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{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
| name = Lewiston Broncs
| firstseason =1921
| lastseason  =1974
| allyears    =1921, 1937, 1939, 1952–1974 
| city        =Lewiston, Idaho
| logo        = 
| caplogo     = 
| past class level =[[Short season|Short-season]] [[Minor League Baseball#Class A Short Season|Class A]] (1966–1974)<br>Class A (1963–1965)<br>[[Minor League Baseball#Reorganization of 1963|Class B]] (1937, 1955–1962)<br>Class A (1952–1954)<br> Class C (1939)<br>Class D (1921)
| league      =
| conference  = 
| division    = 
| past league =[[Northern Utah League]] (1921)<br>[[Western International League]](1937)<br>[[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]] (1939)<br>[[Northwest League]] (1955–1974)<br>Western International League (1952–1954) 
| pastmajorleague = {{plainlist|
*[[Oakland Athletics]] (1973–1974)
*[[Baltimore Orioles]] (1972)
*Independent (1971)
*[[St. Louis Cardinals]] (1967–1970)
*[[Kansas City Athletics]] (1960–1966)
*Independent (1958–1959)
*[[Philadelphia Phillies]] (1957)
*Independent (1955–1956)
*[[Baltimore Orioles]] (1954)
*[[History of the St. Louis Browns|St. Louis Browns]] (1953)
*Independent (1952)
}}
| pastnames = {{plainlist|
*Lewis-Clark Broncs
* Lewiston Indians (1939) 
*Lewiston Broncs (1921, 1937, 1952–1974)
}}
| pastparks =[[Bengal Field]] (1952–1974)
| classchamps = 
| leaguechamps ='''3''' (1961, 1970, 1972)
| conferencechamps =  
| divisionchamps = 
| owner = Lewiston Baseball Club, Inc.
| colors = Royal blue and white <br>{{color box|#003278}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}
}}
The '''Lewiston Broncs''' were a [[minor league baseball]] team in the [[Northwestern United States|northwest]] [[United States]], based in [[Lewiston, Idaho]], and played from 1952 through 1974. Locally, the team was known as "Lewis-Clark"  to include the adjacent [[Twin cities|twin city]] of [[Clarkston, Washington]]. The team's [[Baseball park|ballpark]] was [[Bengal Field]],<ref name=dfwtwg>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nLJeAAAAIBAJ&pg=5390%2C291127 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Danforth wins 20th game |date=September 3, 1961 |page=8}}</ref> a few blocks southeast of the [[Lewiston High School (Idaho)|high school]].

==History==

The parent organization was Lewiston Baseball Club, Inc., formed in 1952 by Lewiston businessmen Sam Canner Sr., Jack Lee, Billy Gray, George Thiessen, and others. Gray later sold his shares to Thiessen. Prior to its arrival in Lewiston, the team was the [[Tacoma Rainiers#History|Tacoma Tigers]], owned by William Starr of [[San Diego]], and were affiliated with the [[San Diego Padres (PCL)|San Diego Padres]] of the [[Pacific Coast League]] (PCL).<ref name=bblfnc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Aa1eAAAAIBAJ&pg=1681%2C2494854 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |title=Lewiston completes deal to buy Tacoma baseball franchise |date=November 30, 1951 |page=8}}</ref><ref name=sdcttt>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ICdYAAAAIBAJ&pg=6726%2C7943250 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Lewiston ready to buy Tacoma team franchise  |date=November 30, 1951 |page=11}}</ref>

The Broncs were a member of the [[Western International League]] ("Willy") from 1952–54,<ref name=babwrded>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ScFeAAAAIBAJ&pg=3092%2C3771521 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Bronc ability well-rounded for Willy League opening |date=April 16, 1952 |page=8}}</ref><ref name=bpbbalbk>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T8FeAAAAIBAJ&pg=1458%2C4292381 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Broncs bring pro baseball back to Lewiston tonight |date=April 22, 1952 |page=8}}</ref> and its successor, the [[Northwest League]], from 1955–74. The Broncs won the NWL championships in {{Baseball year|1961}},<ref name=bbytfr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o7JeAAAAIBAJ&pg=4034%2C1430846 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Broncs beat Yakima 12-4, capture first championship |date=September 10, 1961 |page=10 }}</ref> led by [[catcher]]&ndash;[[manager (baseball)|manager]] [[John McNamara (baseball)|John McNamara]], the future MLB skipper, and again in 1970<ref name=bdftphls>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UKBfAAAAIBAJ&pg=5786%2C101762 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Broncs defeat Phils 6-4 in final game |date=September 1, 1970 |page=12 }}</ref> {{nowrap|and 1972.<ref name=bbttessn>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mYxfAAAAIBAJ&pg=3694%2C168599 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Broncs beat Tribe to end season |date=September 1, 1972 |page=19 }}</ref><!--1973 team finished last, not first https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B6pfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kzIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3829%2C4777830 Walla Walla champions https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TrwzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YfgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1038%2C55022 -->}}

The Broncs had two distinctions:
# They played in the smallest town in America to have a professional baseball team (1960 census = 12,691^); and
# They were the only professional baseball team to be operated without a business manager. During their entire existence, they were run by a board of directors centered on the stockholders.
The team colors were blue and white and the ballpark was Bengal Field;<ref name=dfwtwg/> at 11th Avenue and 14th Street, it is now the [[High school football|football]]-only venue of [[Lewiston High School (Idaho)|Lewiston High School]], with a grandstand on its west sideline. When it was a baseball stadium for the Lewiston Broncs, home plate was in the northeast corner of the property at 15th Street, resulting in an unorthodox southwest alignment (home to center field). (The recommended alignment is east-northeast.)<ref name=mlbobj>{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/objectives_1.jsp|publisher=Major League Baseball |title=Objectives of the Game – rule 1.04|accessdate=November 2, 2015}}</ref> LHS played baseball there through 1983.<ref name=hiwiutb>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1GpfAAAAIBAJ&pg=4791%2C4455341 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |last=Sahlberg |first=Bert |title=Home isn't what it used to be |date=April 15, 1984 |page=1C }}</ref>

^ Note: The Orchards area of south Lewiston was unincorporated until {{nowrap|late 1969.<ref name=ortrnwp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_JFfAAAAIBAJ&pg=4430%2C3300057 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |last=Hollister |first=Hal |title=Orchards tracts now part of city  |date=December 17, 1969 |page=14 }}</ref><ref name=ogrdg>{{cite news |url=http://lmtribune.com/northwest/old-grudges-are-slow-to-pass-lewiston-orchards-annexation/article_755e17d4-6606-5ed5-bff5-04e6618e4d20.html |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|last=Lee |first=Sandra L. |title=Old grudges are slow to pass; Lewiston Orchards annexation |date=January 1, 2005 |accessdate=October 21, 2017}}</ref>}}

==Affiliations==
The Broncs were affiliated with four [[Major League Baseball|major league]] franchises:

{| class=wikitable
|-
! Year
! Affiliation
|-
| align=center|1952 || style="background:#DCDCDC;" align=center|Independent
|-
| align=center|1953 || [[1953 St. Louis Browns season|St. Louis Browns]]
|-
| align=center|1954 || [[1954 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]]
|-
| 1955&ndash;56 || style="background:#DCDCDC;" align=center|Independent
|-
| align=center|1957 || [[1957 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]]
|-
| 1958&ndash;59 || style="background:#DCDCDC;" align=center|Independent
|-
| 1960&ndash;66 || [[Kansas City Athletics]]
|-
| 1967&ndash;70 || [[St. Louis Cardinals]]
|-
| align=center|1971 || style="background:#DCDCDC;" align=center|Independent
|-
| align=center|1972 || [[1972 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]]
|-
| 1973&ndash;74 || [[1973 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]]
|}
*The St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles in [[1954 Baltimore Orioles season|1954]].
*The Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland in [[1968 Oakland Athletics season|1968]].

==Players==
A roster check in [[1967 Kansas City Athletics season|1967]] showed that 40% of the players and coaches of the Kansas City Athletics had been in Lewiston at one time or another. [[Reggie Jackson]] was perhaps the most famous Lewiston Bronc of all-time; ''Mr. October'' played 12 games at age 20 for Lewiston in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=jackso002reg|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|title=Reggie Jackson – minor league statistics|accessdate=July 29, 2013}}</ref> which was the first year of the short season for the NWL.<ref name=workagr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bcleAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eTIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6128%2C247855 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |title=Broncs get confirmation from A's on '66 working agreement |date=March 2, 1966 |page=13}}</ref> The Broncs' rosters included [[Rick Monday]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VK1fAAAAIBAJ&pg=4693%2C1185993|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|location=Idaho|agency=Associated Press|title=Rick Monday, Jackson end holdouts, sign contracts |date=March 7, 1969|page=23}}</ref> manager [[John McNamara (baseball)|John McNamara]], Vearl ("Snag") Moore, Thorton ("Kip") Kipper, Antonio Perez, Ron Koepper, Delmer Owen, [[Dick Green]], Bud Swan, [[Bert Campaneris]], John Israel, [[Dave Duncan (baseball)|Dave Duncan]], Al Heist and as a player, later coach-manager Robert ("Gabby") Williams. In 1967, the Broncs started a four-year affiliation with the [[1967 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]],<ref name=blmp>{{citation|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CLwSAAAAIBAJ&pg=3842%2C2119713|work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |title=Broncs land major pact |date=September 23, 1966 |page=13}}</ref> who went to the [[World Series]] those first two seasons, both going seven games; they won in [[1967 World Series|1967]], but were a game short in [[1968 World Series|1968]].

==[[Baseball Hall of Fame]] alumni==
* [[Reggie Jackson]] (1966) Inducted, 1993
* [[Tony LaRussa]] (1964) Inducted, 2015
* [[John McNamara (baseball)|John McNamara]] (1955), (1958–1962, MGR) Inducted, 2015

==Notable alumni==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
*[[Jack Aker]] (1961, 1963)
*[[Bert Campaneris]] (1963) 6x MLB All–Star
*[[Reggie Cleveland]] (1967)
*[[Chuck Dobson]] (1965)
*[[Dave Duncan (baseball)|Dave Duncan]] (1965) MLB All–Star
*[[Bob Forsch]] (1969–1970)
*[[Dick Green]] (1961)
*[[Wayne Gross]] (1973) MLB All-Star
*[[Dave Hamilton (baseball)|Dave Hamilton]] (1966)
*[[Ted Kubiak]] (1963)
*[[Marcel Lachemann]] (1964)
*[[Hillis Layne]] (1956–1958, MGR)
*[[Steve McCatty]] (1973-1974) 1981 AL ERA Leader
*[[Rick Monday]] (1965) 2 x MLB All–Star
*[[Dwayne Murphy]] (1973) 6x Gold Glove
*[[Jim Nash (baseball)|Jim Nash]] (1965)
*[[Fred Norman (baseball)|Fred Norman]] (1962)
*[[Blue Moon Odom]] (1965) 2x MLB All–Star
*[[John O'Donoghue (1960s pitcher)|John O'Donoghue]] (1960-1961) MLB All–Star
*[[Tom Trebelhorn]] (1974)

*[[Gary Woods]] (1973)
{{Div col end}}
===See also===
*[[:Category:Lewiston Broncs players|Lewiston Broncs players]] &nbsp; (1952–1974)

==Termination==
The Broncs and their parent company were dissolved in January 1975,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Pa5fAAAAIBAJ&pg=3925%2C2445097 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|last=Barrows|first=Bob|title=Directors' vote kills Bronc baseball|date=January 10, 1975|page=B1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Pq5fAAAAIBAJ&pg=5370%2C2666240 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |last=Barrows |first=Bob|title=Broncs' demise no sudden thing|date=January 11, 1975|page=B1}}</ref> after years of financial losses due to poor win–loss records, resulting in low attendance. Micromanagement interference from A's owner [[Charlie O. Finley]], at all levels of the organization, was the cause. The result for the Broncs was lost games due to the best players being quickly moved up to other A's minor league franchises in Single-A ([[Burlington Bees]])<!--[[Modesto, California|Modesto]] is wrong --> and Double-A ([[Birmingham A's]]).

The A's maintained a presence in the Northwest League in 1975 with a new franchise in [[Southwestern Idaho|southwestern]] Idaho as the [[Boise A's]], managed by former Bronc [[Tom Trebelhorn]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y8ReAAAAIBAJ&pg=3737%2C4758136|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|location=(Idaho)|title=Pro ball returns to Boise after absence of 11 years|date=June 18, 1975|page=B1}}</ref><ref name=fbboss>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZapfAAAAIBAJ&pg=6136%2C2229810 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|title=Former Broncs boss Trebelhorn takes over Portland Beavers |date=June 21, 1982|page=2C}}</ref> After two seasons in [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]] at [[Borah High School|Borah Field]], the team moved to [[Medicine Hat, Alberta|Medicine Hat]] in eastern [[Alberta]] in 1977 and joined the [[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-VVOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6262%2C3399088|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington)|agency=Associated Press |title=Teams added for Pioneer|date=October 14, 1976 |page=34}}</ref> The [[Medicine Hat A's]] switched affiliations after one season to become the [[Medicine Hat Blue Jays]] in 1978. There was no A's affiliate in the NWL in 1977; in 1978 it was the [[Vince Genna Stadium|Bend]] Timber Hawks, who moved south in 1979 and became the [[Medford A's]].

==Previous teams==
Prior to the Broncs, Lewiston's first seasons in the minor leagues were in the 1921 [[Northern Utah League]] and with teams named the Indians, in the [[Class B (baseball)|Class B]] WIL in 1937,<ref name=ltsfng>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gq9fAAAAIBAJ&pg=1296%2C1966890|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Lewiston to see first game under the lights tonight when Indians meet Spokane Hawks |date=April 27, 1937 |page=8}}</ref><ref name=shktrl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g69fAAAAIBAJ&pg=1530%2C2055697|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Spokane Hawks trim Lewiston |date=April 28, 1937 |page=13}}</ref> and in the [[Class C (baseball)|Class C]] [[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]] in 1939.<ref name=lbcifhg>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TtZXAAAAIBAJ&pg=5209%2C1212060 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |title=Lewiston ball club in first home game |date=May 5, 1939 |page=5 }}</ref><ref name=ads>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ippfAAAAIBAJ&pg=2002%2C2589756|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Join us in celebrating |agency=(advertisement) |date=May 5, 1939 |page=8}}</ref><ref name=undfles>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ippfAAAAIBAJ&pg=1776%2C2600935 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Undefeated Lewiston team will meet Boise Pilots tonight |date=May 5, 1939 |page=10}}</ref><ref name=wwind>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q71eAAAAIBAJ&pg=1757%2C4341350 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |title=Mel Marlowe whitewashes Indians as Salt Lake City takes series |date=September 1, 1939 |page=8}}</ref> The first night game at Bengal Field was {{Time ago|1937}}, the opening game in 1937 on April 27.<ref name=ltsfng/><ref name=newwilot>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VwUVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6612%2C3827641 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |title=New W.I. League opens tonight |date=April 27, 1937 |page=13 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?city=Lewiston&state=ID&country=US Baseball-Reference.com] – minor league teams – Lewiston, Idaho
* [http://natnotes.com/2005/08/23/past-northwest-league-champions/ Nat Notes] &ndash; Northwest League
<!--* http://www.ballparkdigest.com/news/index.html?article_id=539-->
* [http://www.milb.com/documents/2012/06/05/32796056/1/Final_2012_Northwest_League_Media_Guide.pdf Northwest League of Professional Baseball 2012 Media Guide]
**(Information on page 28 supports the fact that the franchise's official nickname was Broncs, not Broncos).

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[[Category:Oakland Athletics minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Baltimore Orioles minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Kansas City Athletics minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:St. Louis Browns minor league affiliates]]
[[Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams]]
[[Category:Defunct Northwest League teams]]
[[Category:Professional baseball teams in Idaho]]
[[Category:1952 establishments in Idaho]]
[[Category:1974 disestablishments in Idaho]]
[[Category:Baseball teams established in 1952]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1974]]
[[Category:Defunct Pioneer League (baseball) teams]]
[[Category:Defunct baseball teams in Idaho]]
[[Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1974]]
[[Category:Northern Utah League teams]]
[[Category:Western International League teams]]
[[Category:Lewiston, Idaho]]