San Jose Missions (1977–1981)
San Jose’s brief Missions era bridged two levels of professional baseball and marked a major turning point at Municipal Stadium.
San Jose’s brief Missions era bridged two levels of professional baseball and marked a major turning point at Municipal Stadium.
Birth of the Triple-A Missions (1977–1978)
In October 1976, the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League relocated to San Jose. Sacramento had supported the club, but Hughes Stadium — a 22,000-seat football venue with a 250-foot left field line — distorted the game and limited long-term viability. Owner Bob Piccinini struck a deal to lease the franchise to Joe Gagliardi, part-owner of the Class A San Jose Bees, who wanted to bring Triple-A baseball to the Bay Area.
The California League Bees moved out. The Pacific Coast League arrived. The team rebranded as the San Jose Missions.
- First Game: April 14, 1977 (11–6 win vs. Spokane Indians)
- League: Pacific Coast League (Class AAA)
- Affiliations:
- 1977 – Oakland Athletics
- 1978 – Seattle Mariners
- Manager: Rene Lachemann (both seasons)
Despite the jump to Triple-A, the Missions finished in last place in both seasons and never seriously contended. The club did not win a Pacific Coast League championship during its San Jose tenure.
After the 1978 season, Piccinini sold the franchise for a reported $175,000. The PCL club moved to Ogden, Utah for 1979 and became the Ogden A’s, ending San Jose’s short Triple-A experiment.
1979: Return to the California League
San Jose did not stay without baseball for long.
The California League quickly installed a new Class A franchise at Municipal Stadium in 1979. The club kept the Missions name but operated as a Seattle Mariners affiliate.
That 1979 team immediately delivered success:
- California League Champions: 1979
Notable players during the Mariners-era Missions included:
- Bud Black (1979–1980), future MLB pitcher and long-time manager
- Dave Henderson (1979), future postseason hero with the A’s and Red Sox
- Al Chambers (1980), the No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 draft
Final Season Without an Affiliate (1981)
Seattle withdrew its affiliation after the 1980 season. The 1981 Missions operated without the backing of a Major League parent club, a difficult position in affiliated baseball. They played their last game August 30, 1981 (7–0 loss at Stockton).
After that season, the Missions identity ended. Following the 1981 campaign, the Montreal Expos took over the affiliation. The club rebranded as the San Jose Expos for 1982, closing the Missions chapter.
Ownership Connections and Long-Term Impact
The Missions era intersected with several prominent sports investors:
- Bob Piccinini, former owner of the Solons/Missions, later joined the ownership group of the Golden State Warriors.
- Lew Wolff, an early pro sports investor involved during this period, later became a major Bay Area sports figure as co-owner of the Warriors and principal owner of the Oakland Athletics and San Jose Earthquakes.