Salt Lake Bees

The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team that plays in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Based in South Jordan, Utah, the team plays its home games at The Ballpark at America First Square since 2025. The team previously played its home games at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City from its opening in 1994 until the end of the 2024 season. Formerly known as the Salt Lake Buzz from 1994 to 2000 and the Salt Lake Stingers from 2001 to 2005, the team adopted the Bees moniker in 2006. Since their inception in 1994, they have been a part of the PCL, including the 2021 season when the league was called Triple-A West.

History

Prior Salt Lake City teams

After the 1914 Pacific Coast League season, Salt Lake City businessman Bill "Hardpan" Lane purchased the Sacramento Solons and brought the team to Utah as the Salt Lake City Bees. Though a charter member of the PCL, the Solons suffered on the field and at the gate, being exiled at times to Tacoma, Fresno, and San Francisco. On March 31, 1915, their first game was played with more than 10,000 fans pouring into Majestic Park (later renamed Bonneville Park) to cheer the Bees to a 9–3 win over the Vernon Tigers.

The original Bees never won a PCL pennant, but they drew attendees well, especially given the small market size. However, other PCL team owners resented the high cost of travel to Salt Lake City. When the Vernon Tigers abandoned Los Angeles after the 1925 season, it was suggested to Lane that he would do well to transfer his team to Southern California. After 11 seasons, the Bees moved to Los Angeles for the 1926 season. Initially known as the Hollywood Bees, the team soon became the Hollywood Stars. After ten seasons in Hollywood, the team transferred again to San Diego, where it played as the San Diego Padres from 1936 to 1968. Salt Lake City was without a baseball team until 1946, when it received a franchise in the Pioneer League.

Salt Lake City once was home to an all-black baseball team called the Occidentals. They played during the early 1900s against white teams in Utah and across the Western United States.

Salt Lake Bees (1994–present)

The current franchise dates from 1994, when Joe Buzas, a former major league player and the owner of the PCL Portland Beavers, moved the team to Salt Lake City. Buzas made a deal wherein the city would build a new ballpark on the site of historic Derks Field in exchange for relocating the team. The new ballpark, Franklin Quest Field, opened in 1994 with the renamed Salt Lake Buzz drawing 713,224 fans to home games during their inaugural season—breaking the PCL single-season attendance record that had stood for 48 years.

Known as the Salt Lake Buzz from 1994 to 2000, the team changed its name to the Salt Lake Stingers in 2001. The change was forced by a trademark dilution lawsuit filed by Georgia Tech, whose yellowjacket mascot is named Buzz.

Following the 2005 season, the team announced the Stingers would henceforth be known as the Salt Lake Bees, the name of the original PCL franchise which played in Salt Lake City from 1915 to 1926 and from 1958 to 1965. The team also chose a logo, jersey, and color scheme similar to the latter Bees PCL franchise. Bees have long been a symbol of Utah. The original name of the Mormon settlement, Deseret, is said to be the word for "honeybee" in the Book of Mormon; a beehive appears on the Utah state flag; the state motto is " Industry" (for which bees are known); and Utah is widely known as the " Beehive State."

In 2019, the Bees announced a new logo, name, and branding for the team, taking on the name "Abejas de Salt Lake" for their ongoing participation in The Copa de la Diversión.

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Bees were organized into the Triple-A West. Salt Lake ended the season in fifth place in the Western Division with a 49–70 record. No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner. However, 10 games that had been postponed from the start of the season were reinserted into the schedule as a postseason tournament called the Triple-A Final Stretch in which all 30 Triple-A clubs competed for the highest winning percentage. Salt Lake finished the tournament tied for seventh place with a 6–4 record. In 2022, the Triple-A West became known as the Pacific Coast League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.

In the early part of the 2023 season, Jo Adell broke a franchise record with a six-game straight home run streak.

In early 2024, Marc Amicone left the Bees to become an advisor on baseball matters for the Larry H. Miller Company. He will work with the company and Big League Utah in their efforts to bring a Major League Baseball team to Utah. The team named Ty Wardle, the Bees' former chief revenue officer as the new general manager. Cameron Coughlan was hired as assistant general manager.

During the 2024 season, three-time Major League Baseball MVP Mike Trout played with the Bees as part of his physical rehabilitation. Trout had previously played for the Bees in 2012.

The Bees plan to leave Smith's Ballpark for The Ballpark at America First Square, a new ballpark in South Jordan, Utah, after the 2024 season.

In 2024, the Bees have played under multiple names including the Buzz, Gulls, Occidentals, Trappers and Stingers. They played under the name Malmö Oat Milkers due to a licensing deal that Minor League Baseball struck with the Swedish firm Oatly. Oatly operates a plant in Ogden, Utah.

The Bees played their final game at Smith's Ballpark on September 22, 2024.

The Bees introduced new uniforms and logos in late 2024.

Coaches

Keith Johnson

Keith Johnson joined the Bees' management team in 2016, following a one-season stint as an instructor for the Angels. Over the course of three seasons, he achieved an additional 195 victories. However, his streak was briefly interrupted in 2018 when he received a promotion to an assistant's position within the Angels' office in Los Angeles. At the time of his departure, Johnson had amassed a total of 468 wins. Subsequently, he transitioned to the Miami Marlins organization after the 2018 season, where he spent four years alternating between the minor league and major league coaching staffs. In 2023, Johnson made a return to the Bees. On April 6, 2023, with the Bees' triumph, Johnson set the record for the coach with the highest number of all-time wins in the Bees' history. At that point, Johnson was just 23 victories away from reaching the milestone of 500 wins. Johnson himself had a previous career as a minor league baseball player, during which he had played for the Bees.

Venue

The Bees play at The Ballpark at America First Square.

The Bees formerly played at Smith's Ballpark. It was once known as Franklin Covey Field. It was renamed in 2014.

Mascot

The team mascot is a large bee named Bumble.

Media

All Salt Lake Bees games are streamed on milb.tv. In Salt Lake, Bees games are broadcast locally on radio station KZNS. Beginning in 2024, Weekend home games began being locally telecasted by KMYU.

Tony Parks is the voice of the Bees, inheriting that position in 2024 following the retirement of longtime voice Steve Klauke, who died suddenly in June 2024.

Season-by-season records

Roster

Notable past players

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

* David Ortiz (1997–99) Inducted 2022
* Paul Molitor (1998) Inducted 2004

Notable alumni
* Bernardo Brito (1994–95)
* LaTroy Hawkins (1994–97, 2012)
* Todd Walker (1996–97, 2000)
* A.J. Pierzynski (1998–2000) 2× All-Star, 1x Silver Slugger Award
* Torii Hunter (1998, 2000) 5× All-Star, 9× Gold Glove Award, 2× Silver Slugger Award
* John Lackey (2001–02, 2009) 1x All-Star
* Francisco Rodriguez (2002) 6× All-Star, 2× AL Rolaids Relief Man Award, 3× AL saves leader
* Chone Figgins (2003–04, 2007–08)
* Ervin Santana (2005, 2007, 2009)
* Joe Saunders (2005–07)
* Jered Weaver (2006)
* Erick Aybar (2006–07)
* Bartolo Colon (2006–07)
* Kendrys Morales (2006–08)
* Howie Kendrick (2006–09)
* Nick Adenhart (2008)
* Mark Trumbo (2010)
* Mike Trout (2012)
* David Freese (2014–15)
* Tim Lincecum (2016)
* Jared Walsh (2018–19, 2023)

References

External links

*

Sanborn map showing Salt Lake ballpark, 1911

Includes picture of early ballpark

Sanborn map showing Salt Palace, 1911, which became the site of the PCL ballpark

Sanborn map showing part of Derks Field, 1950

{{Utahsports

Baseball teams established in 1994
Pacific Coast League teams
Sports in Salt Lake City
Bees
Professional baseball teams in Utah
1994 establishments in Utah
Triple-A West teams