The Yuma Desert Rats were a professional baseball team based in

Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...

, United States. From the 2005 season to the 2011 season, they were known as the Yuma Scorpions and played their home games at Desert Sun Stadium at the

Ray Kroc Raymond Albert Kroc (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American businessman who was instrumental in turning McDonald's into the most successful global fast food corporation by revenue. He purchased it from the McDonald Brothers in ...

Complex, former spring training home of the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

. They were members of the

Golden Baseball League The Golden Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in San Ramon, California, with teams located in the Western United States, Western Canada and northwest Mexico. The GBL was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the org ...

from 2005 to 2010 and the North American League in 2011. They were to have joined the American West Baseball League, but left the league due to a fallout with the league's founder and C.E.O. Michael Cummings. They were sold to Godfather Media, Inc. in 2012 and had announced a name change to the Yuma Panthers, but they never played. They were sold to Tim Ferguson for 2013 and renamed the Desert Rats, but they never played either. The team also played as the Scorpions in the

Arizona Winter League The Arizona Winter League was an independent professional winter baseball league. Arizona Winter League games were all played at Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma, Arizona. The league was founded in 2007. It disbanded in 2013 due to parent league, t ...

from 2007 to 2011.

Team history

Golden Baseball League (2005–2010)

The Yuma Scorpions were one of the

charter members in 2005 along with the

Chico Outlaws The Chico Outlaws were a professional baseball team based in Chico, California, in the United States. The Outlaws were a member of the Northern Division of the independent North American League, which is not affiliated with either Major League ...

Fullerton Flyers The Fullerton Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They were an independent franchise, not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or'' Minor League Baseball. The team played from 2 ...

Long Beach Armada The Long Beach Armada were an independent professional baseball team based in Long Beach, California, in the United States. The Armada was a member of the North Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League (GBL), which was not affiliated ...

and

San Diego Surf Dawgs The San Diego Surf Dawgs are a professional baseball team based in San Diego, California, that competes in the Federal Baseball League. The team played for two seasons in San Ramon, California, in the Golden Baseball League (GBL), and then in th ...

in California;

Mesa Miners The Mesa Miners were an independent professional baseball team based in Mesa, Arizona. They began as a member of the Arizona Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League in 2005. The original team became known as the Reno Silver Sox in ...

and

Surprise Fightin' Falcons The Surprise Fightin' Falcons are an inactive professional baseball team based in Surprise, Arizona. They played in the Arizona Division of the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or' ...

in Arizona and the

Japan Samurai Bears The Japan Samurai Bears are a defunct professional baseball traveling team that played in the independent Golden Baseball League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or'' Minor League Baseball. They were based in the Arizo ...

, the league's first (and so far only) traveling team. The Panthers, along with the Outlaws, Armada and Flyers remain the only charter teams still active in the league. The team replaced the former

Bullfrogs ''Bullfrog'' is a common English language term to refer to large, aggressive frogs, regardless of species. Examples of bullfrogs include: Frog species Americas *Helmeted water toad (''Calyptocephalella gayi''), endemic to Chile *American bullf ...

as the city of Yuma's professional baseball team. The Bulldogs played in the defunct

Western Baseball League The Western Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in the Western United States and Western Canada. Its member teams were not associated with any Major League Baseball teams. It operated from 1995 to 2002. The league was fou ...

from 2000 to 2002, but folded after being financially unsuccessful and leaving a legacy of lawsuits and a trail of unpaid bills, players and employees. Other baseball teams are the Yuma Desert Dawgs of the defunct Golden State League (1995–96) and American West Leagues (1997–99). The

inhabited Desert Sun Stadium as their spring training complex and used it from 1968 to 1994 before they went to a new facility in

Peoria, Arizona Peoria ( ) is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Most of the city is located in Maricopa County, while a portion of it in the north is in Yavapai County. It is a major suburb of Phoenix. As of the 2020 cens ...

Affiliations with foreign leagues

On May 20, 2009 the ''

Yuma Sun The ''Yuma Sun'' is a newspaper in Yuma, Arizona, United States. History Though not founded until 1896, the Yuma Sun can trace its history back to the ''Arizona Sentinel'', the first newspaper in what is now the Yuma area. The Yuma Sun wou ...

'' reported that the team had signed an affiliation agreement with the

Colombian Professional Baseball League The Colombian Professional Baseball League ( or LPB), is a professional baseball league based in Colombia. It is a five-team winter league that plays during the Major League Baseball offseason. In the past, the league's champion has taken part in ...

(CPBL), a league owned by

Edgar Edgar is a commonly used masculine English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Edgar'' (composed of ''wikt:en:ead, ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''Gar (spear), gar'' "spear"). Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the Late Midd ...

and Edinson Rentería. Edgar played for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

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 ...

at the time of the signing. Under the terms of the affiliation, the CPBL handled all on-field personnel and player issues while the team retained control of promotions, concessions, and other front-office business. The Scorpions acted as a farm team for all four CPBL teams. It was reported by some news outlets to be the first time an independent American baseball club had formed an affiliation with a foreign team or league, however, in 1972 and 1973 the

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leagu ...

team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to in ...

based in

Lodi, California Lodi ( ) is a city in San Joaquin County, California, United States, in the center portion of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. The population was 66,348 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History When a gro ...

had an affiliation with

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

Nishitetsu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiar ...

. Yuma's partnership with the CPBL was at one point reportedly being made into a feature story for ESPN. In early 2010 the ''Yuma Sun'' reported that the Scorpions had ended their affiliation with the CPBL, but had signed a new three-year affiliation agreement with the Venezuelan Baseball Federation (VBF). The move was also portrayed as one that would improve the Scorpions on-field performance. Under the affiliation with the CPBL, the Scorpions went 29-47, worst in the GBL, including a 3-13 start. Several factors justify this assertion. Baseball is more popular in Venezuela than Colombia, leading to the Sun to speculate that that country will provide superior prospects to the CPBL agreement. Additionally, the previous agreement with the CPBL was only concluded hours before the start of the season, so that players had to literally get on a plane in Colombia, got off in Yuma and immediately play the season opener. The agreement with the VBF was agreed to three months prior to the start of the 2010 season. The Scorpions' Manager for 2010, Darryl Brinkley, had experience playing in Venezuela.

North American League (2011)

The Scorpions were one of six former GBL teams to join the newly formed North American League in 2010 and began play in 2011. On April 11, 2011,

Jose Canseco José Canseco Capas Jr. (born July 2, 1964) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). During his time with the Oakland Athletics, he established hims ...

and his twin brother,

Ozzie Ozzie or Ozzy is a masculine given name, sometimes a short form (hypocorism) of Oswald, Oscar, Osborne, Osman and Ozymandias and other names, surname and nickname which may refer to: Animals * Ozzie (gorilla) (born c. 1961) People * Chris Osgoo ...

, were added to the teams' roster, with Jose being a manager. In August of that year, 52-year-old former Major League player and then-Scorpions infielder

Tony Phillips Keith Anthony Phillips (April 25, 1959 – February 17, 2016) was an American professional baseball utility player who had an 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career from 1982 to 1999. He played regularly at second base, but also had signifi ...

was involved in an altercation with former Scorpions manager Mike Marshall, then with the

. Phillips punched Marshall in the face during the incident, causing the latter to press battery charges against the infielder.

Changes of ownership and names

The team was sold to Godfather Media, Inc on January 31, 2012. The new owners announced they would be changing the team name to Yuma Panthers shortly thereafter on February 8, in time for the 2012 season. Additionally they announced that former Major League shortstop

Garry Templeton Garry Lewis Templeton (born March 24, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and New York Mets from 1976 ...

would be replacing Canseco as field manager. The

team is still known as the

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...

. On April 27, 2012, Godfather Media, LLC C.E.O. Michael Cummings announced that the Panthers were withdrawing from the North American League and were sitting out the 2012 season along with a team they acquired, the

Orange County Flyers The Fullerton Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Fullerton, California, in the United States. They were an independent franchise, not affiliated with either Major League Baseball ''or'' Minor League Baseball. The team played from 2 ...

.New for 2012: Hawaii Stars
''Baseball Digest'', May 7, 2012 In 2012, Godfather Media, then owners of the Panthers, started a new league called the American West Baseball League and entered the Panthers as a member team. The team was then sold to local investor Tim Ferguson and the name changed again. This time, becoming the Desert Rats. However, before they could throw a pitch, the team folded after Ferguson and the AWBL parted ways.Ferguson walks away from AWBL
''Ballpark Digest'', January 25, 2013

Alumni

Scorpions who made it to the Big Leagues

Dane De La Rosa Dane David De La Rosa (born February 1, 1983) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Career Prior to playing professiona ...

, RHP, Yuma Scorpions 2005, Tampa Bay Rays (2011) :

Joey Gathright Joey Renard Gathright (born April 27, 1981) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. He was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Miss ...

, OF, Yuma Scorpions 2011, Boston Red Sox (2011) :

Sergio Romo Sergio Francisco Romo (born March 4, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Oakland ...

, RHP, Yuma Scorpions Winter League 2007, San Francisco Giants (2010)

Scorpions acquired by MLB teams

, OF, Boston Red Sox (2011) :Robby Scott, LHP, Boston Red Sox (2011) :JJ Leaper, RHP Oakland Athletics (2011) : Lee Cruz, OF, Houston Astros (2010) :Gilbert De La Vara, LHP, Detroit Tigers (2010) :Brandon Fowler, C, San Diego Padres (2010) :Rylan Sandoval, SS, New York Mets (2010) :Reynaldo Rodriguez, 1B, Boston Red Sox (2009) :Ryan Barba, SS, Atlanta Braves (2008) :Donald Brandt, P Milwaukee Brewers (2008) :Derrick Hale, SS, Cincinnati Reds (2008) :Kennard Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles (2007) :Charles Merricks, P, Philadelphia Phillies (2007) :

Scott Richmond Scott Daniel Richmond (born August 30, 1979) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the EDA Rhinos / Fub ...

, P, Toronto Blue Jays (2007) :

, P, San Francisco Giants (2007) :Cardoza Tucker, P, Houston Astros (2006) :Dane De La Rosa, P, Tampa Bay Rays (2005) :Jason Dewey, C, Colorado Rockies, (2005)

Major Leaguers who have played for the Scorpions

:2005: Alex Arias SS, Joe Davenport P, Carl Sadler P, Jason Dewey :2006: Rusty Meacham P :2007: Pasqual Matos C :2008: Mike Esposito P,

Felipe Lira Felipe Antonio Lira (born April 26, 1972) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers (-), Seattle Mariners (1997-) and Montreal Expos (-). He batted and threw right-handed. Ca ...

P :2009:

Emiliano Fruto Emiliano Ricardo Fruto roo'-toh/small> (born June 6, 1984) is a Colombian former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Seattle Mariners in its 2006 season. Listed at 6' 3" ft. .90 m. 230 lb. 07 k./small>, Fruto batted an ...

, P :2010: Bill Pulsipher P, Alex Prieto P, Cha-Seung Baek P,

Mike Johnson James Michael Johnson (born January 30, 1972) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 56th speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2023. A member ...

P :2011:

OF,

DH,

IF/OF,

Ozzie Canseco Osvaldo "Ozzie" Canseco Capas (born July 2, 1964) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former Major League Baseball player José Canseco. He was manager for the Brownsville Charros of the ...

OF/DH :2011: J.J. Leaper, P

Managers

Benny Castillo Benny Castillo (born July 15, 1966 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a former professional baseball player and manager (baseball), manager. Early life Raised in the Bronx, New York, Castillo attended Park West High School, where he was co ...

(2005–2006) Record: 79–91, Winning % : .465 : Mike Marshall (2007–2008) Record: 89–74 Winning %: .546 :Boris Villa (2009) Record: 29–47 Winning %: .382 : Darryl Brinkley (2010) Record: 41–49, Winning % : .456 :

(2011) Record: 35–53, Winning % : .398

Quick facts

:Founded: 2005 :Stadium: Desert Sun Stadium :Uniform colors: Maroon, Black, Sand, White :Logo design: Joe Bosack :Mascot: Stinger :Current ownership: None :Local radio
KBLU-AM
(As of June 2009) :First play-by-play broadcaster: Radio: Jim Howell :Current broadcasters: Radio: Jeff Edwards

Season-by-season records

Golden Baseball League: North American League:

References

External links

Yuma Desert Rats website

North American Baseball League website

Yuma Sun's Yuma Scorpions archive section

A real second chance
(The Arizona Daily Star, September 12, 2008) {{Arizona Winter League Baseball teams established in 2005 North American League teams Golden Baseball League teams Arizona Winter League teams Western Baseball League teams Professional baseball teams in Arizona Yuma, Arizona 2005 establishments in Arizona Baseball teams disestablished in 2011 2011 disestablishments in Arizona Defunct independent baseball league teams Defunct baseball teams in Arizona