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The Boise Pilots were a minor league baseball team in the western United States, based in Boise, Idaho. They played in the Pioneer League for a total of 11 seasons between 1939 and 1954. They were unaffiliated with any major league team, and played at the Class C level. Their home venue was originally named Airway Park in 1939, and in 1952 was renamed Joe Devine Airway Park.
| Boise Pilots | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes | Class C |
Previous leagues | Pioneer League |
| Team data | |
Previous parks | Airway Park (1939–42, 1946–51) Joe Devine Airway Park (1954) |
Minor league baseball began in Boise in 1904 when the Boise Fruit Pickers played as members of the Pacific National League.[1] In 1905, the Boise Infants continued play in the Pacific National League.[2] Boise fielded two teams in 1909, as Boise played as members of the Montana State League,[3] and the Boise Irrigators were members of the Inter-Mountain League.[4] The Boise Irrigators later played in the Union Association (1911, 1914)[5][6] and Western Tri-State League (1912–1913).[7][8]
The Boise Pilots immediately followed the Boise Senators of the 1928 Utah-Idaho League and were one of the six original teams of the Pioneer League when it was formed in 1939. The team competed through the 1951 season, except for three years during World War II when the league did not operate. Boise's team then became the Yankees, who were affiliated with New York during 1952 and 1953. That affiliation did not continue, and the team operated independently again as the Pilots in 1954. Boise's team then became a Milwaukee affiliate from 1955 through 1963, operating as the Braves. After the Braves' final season of 1963, the ballpark was demolished, and Boise was without a minor league team until the Boise A's of the Northwest League debuted in 1975.[citation needed]
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| Season | Manager(s) | W–L | Win % | Finish | Playoffs | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Andy Harrington | 62–62 | .500 | 3rd | no playoffs held | [9] |
| 1940 | 66–63 | .512 | 3rd | lost in finals | [10] | |
| 1941 | Jim Keesey | 81–49 | .623 | 1st | lost in finals | [11] |
| 1942 | 68–51 | .571 | 2nd | lost in finals | [12] | |
| 1943–45 | league paused due to World War II | |||||
| 1946 | Walter Lowe | 52–77 | .403 | 6th | none | [13] |
| 1947 | 67–70 | .489 | 4th | none | [14] | |
| 1948 | 58–68 | .460 | 6th | none | [15] | |
| 1949 | William Stenger Gordon Williamson | 47–77 | .379 | 7th | none | [16] |
| 1950 | Ford "Moon" Mullen | 50–74 | .403 | 7th | none | [17] |
| 1951 | Thomas Lloyd Frank Gregory | 51–88 | .367 | 8th | none | [18] |
| 1952–53 | team operated as the Boise Yankees | |||||
| 1954 | Ed Fernandes | 47–84 | .359 | 8th | none | [19] |
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| Season[20] | Name & Position |
|---|---|
| 1940 | Walter Lowe, 1B Joe Egnatz, OF Elden Lorenzen, Util. |
| 1941 | Jack Radtke, 2B Joe Egnatz, OF Clifford Barker, C Gerry Staley, P |
| 1947 | Walter Lowe, 1B Lou Tamone, 3B |
| 1948 | William Franks, P |
| 1954 | William Francis, P |
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