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Sonoma Stompers

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Sonoma Stompers Baseball Club
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
LeagueCalifornia Collegiate League
LocationSonoma, California
BallparkArnold Field
Founded2014
League championshipsPAPBC: 2016
Former league(s)Pacific Association
ColorsNavy, orange, white
     
Retired numbersJayce Ray (99)
OwnershipJon Sebastiani
ManagerZack Pace
General ManagerEduardo Mora-Loera
Websitestompersbaseball.com

The Sonoma Stompers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Sonoma, California. They are current members of the California Collegiate League. They began play as members of the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs in 2014. They are a successor franchise to the defunct Sonoma County Grapes, and were the first professional team to make Sonoma County home since the Sonoma County Crushers ceased play following the 2002 season.

History

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2014–2019: Pacific Association

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Main article: Pacific Association

2014: Inaugural Season

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Main article: 2014 Pacific Association season

The Stompers announced their first professional signing, Tommy Lyons, in March 2014, and shortly thereafter traded for local player, Jayce Ray. The team's first manager was Ray Serrano, who led the Stompers to a 42–36 record in their inaugural season. In 2015, Serrano accepted a full-time position with the Atlanta Braves to serve as the organization's catching instructor.[1] Former major league pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee started a game for the Stompers on August 12, 2014, pitching the team to victory over the Pittsburg Mettle. Lee set a record with the win, becoming the oldest person (at age 67) to ever win a professional baseball game.[2] Lee pitched 5+2⁄3 innings, and batted for himself.[3] Ray was named the leagues Most Valuable Player and later signed with the Boston Red Sox.

2015: "The Only Rule is it Has to Work"

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Main article: 2015 Pacific Association season

In 2015, the Sonoma Stompers allowed Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller of Baseball Prospectus's Effectively Wild podcast to serve as the Baseball Operations department, under general manager Theo Fightmaster. The duo wrote about their experience in a book entitled The Only Rule is it Has to Work, published in 2016.[4]

On February 15, Fehlandt Lentini was named player manager.[5] After winning the first half of the season, Lentini was let go. He was replaced by Takashi Miyoshi. The team made history in June 2015, when pitcher Sean Conroy became the first openly gay active professional baseball player.[6] The Stompers finished the season 44–33 after falling to San Rafael in the championship game.

2016–2017: First coed professional baseball team since 1950s and Championship

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Main articles: 2016 Pacific Association season and 2017 Pacific Association season

In June 2016, the Stompers announced that two female baseball players would join their roster starting in July. Upon joining the team, the two players, outfielder-pitcher Kelsie Whitmore and infielder Stacy Piagno, made the Sonoma Stompers the first coed professional baseball team since the 1950s.[7][8] The Stompers added catcher Anna Kimbrell in July 2016.[9] The Stompers won both the first and second halves of the season, earning their first Pacific Association championship under Miyoshi. In 2017, Sonoma clinched a championship game berth after winning the first half of the season, but fell to Vallejo in the finale. After the 2017 season, the Minnesota Twins hired Miyoshi as a coach for Elizabethton Twins.

2018–2019: Back to back regular season titles

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Main articles: 2018 Pacific Association season and 2019 Pacific Association season

In 2018, under new general manager Brett Creamer and Manager Zack Pace, the Sonoma Stompers set a Pacific Association win record going 57–23. Outfielder Kenny Meimerstorf would win Rookie of the Year award by hitting a franchise best 23 home runs. Former Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Daniel Comstock set another single-season franchise record with a .364 average and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors at the catcher position. Pitcher Jacob Cox set the Pacific Association single-season saves record with 26. Pitcher Vijay Patel set the franchise single-season wins record going 9-3 while striking out 92 batters in 84 innings pitched.

In 2019, the Stompers held a regular season best 45–19 record. Most notably, pitcher Cole Watts and outfielder Dondrei Hubbard signed with Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres affiliates. The pair became the sixth and seventh Stompers to sign with an affiliated organization. Pitcher Henry Omana was promoted to Bravos de León of the Mexican League. In five stars, Omana went 3–1 in 27 innings pitched with 36 strikeouts and a 1.33 ERA.[10]

2021–present: California Collegiate League

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Main article: California Collegiate League

In 2021, one year after the Pacific Association's season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stompers left the professional ranks and joined the California Collegiate League. [11]

On May 17, 2022, former 2017 pitcher Logan Gillaspie made his Major League Baseball debut against the against the New York Yankees where he recorded his first career strikeout against Kyle Higashioka in two scoreless innings pitched. Gillaspie became the first Stompers player to appear in a Major League game and second Pacific Association player with Chris Mazza being the first in 2019.

On August 2, 2023, the New York Yankees signed former 2022 Stompers outfielder Jackson Castillo as an undrafted free agent. Castillo became the first player to sign with an affiliated team since Sonoma left the professional ranks.[12]

On September 8, former 2018 play-by-play announcer Nicholas Badders made his Major League debut on the Kansas City Royals Radio Network alongside Steve Stewart.[13]

Professional season-by-season results

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Sonoma Stompers (Pacific Association)
Season Overall Win % Standing Manager Postseason
2014 42–36 .538 T-2nd in Division (first half)
3rd in Division (second half)		 Ray Serrano Did not qualify
2015† 44–33 .571 1st in Division (first half)
3rd in Division (second half)		 Fehlandt Lentini (21–11)
Takashi Miyoshi (23–22)[a]		 Lost championship game (SRF)
2016 47–31 .603 1st in Division (first half)
1st in Division (second half)		 Takashi Miyoshi First half winner; Second half winner; League Champions
2017 52–26 .667 1st in Division (first half)
2nd in Division (second half)		 Takashi Miyoshi Lost championship game (VAL)
2018 57–23 .713 1st Zack Pace Won Semifinals (PIT)
Lost championship game (SRF)
2019 45–19 .703 1st Zack Pace Lost championship series (SRF) 1–2
Totals 287–168 .631 — — 2–5 (.286)
  1. ^ Miyoshi was named Interim Manager 7/12/15, but was credited wins on 7/10/15 and 7/11/15 in Lentini's absence.[14]

† 2015 post-season was also included in regular season record.

Collegiate season-by-season results

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Sonoma Stompers
Season League Division Overall Win % Conference Win % Finish Manager Playoffs
2022 CCL North 17–30 .362 11–23 .324 5th Zack Pace Did not qualify
2023 CCL North 25–22 .532 16–19 .457 4th Zack Pace Did not qualify
2024 CCL North 30–17 .638 21–15 .583 3rd Zack Pace Won Wild card (San Luis Obispo)
Lost North Division finals (Walnut Creek)
Totals 72–69 .511 48–57 .457 — — 1–1 (.500)

National team

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D. J. Sharabi
Former three year reliever who participated at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo for Team Isreal. Sharabi also pitched for Team Israel in the 2023 European Baseball Championship in September 2023 in the Czech Republic.[15]
Chris Kwitzer
2019 Gilded Glove winner at the third base position.[16] Played for Spain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic qualification.[17]
Daniel Molinari
Former catcher who played for Brazil in the 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier and 2023 World Baseball Classic qualification.[18]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "Colombian Trio Of Former Stompers Taste Winter Success In Home Country". Sonoma Stompers. 15 May 2015.
  2. ^ "In historic move, two female players signed by minor league baseball team". Washington Post. 30 June 2016.
  3. ^ "'Spaceman' Lee rockets Stompers". Sonoma Index-Tribune. 11 August 2014.
  4. ^ "The Only Rule is it Has to Work". Huffington Post. 13 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Stompers Sign Fehlandt Lentini as player-manager". stompersbaseball.com. 19 February 2015.
  6. ^ "First openly gay player K's 11 in Stompers' win". Major League Baseball. 26 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Sonoma Stompers adding two women to roster". Press Democrat. 28 June 2016.
  8. ^ "The Sonoma Stompers are set to make more history by signing two women to their roster". Major League Baseball. 29 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Minor league baseball team to add third female player to roster". Excelle Sports. 15 July 2016.
  10. ^ "STOMPERS PROMOTE HENRY OMAÑA TO BRAVOS DE LEÓN". Stompers Baseball. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Stompers Join California Collegiate League". Stompers website. 15 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Yankees use rest of draft pool to sign intriguing UDFA lefty slugger". Yanksgoyard.com. 12 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Greetings from Rogers Centre in Toronto!". September 8, 2023.
  14. ^ "Latest News - Sonoma Stompers July 12,2015 - July 21,2015". stompersbaseball.com. Sonoma Stompers. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  15. ^ "2023 European Baseball Championship". WBSC Europe.
  16. ^ "FOUR STOMPERS WIN GILDED GLOVE AWARDS". Stompersbaseball.com.
  17. ^ "Great Britain punches ticket to World Baseball Classic". mlb.com.
  18. ^ "DANIEL MOLINARI - Assistant Coach". smcgaels.com.
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