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Phoenix Firebirds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Phoenix Firebirds were the minor league baseball team of Phoenix, Arizona, until 1997. The Firebirds played in the Pacific Coast League. They moved to Fresno, California and became known as the Fresno Grizzlies for the 1998 season, when the Phoenix metropolitan area received Major League Baseball in the form of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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The Firebirds were known as the Phoenix Giants until the 1986 season. They were affiliated with the San Francisco Giants for their entire existence, now a rarity in the minor leagues. The Giants' still have spring training facility in the Phoenix area, but in Scottsdale.
The Giants first came in 1958 but moved to Tacoma, Washington after the 1959 season. In 1966 the franchise returned to the Phoenix area until their move to Fresno.
The Firebirds played their home games at Phoenix Municipal Stadium until moving to Scottsdale Stadium upon its reopening in 1992. Their final regular season game in 1997 was played at Phoenix Muni. The team made the 1997 PCL playoffs their final year, which extended their existence by a couple weeks. The Firebirds defeated the Colorado Springs Sky Sox 3-0 in the first round but lost the championship series 3 games to 1 to the Edmonton Trappers.
The Phoenix Giants won two PCL championships in 1959 and 1977. The franchise never won a championship title under the Firebird name.
The franchise's final game was September 11, 1997, a 7-1 loss handing the Edmonton Trappers the 1997 PCL Championship played at Scottsdale Stadium.
- 1977
- Championship: Defeated Salt Lake City 3 games to 2
- 1985
- Division Series: Defeated Hawaii Islanders 3 games to 0
- Championship: Lost to Vancouver Canadians 3 games to 0
- 1986
- Division Series: Lost to Las Vegas Stars 3 games to 2
- 1996
- Division Series: Defeated Las Vegas Stars 3 games to 0
- Championship: Lost to Edmonton Trappers 3 games to 1
- 1997
- Division Series: Defeated Colorado Springs Sky Sox 3 games to 0
- Championship: Lost to Edmonton Trappers 3 games to 1
Several Giants alumni like Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Matt Williams and Kurt Manwaring were in Phoenix, some in a Firebird uniform. Some of the Phoenix alumni went on to San Francisco, to take part in the Giants' two National League titles (1962 and 1989).