Dodger’s AAA Affiliation Moves to Oklahoma City

Dodger’s AAA Affiliation Moves to Oklahoma City

Pack up the car and the kids, we are moving to Oklahoma.  On October 19th, 2014, the Dodgers announced that their AAA farm team from Albuquerque had moved to Oklahoma City.

Giving up on the 44 year affiliation with the Dukes and later the Isotopes came as a surprise to just about everyone.  Some of the greatest former Dodgers made Albuquerque their stop on the way to the majors.  The likes of Mike Piazza, Pedro Martinez, Orel Hershiser,  Mike Scioscia, Fernando Valenzuela and many others made their way to Dodger Stadium by way of the city of Albuquerque.  And Tommy Lasorda managed in Albuquerque for years before taking the reins of the Dodgers.

Over the years there were issues about the stadium being a hitters ballpark that hampered the high expectation of hitters that were not able to translate their batting averages and power into big league hitting success.

To be concise, Peter Guber, minority owner of the Dodgers has purchased the Olahoma City Redhawks.  The Redhawks had been the 89ers from 1962 through 1997 making reference to the 1889 Land Run that led to the founding of Oklahoma City.  In 1998 the team changed names to become the Redhawks named after the red tailed hawk seen throughout Oklahoma.

The Redhawks play in the Chickasaw Brockton Ballpark.  Brockton is an entertainment district just east of downtown Oklahoma City.  Average attendance in 2014 was over 6,000 fans.  The Redhawks will play in the American Northern Division of the Pacific Coast league.