch from Fred Evans of the Waterloo Microbes. He suffered a skull fracture and died that day as a result. The team was first known as the Bees from 1924 to 1932 and again from 1954 to 1981. Starting in 1982, they used the nickname of their major league parent club, before the current Bees nickname was revived for the 1993 season. In addition to Baseball Hall of Famers

, Paul Molitor and

, many former Burlington players have enjoyed major league success including: Sal Bando,

Vida Blue Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (; July 28, 1949 – May 6, 2023) was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986, most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty ...

(who struck out a team-record 231 batters in 1968), George Hendrick, Phil Garner,

Chet Lemon Chester Earl Lemon (February 12, 1955 – May 8, 2025) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), beginning with the Chicago White Sox in 1975, where he played for six years. He w ...

, Claudell Washington, Rubén Sierra,

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (born Kenneth Donald Rogers) (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particul ...

, José Vidro,

Ugueth Urbina Ugueth Urtaín Urbina Villarreal (; born February 15, 1974) is a Venezuelan former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. A two-time All-Star, Urbina led the National League in saves with 41 in the 1999 season and helped the Florida Marlins ...

, Javy López, Mark Buehrle, Mike Moustakas, and Salvador Pérez. Over 100 former Bees have played in the majors. In 2007, the Bees changed their logo and uniforms. Since 2000, the Bees have had three affiliates: the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

(2001–10),

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

(2011–12), and the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

(2013–2020). Following the 2020 season, the Bees were cut from the Midwest League and affiliated baseball as part of

's reorganization of the minor leagues. They later joined the Prospect League, a

league, for 2021.

Ballpark

The Bees have called historic Community Field, nicknamed "the hive", their home since 1947. The original grandstand portion of the stadium was destroyed in a 1971 fire and rebuilt. The stadium was upgraded again prior to the 2004 season, including a revamped concessions area, partial covering of the grandstand, improved sound system, and a new scoreboard. Named the 2013 "Field of the Year" in the state of Iowa by the Iowa Sports Turf Management Association, capital improvements are supported by The Friends of Community Field, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

No-hitters

Several Burlington pitchers have thrown no-hitters: * 6-4-1962 Pedro Tio, Quad Cities 13–0 7 innings * 8-14-1962 Charles Ling, Keokuk 6–0 * 5-6-1965 Don Pierce, Fox Cities 4–0 * 6-29-1965 George Bosworth, Cedar Rapids 3–0 * 6-19-1968

, Appleton 4–0 7 Innings * 7-20-1975 Abelino Pena, Cedar Rapids 2–0 7 Innings (Perfect Game) * 8-5-1996 Jason Grote Clinton 8–0 * 5-6-1998 Lance Davis/Dan Timm Quad City 5–0 * 8-5-2003 Jonah Bayliss Peoria 1–0 * 4-12-2004 Dusty Hughes/Jake Mullis Wisconsin 3–0 * 6-30-2004 Chris Coughlin Beloit 3–0 Perfect game * 8-7-2008

Danny Duffy Daniel Richard Duffy (born December 21, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Piratas de Campeche of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals. After being drafte ...

/Juan Abreu Peoria 10–0

Roster

Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

(1986) Inducted, 2020 * Paul Molitor (1977) Inducted, 2004 *

(1958) Inducted, 1987

Notable alumni

* Jared Walsh (2016) MLB All-Star *

Max Muncy Maxwell Steven Muncy (born August 25, 1990) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Baylor Bears baseball, Baylor Bears. He was selected by the ...

(2012) MLB All-Star * Addison Russell (2012) MLB All-Star * Zack Thornton (2011) * Salvador Pérez (2009) 3 x GG; 3 X MLB All-Star * Eric Hosmer (2009) * Mike Moustakas (2008) MLB All-Star * Mark Buehrle (1999) 4 x GG; 5 x MLB All-Star *

Shawn Estes Aaron Shawn Estes (born February 18, 1973) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Colo ...

(1995) MLB All-Star * Jose Vidro (1993) 3 x MLB All-Star *

(1993) 2 x MLB All-Star: 1999 NL Saves Leader * Carlos Perez (1993) MLB All-Star * Javy López (1990) 3 x MLB All-Star * Mike Mordecai (1989) * Mike Stanton (1988) MLB All-Star * Kent Bottenfield (1987) MLB All-Star *

Mel Rojas Melquíades Rojas Medrano (born December 10, 1966) is a Dominican former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher. From 1990 to 1999, he played for the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers of the National Leagu ...

(1987) MLB All-Star * Chad Kreuter (1985) *

Mike Stanley Robert Michael Stanley (born June 25, 1963) is an American former college and professional baseball player who was a catcher in Major League Baseball for fifteen years. Stanley played college baseball for the University of Florida, and the ...

(1985) MLB All-Star *

(1984) 5 x GG; 4 x MLB All-Star * Rubén Sierra (1984) 4 x MLB All-Star; 1989 AL RBI Leader * Randy Ready (1981) * Bob McClure (1981) * Doug Jones (1979) 5 x MLB All-Star * Moose Haas (1975) * Dwayne Murphy (1974) *

Matt Keough Matthew Lon Keough ( ; July 3, 1955 – May 1, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from through for the Oakland Athletics (1977–1983), New York Yankees (1983� ...

(1974) MLB All-Star * Wayne Gross (1973–74) MLB All-Star *

(1973–74) 3 x MLB All-Star * Mike Norris (1973) 2 x GG; MLB All-Star * Claudell Washington (1973) 3 x MLB All-Star * Dan Ford (1971–72) * Phil Garner (1971) 3 x MLB All-Star * Glenn Abbott (1971) * George Hendrick (1968, 1970) 4 x MLB All-Star *

(1968) 6 x MLB All-Star; 1971 AL Cy Young Award; 1971 AL Most Valuable Player * Sal Bando (1965) 4 x MLB All-Star * Gene Alley (1960) 2 x GG; 2 x MLB All-Star * Jim Brewer (1958) MLB All-Star * George Altman (1957) * Dave Stenhouse (1956) MLB All-Star * Johnny Vander Meer (1953 Player/MGR) * Lloyd Brown (1949) *

Hal Trosky Harold Arthur Trosky Sr. (born Harold Arthur Trojovsky; November 11, 1912 – June 18, 1979) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for the Cleveland Indians (1933–1941) and the Chic ...

(1932) 1936 AL RBI Leader (162)

Players (1947–present)

* Burlington Indians (1947–49) * Burlington Flints (1952–53) * Burlington Bees (1954–81) * Burlington Rangers (1982–85) * Burlington Expos (1986–87) * Burlington Braves (1988–90) * Burlington Astros (1991–92) * Burlington Bees (1993–present)

References

Sources

* Dinda, J. (2003), "Burlington, Iowa, in the Midwest League,
Burlington, Iowa in the Midwest League , MWLguide.com

External links