Salem-Keizer Volcanoes

MiLB infobox
name = Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
founded = 1997
city = Keizer, Oregon
misc =

uniform
class level = Single-A (1997-present)
past class level=
current league = Northwest League (1997-present)
conference =
division = Western Division
past league =
majorleague = San Francisco Giants (1997-present)
pastmajorleague =
nickname = Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (1997-present)
pastnames =
ballpark = Volcanoes Stadium (1997-present)
pastparks =
leaguechamps = 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007
divisionchamps = 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008
misc6 =
owner = Jerry Walker and William Tucker
manager = Tom Trebelhorn
gm =The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a minor league baseball team in Keizer, Oregon, United States. They are a Class A team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the San Francisco Giants since 1997. The Volcanoes play home games at Volcanoes Stadium. Opened in 1997, Volcanoes Stadium seats 4,252 fans.

Salem has been involved with the Northwest League beginning in 1940 as a member of the NWL's previous incarnation as the Western International League with the Salem Senators (an homage to Salem's role as Oregon's capital). The Senators were a charter member when the WIL reformed into the current NWL in 1955, where the team remained in Salem (as the Senators 1940-'60, 1977-'81, Dodgers 1961-'65, 1988-'89, and Angels 1982-'87), until finally the team moved to Yakima at the end of the 1989 season. In 1982, the Salem Angels captured the area's only NWL crown before the Volcanoes era, setting an NWL record as the first (and only until 2005) NWL champion with a losing record during the regular season.

At the end of the 1996 season, team co-owners Jerry Walker and William Tucker announced that they were moving the Bellingham Giants, who had held the cellar in the NWL's attendance record for both years of its existence, to Keizer, though the team was officially termed "Salem-Keizer" in order to incorporate both the history and the prestige of the capital into the team. This decision was controversial among the citizens of Keizer, who strongly maintained their independence from Salem since their split in 1982.

During their time in Salem-Keizer, the Volcanoes have won six Western Division titles (1998, 2001, 2003, and three straight between 2006-2008), finishing the season as Northwest League Champions four times (1998, 2001, 2006, and 2007).

In 2001, the Volcanoes were honored with the Freitas Award for Best Class A Short Season franchise in the nation.

Notable former Salem-Keizer Volcanoes include: Joe Nathan (Now with the Twins), Kurt Ainsworth, Travis Ishikawa, Lance Niekro, Jesse Foppert, and Noah Lowry. A total of 23 former Volcanoes have played in the Major Leagues.

Two former Volcanoes also played in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic, Joe Nathan (U.S.), and Jonathan Sanchez (Puerto Rico).

2006 Season

Celebrating their 10th season in Salem, the Volcanoes enjoyed a stellar 2006 season, ending the regular season with a (since the NWL adopted a 76 game season) NWL record 55 wins, leading the league in many categories, including setting franchise records of consecutive games won (12), and most runs in an inning (10 in the 7th inning of a 19-3 rout of the Canadians on Aug 30, including catcher Adam Witter hitting the team's first ever cycle [http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060830&content_id=125814&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp] ).The Volcanoes capped the season by defeating the Boise Hawks three games to one, winning the NWL pennant on September 10.

2007 Season

The Volcanoes followed the 2006 season by breaking their own record, finishing the season with a 57-19 record. In the NWL Championship series, they achieved their second title in a row, defeating the Tri-City Dust Devils three games to one.

2008 Season

Won The 2008 Divison Title

External links

* [http://www.volcanoesbaseball.com Salem-Keizer Volcanoes official website]