Palm Springs Power
| Palm Springs Power | |
|---|---|
| League | Southern California Collegiate Baseball League |
| Location | Palm Springs, California |
| Ballpark | Palm Springs Stadium |
| Year founded | 2004 |
| League championships | 6 |
| Colors |
Red, white |
| Ownership | Palm Springs Power |
| Manager | Harry Gurley |
| General Manager | Andrew Starke (principal owner) |
| Media |
The Desert Sun (newspaper) Team 1010 KXPS (radio) Stretch Internet (internet broadcast) |
| Website |
PalmSpringsPowerBaseball |
The Palm Springs POWER is a collegiate-level baseball team based in Palm Springs, California and are members of the Southern California Collegiate Baseball League. The official team name is in capital letters: POWER. They play their home games at Palm Springs Stadium, also the home of the California Winter League (2010). All players use wooden bats during the two-month summer league.
History
The Palm Springs POWER Baseball Club was created in the late summer of 2003 by Owner Andrew Starke. His goal of creating a fun inexpensive form of entertainment for Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley was accomplished June 4, 2004 at Palm Springs Stadium as the POWER took the field in front of 3,300 excited fans in their home opener.
Palm Springs Stadium was built in 1949 to originally serve as a Polo Ground. In 1960, famed Los Angeles Angels owner Gene Autry received an expansion from Major League Baseball to make Palm Springs Stadium the Angels' spring training facility. The Angels occupied the stadium until 1993. The Power have been fortunate to call the historic Palm Springs Stadium home since 2004.
The POWER baseball club was a former member of the Pacific Southwest Baseball League which has disbanded in the late 2000s.
The POWER owns the Palm Springs Chill a member of the California Winter League and formerly of the Arizona Winter League, co-operated by the Golden Baseball League.
In 2011, the GBL became the North American League. Also there's a California Winter League (2010) team with the POWER name.
In 2012, the POWER may play 9 other teams: the High Desert Heat of Barstow, California and Hesperia, California (formerly of Lake Havasu City, Arizona); the L.A. Thrashers of Brea, California; the Long Beach Legends; the Orange County Hitmen of Orange, California; Pasadena Pros; the SoCal Athletics of Irvine, California, the SoCal Bombers of Carson, California, the So Cal Sklz of Escondido; and the Diamond Valley Sabres of Hemet, California. In the schedule the POWER with 5 non SCCBA teams - the Pomona Pride of Pomona, California; the Banning, California Hermits; the System 5 team of Moreno Valley, the Inland Empire Aces of Riverside, California; Yucaipa Valley Yuppies; and the El Centro Aces of El Centro, California representing the Imperial Valley.
Season-by-season records
| Season | W | L | Win % | Conf Standing | Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 34 | 23 | .596 | 2nd | 25th Place @ NBC World Series |
| 2005 | 25 | 17 | .595 | 2nd | PSWL Semifinals |
| 2006 | 39 | 7 | .848 | 1st (tie) | 11th Place @ NBC World Series |
| 2007 | 38 | 12 | .760 | 1st (tie) | Won "Best of the West" Tourn (San Luis Obispo) |
| 2008 | 30 | 12 | .714 | 2nd | Lost to So Cal Fire |
| 2009 | 34 | 7 | .829 | 1st | SCCBL Champions |
| 2010 | 34 | 4 | .895 | 2nd | Lost to OC Pioneers |
| 2011 | 41 | 4 | .911 | 1st | SCCBL Champions current standings as of July 28 |
- 2012 California Winter League Champions
Notable alumni
Many athletes that have contributed to the POWER team since its inception have continued on to perform in the MLB and many of its affiliated minor league teams. Years noted are when the athletes played for the POWER.
2004 Kyle Huddy - Cincinnati Reds; Manny Ayala - San Diego Padres; Jose Torres - Texas Rangers; Gabriel Suarez - Washington Nationals; Joe Frazee - Philadelphia Phillies; Matt Vogel - Seattle Mariners; Will Savage - Philadelphia Phillies; Mike Rocco - Chicago White Sox; Loren Fraser - Detroit Tigers; Nate Holguin - Sioux City Explorers; Kevin Brophy - Tampa Bay Rays; and Kurt Crowell - Milwaukee Brewers.
2005 Eric Sheridan - Houston Astros; James Simmons - Oakland Athletics; Brian Letko - Toronto Blue Jays; Aaron Seuss - Washington Nationals; Frank Lonigro - New York Yankees; Troy Hanzawa - Philadelphia Phillies; and Robert Grace - San Francisco Giants; Matt Weston - also the San Francisco Giants.
2006 Kurt Mertins - Kansas City Royals; Nick Salotti - Worcester Tornadoes; Johnny Coit - Fullerton Flyers; Brian Shaw - Arizona Diamondbacks; Gabe Jacobo - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Ari Ronick - San Francisco Giants; and Andres Esquibel - Seattle Mariners; Dustin Birosak - also Seattle Mariners .
2007 Matt Clark - San Diego Padres; and Chris Siegfried - Chicago Cubs .
2008 Mitch LeVier - Oakland Athletics.
Mascot
Rocky the Ram
Rocky the Ram is the official mascot of the Palm Springs POWER. He is an anthropomorphic Ram who wears #99 on his red POWER jersey. Rocky has been entertaining the fans since the inaugural 2004 season.