Billings Mustangs

Billings Mustangs Founded in 1948 Billings, Montana
Team Logo Cap Insignia
Class-level
Advanced Rookie
Minor league affiliations
Pioneer League (1948-1963, 1969-present)
Major league affiliations
Cincinnati Reds (1974-present) Kansas City Royals (1970-1973) Seattle Pilots (1969) St. Louis Cardinals (1957-63) Pittsburgh Pirates (1952-56) Brooklyn Dodgers (1949-51)
Name
Billings Mustangs (1948-1963, 1969-present)
Ballpark
Dehler Park (2008-present) Cobb Field (1948-1963, 1969-2007)
Minor league titles
League titles	1950, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2003
Division titles	1980, 1983, 1984, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003
Owner(s)/Operated by: Billings Pioneer Baseball Club, Inc.
Manager:
General Manager: Gary Roller

The Billings Mustangs are a minor league baseball team based in Billings, Montana. The Mustangs are the Pioneer League Rookie affiliate of the Major League Cincinnati Reds. The team has been a part of the Pioneer League since 1948 with a five-year gap between 1964 and 1968, and has been affiliated with the Reds since 1974 (after an affiliation with the Kansas City Royals). The team was officially established on November 4, 1947.

The Mustangs play at Dehler Park, named after Jon Dehler, a Billings businessman who bought the naming right to the field in 2007. Prior to the 2008 season the Mustangs played at Cobb Field (named after Bob Cobb who was responsible for bringing professional baseball to the city of Billings). Cobb Field was demolished in September 2007 to make way for the new park.

The Mustangs won three consecutive Pioneer League titles from 1992 and 1994, then won another in 1997. In 2003, Billings beat the Provo Angels in the Championship Series 2 games to 0. Provo had tied the league record for wins that year with 54. Billings, the last team to qualify for the postseason, won game 1 at Provo 8-5 in 11 innings, then, Billings won 3-0 on a no-hitter by James Paduch to win the Championship in front of a sold-out Cobb Field in Billings. The game was a classic pitchers duel between two of the top pitchers in the league (Provo's being 2003 Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year Abel Moreno). In 2006, Chris Valaika set a Pioneer League record with a 32-game hitting streak during the Mustangs 51-win campaign.

Many Major League stars have begun their pro careers in Billings. These include George Brett, Reggie Sanders, Paul O'Neill, Trevor Hoffman, Keith Lockhart (baseball), Danny Tartabull, Ben Broussard, Scott Sullivan, Aaron Boone, Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns, and B.J. Ryan.

After years of award-winning work in the front office, Assistant General Manager Gary Roller was promoted to General Manager for the 2005 season. Roller took over for long time GM and Mustangs Hall-of-Famer Bob Wilson. Matt Bender, who formerly handled the duties of Official Scorer, took over the vacated Assistant General Manager position.

Dehler Park (and before at Cobb Field) is renowned in the Pioneer League for the "Beer Batter." Every game the Mustangs Beer Boosters designate one player as the "Beer Batter." If that player gets a hit, attendees can buy four beers for $10. Many eager buyers stand at the stairs anticipating a hit and the oncoming rush of people.

The Billings Mustangs changed their logo for the 2006 season. The 2007 season was their last at Cobb Field and the Mustangs begin the 2008 season at Dehler Park.

Current roster

Billings Mustangs rosterview · talk · edit
Players				Coaches/Other
Pitchers 35 James Allen 61 Jason Braun 13 Tony Cingrani 54 Carlos Contreras 29 Nick Fleece 56 Aguido Gonzalez 59 Carlos Gonzalez 48 Cole Green 57 Ismael Guillon 62 Christopher Joyce 65 Ryan Kemp 37 Matt Leonard 45 Porfirio Martinez 22 Kyle McMyne 51 Erik Miller 63 Jim Moran 27 Wes Mugarian 28 El'Hajj Muhammad 18 Brooks Pinckard 47 Radhames Quezada 36 Patrick Quinn		Catchers 19 Yovan Gonzalez 40 Danny Vicioso Infielders 24 Junior Arias 39 Sean Buckley  4 Sammy Diaz 16 Robert Maddox 34 Nick O'Shea 67 Juan Perez 17 Cristobal Rodriguez 43 Ryan Wright Outfielders 53 Spencer Dickinson 46 Jon Matthews 14 Steven Selsky 23 Juan Silva 64 Bryson Smith 15 Kyle Waldrop		Manager 33 Pat Kelly Coaches 31 Bob Forsch (pitching)  9 Eli Marrero (hitting) 7-day disabled list * On Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster ∞ Reserve list § Suspended list ‡ Restricted list # Rehab assignment Roster updated September 6, 2011 Transactions → More rosters

Notable alumni

Jack Armstrong Paul Bako Skeeter Barnes William Bergolla 2001 & 02 Aaron Boone George Brett Ben Broussard 1999 Tom Browning (player and pitching coach) Jay Bruce 2005 Rick Burleson (manager) Chris Cannizzaro Todd Coffey 2001 Al Cowens Bennie Daniels Kal Daniels Lance Davis Gookie Dawkins Gary Denbo Chris Dickerson 2003 Rob Dibble Adam Dunn Scott Dunn 1999 Edwin Encarnacion 2001 Nick Esasky Carlos Fisher 2005 Tom Foley Juan Francisco 2006 Todd Frazier Lenny Harris Chris Heisey 2006 Butch Henry (player and pitching coach) Jim Hickman

Trevor Hoffman Austin Kearns Paul Janish 2004 Reggie Jefferson Ruppert Jones Ray King John Koronka 1999 Jason LaRue Sam LeCure 2005 Mark Littell Keith Lockhart (baseball) Marcos Mateo 2006 Bob McClure Dave Miley Eddie Milner Chad Mottola Russ Nixon (manager) Ron Oester Joe Oliver Logan Ondrusek 2005 & 06 Eric Owens Miguel Perez 2003 Ted Power (pitching coach) Jamie Quirk Gary Redus John Riedling Josh Roenicke 2006 Adam Rosales 2005 Larry Rothschild Randy Ruiz 2001 B.J. Ryan Chris Sabo (hitting coach) Brad Salmon 1999 Reggie Sanders

Donnie Scott (manager) Rodney Scott Chris Sexton Larry Shepard (player-manager) Harry Spilman Jordan Smith 2006 Jerry Spradlin Jeff Stevens 2005 Kurt Stillwell Dick Stuart Drew Stubbs 2006 Scott Sullivan Danny Tartabull Craig Tatum 2004 Eddie Taubensee Gorman Thomas Justin Turner 2006 Chris Valaika 2006 Joey Votto 2003 Scott Williamson Dewayne Wise 1997 Jim Wohlford Travis Wood 2005

External links

• Billings Mustangs official site
• Billings Mustangs (OurSportsCentral)