Saskatoon Yellow Jackets
The Saskatoon Yellow Jackets were a baseball team that played in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The team was a member of the Western Major Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league operating in the prairie provinces of Canada. The team joined the league in 2002, but struggled financially throughout its existence and folded in 2014.
| Saskatoon Yellow Jackets | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| League | Western Major Baseball League (Central Division) |
| Location | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
| Ballpark | Cairns Field |
| Year founded | 2002 |
| Year folded | 2014 |
| Nickname(s) | Jackets |
| Colours | |
Team history
The Yellow Jackets began play out of Cairns Field in 2002. The team changed ownership multiple times and struggled with fan engagement.[1][2] The team also struggled on the field, and missed the playoffs for six straight seasons from 2009 to 2014, finishing at the bottom of the Central division each of those years.[3] The team folded in 2014.[4] This left Saskatoon without a WMBL team until the city was awarded an expansion franchise, the Saskatoon Berries, in 2023.[5]
In August 2017, two former Yellow Jackets dressed for the Seattle Mariners, marking the first time that two WMBL players dressed for the same Major League Baseball team. Andrew Albers, from North Battleford, pitched five innings on 15 August, while Marco Gonzales took the mound on 16 August.[6]
Season-by-season record
| Year[3] | League | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Western Major Baseball League | Central | 3rd | 15 | 25 | .375 | 12 | Did not qualify |
| 2010 | WMBL | Central | 3rd | 12 | 29 | .293 | 18 | Did not qualify |
| 2011 | WMBL | Central | 3rd | 14 | 28 | .333 | 12 | Did not qualify |
| 2012 | WMBL | Central | 3rd | 20 | 26 | .435 | 8 | Did not qualify |
| 2013 | WMBL | Central | 3rd | 18 | 26 | .409 | 11 | Did not qualify |
| 2014 | WMBL | Central | 3rd | 20 | 26 | .435 | 8 | Did not qualify |
References
- "Saskatoon Yellow Jackets out for 2015 season". CTV News. 2015-01-21. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- Mitchell, Kevin (2023-03-29). "The Western Canadian Baseball League is back: New franchise lands in Saskatoon for 2024". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- "Western Canadian Baseball League". www.attheplate.com. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
- Mitchell, Kevin (2015-12-09). "Saskatoon would be welcomed back into the WMBL, if it's 'done right', league president says". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
- Mitchell, Kevin (2023-07-14). "They have a name and a coach; now, the Saskatoon Berries wait for the 2024 baseball season". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- Shield, David (2017-08-16). "'Just think of the odds': 2 former Saskatoon Yellow Jackets now playing for Seattle Mariners". CBC News. Retrieved 2023-07-18.