Editing Pioneer League (baseball) (section)

== History ==

The Pioneer League began in 1939 with six teams in [[Idaho]] and [[Utah]], operating at the [[Minor League Baseball#Pre-1963 classifications|Class C]] level. The original six teams were the [[Boise Pilots]], [[Lewiston Indians]], [[Ogden Reds]], [[Pocatello Cardinals]], [[Salt Lake City Bees]], and [[Twin Falls Cowboys]]. With players in short supply due to [[World War II]], the league suspended operations for the 1943 through 1945 seasons.

In 1948, the league expanded by adding two teams in [[Montana]]; the [[Billings Mustangs]] and [[Great Falls Electrics]]. In these early years, teams in the league either operated independently or were affiliated with [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) or [[Pacific Coast League]] (PCL) parent clubs, as the PCL was attempting to grow into a third major league (a bid that ultimately failed). When MLB's [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] displaced the PCL's [[Hollywood Stars]] in 1958, the Stars relocated and became the "new" Salt Lake City Bees, remaining in the PCL and taking away the Pioneer League's largest market.

By 1959, the Pioneer League was down to six teams; Billings and Great Falls along with the [[Boise Braves]], [[Idaho Falls Russets]], [[Missoula Timberjacks]], and [[Pocatello A's|Pocatello Athletics]]. The league operated at the [[Minor League Baseball#Class A|Class A]] level for one year (1963), before changing to Rookie league in 1964, when there were only four teams in the league; the [[Idaho Falls Angels]], [[Magic Valley Cowboys]], [[Pocatello Chiefs]], and [[Treasure Valley Cubs]]. By 1978, the league had again grown to eight teams — Billings and Idaho Falls along with the [[Butte Copper Kings]], [[Calgary Cardinals]], [[Great Falls Giants]], [[Helena Phillies]], [[Lethbridge Dodgers]], and [[Medicine Hat Blue Jays]]. With the exception of 1986 (when there were six teams), there have been at least eight teams in the league since then.

In 2016, total league attendance was 616,686,<ref>{{cite web|title=Pioneer League: Attendance (2016)|url=http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?y=2016&t=l_att&lid=128&sid=l128|website=[[MiLB.com]]|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=August 15, 2017}}</ref> down slightly from the 2015 total of 633,622.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pioneer League: Attendance (2015)|url=http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?y=2015&t=l_att&lid=128&sid=l128|website=MiLB.com|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=September 23, 2015}}</ref>

In its final years as an MLB-affiliated league, the Pioneer League was one of two "Rookie Advanced" minor leagues along with the [[Appalachian League]]. As such, it occupied the second-lowest rung in the minor league ladder. 
Although classified as a Rookie league, the level of play was slightly higher than that of the two "complex" Rookie leagues, the [[Gulf Coast League]] and [[Arizona League]]. Unlike the complex leagues, Pioneer League teams charged admission and sold concessions. It was almost exclusively the first fully professional league in which many players competed; most of the players had just been signed out of high school. It was a short-season league that competed from late June (when Major League teams signed players whom they selected in the amateur draft) to early September.

After the 2018 season, the [[Helena Brewers]] relocated to [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]], where they now play as the [[Rocky Mountain Vibes]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/06/13/new-name-on-tap-for-colorado-springs-pioneer-league-team/|title=New Name on Tap for Colorado Springs Pioneer League Team|work=Ballpark Digest|publisher=August Publications|date=June 13, 2018|access-date=June 14, 2018}}</ref>

As the start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] before being cancelled on June 30,<ref>{{cite news |title=A Message From Pat O'Conner|url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/message-from-minor-league-baseball-president-ceo-pat-o-conner-313052288|website=MiLB.com|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=March 13, 2020|access-date=May 5, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved|url=https://www.milb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-shelved|website=MiLB.com|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=June 30, 2020|access-date=July 1, 2020}}</ref> making the 2019 season the league's last as an MLB-affiliated league of Minor League Baseball.

In conjunction with the reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Pioneer League was converted to an [[independent baseball league]] and was granted status as an MLB Partner League.<ref name="MLBann">{{cite web|title=Pioneer League named MLB Partner League|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/pioneer-league-designated-mlb-partner-league|website=[[MLB.com]]|publisher=Major League Baseball|date=November 30, 2020|access-date=November 30, 2020}}</ref> The reconfigured league continued with the same franchises using the same identities, with the exception of the [[Orem Owlz]] who relocated to [[Windsor, Colorado]], as the [[Northern Colorado Owlz]].<ref name="MLBann" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Kirk|first=Alexander|title=Orem Owlz announce move to Windsor in 2021|url=https://www.9news.com/article/sports/baseball/northern-colorado-owlz/73-bb93ff83-d8be-4057-aa8d-33c1d93c18af|work=[[KUSA (TV)|9 News]]|date=November 30, 2020|access-date=November 30, 2020}}</ref> The [[Boise Hawks]] also joined the Pioneer League in 2021 after moving from the [[Northwest League]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Kloppenburg|first=Katie|title=Boise Hawks plan to join Pioneer Baseball League in 2021|url=https://www.kivitv.com/news/boise-hawks-plan-to-join-pioneer-baseball-league-in-2021|website=[[KIVI-TV|Idaho News 6]]|date=December 9, 2020|access-date=December 9, 2020}}</ref>

The Pioneer League announced a five-year naming rights deal between the league and ticket vendor TicketSmarter that would have the league go as The Pioneer Baseball League presented by TicketSmarter starting in time for the 2022 season.<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 26, 2022|title=Pioneer League, TicketSmarter unveil naming-rights deal|work=Ballpark Digest|publisher=August Publications|url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2022/01/26/pioneer-league-ticketsmarter-unveil-naming-rights-deal/|access-date=January 29, 2022|language=en-US}}</ref>

On April 10, 2024, [[Kelsie Whitmore]] signed with the [[Oakland Ballers]] of the Pioneer League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/oakland-ballers-sign-teams-first-female-player/|title=Oakland Ballers sign team’s first female player|date=April 10, 2024}}</ref> She became the first woman to play for that league later that year. On June 6, 2024, she became the first female player to start a Pioneer League game. In that game she struck out one batter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5547719/2024/06/06/kelsie-whitmore-pioneer-league-women-history/|title=Kelsie Whitmore first woman to start Pioneer League game|first=Melissa|last=Lockard|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>