Vernon Tigers facts for kids

The Vernon Tigers were a professional baseball team. They played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1909 to 1925. The team represented the city of Vernon, California. They won the PCL championship two years in a row, in 1919 and 1920. The Tigers joined the PCL in 1909, along with the Sacramento Solons. This happened when the league grew from six to eight teams. The Vernon Tigers were like a second team for Los Angeles. They were big rivals with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Vernon Tigers Baseball Team

Vernon, California, was a small town. It had a PCL baseball team for a special reason. At that time, Vernon was one of only two cities in Los Angeles County where certain businesses, like bars, could operate legally. The town used this unique situation to its advantage. A very large bar called Doyle's was in Vernon. It was known as the "longest bar in the world." The owner, Doyle, also promoted sports events. He built an arena for boxing matches. The Tigers' owner, Pete Maier, built Maier Park right next to Doyle's bar. The park even had its own entrance from the bar.

Moving to Venice

In 1913 and 1914, the Tigers played their games in Venice. Venice is a community by the ocean. During these two years, the team was called the Venice Tigers. Venice was the only other city in Los Angeles County with similar business rules to Vernon. On Sundays and special holidays, when certain businesses were closed, the Tigers played at Washington Park. This was usually the Angels' home field. The team did not attract many fans in Venice. So, the Tigers moved back to Vernon in 1915.

The team's manager, Happy Hogan, had led the Tigers since 1909. Some newspapers even called the team "Hogan's Tigers." Sadly, Happy Hogan passed away during the 1915 season.

Famous Players and Victories

Bob Meusel played for the Vernon Tigers in 1917. He later became a famous player for the New York Yankees. He even played alongside Babe Ruth. After 1917, Bob Meusel served in the Navy during World War I. The Tigers finished first in the shortened 1918 season. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Angels in a special series after the season.

In 1919, Pete Maier sold a big part of the Tigers to Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. He was a very famous movie actor during the silent film era. Because a Hollywood star owned the team, people in Hollywood started paying attention to the Tigers. The team had a great season. They beat their rivals, the Angels, in the last series. This win helped them claim the championship by a small margin.

Vernon Tigers uniforms

Al Carson wearing the 1911 Tigers home uniform. It has "Vernon" written vertically on the shirt.

Jakie May in 1922. He is wearing Vernon's pinstriped uniform with a tiger on the left side.

The 1919 season was also known for the "Black Sox" scandal in Major League Baseball. There were rumors that some players in the PCL might have been involved in unfair play against the Tigers. The league president, William McCarthy, removed Tiger first baseman Babe Borton and other players who were suspected.

The End of the Tigers

The Tigers continued to play well despite the rumors. They finished first for the third year in a row in 1920. They won the 1920 championship by a good lead over the Seattle Indians. However, this was the beginning of the end for the team. The Eighteenth Amendment made it illegal to produce and sell alcohol across the U.S. This law started in 1920.

Vernon's small population became a problem. Fewer people from Los Angeles wanted to travel to a "dry" town to watch a game. Also, the owner, Roscoe Arbuckle, found owning the team was more work than he expected. He sold his share of the team later in 1920. After he left, the Hollywood crowd lost interest in the Tigers. As fewer fans came to games, the team's performance also declined.

After the 1925 season, the team was sold. It moved to San Francisco and began playing in 1926 as the Mission Reds. After 12 seasons in San Francisco, the team moved back to Los Angeles in 1938. They were renamed the Hollywood Stars. The Stars had a strong rivalry with the Angels. This rivalry lasted until the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958. The Hollywood Stars eventually built their own ballpark. They achieved more success than the Vernon Tigers had.