Editing Salt Lake Bees (section)

==History==
===Prior Salt Lake City teams===
After the 1914 [[Pacific Coast League]] season, Salt Lake City businessman Bill "Hardpan" Lane purchased the [[Sacramento Solons]] and brought the team to Utah as the [[Salt Lake City Bees]]. Though a charter member of the PCL, the Solons suffered on the field and at the gate, being exiled at times to [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]], [[Fresno, California|Fresno]], and [[San Francisco]]. On March 31, 1915, their first game was played with more than 10,000 fans pouring into Majestic Park (later renamed Bonneville Park) to cheer the Bees to a 9–3 win over the [[Vernon Tigers]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/salt-lake-telegram-salt-lake-makes-real/167205550/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Salt Lake Makes 'Real' Debut Into Pacific Coast League Baseball|work=The Salt Lake Telegram|location=Salt Lake City|date=April 1, 1915|page=3}}</ref>

The original Bees never won a PCL [[Pennant (sports)|pennant]], but they drew attendees well, especially given the small market size. However, other PCL team owners resented the high cost of travel to Salt Lake City. When the Vernon Tigers abandoned Los Angeles after the 1925 season, it was suggested to Lane that he would do well to transfer his team to Southern California. After 11 seasons, the Bees moved to Los Angeles for the 1926 season. Initially known as the Hollywood Bees, the team soon became the Hollywood Stars. After ten seasons in Hollywood, the team transferred again to San Diego, where it played as the San Diego Padres from 1936 to 1968. Salt Lake City was without a baseball team until 1946, when it received a franchise in the [[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]].<ref name=BRSLC>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Salt%20Lake%20City&state=UT&country=US|title=Salt Lake City, Utah Encyclopedia|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=October 3, 2019}}</ref>

Salt Lake City once was home to an all-black baseball team called the Occidentals. They played during the early 1900s against white teams in Utah and across the Western United States.<ref name="OCC">{{cite news |last1=McGriff |first1=Jamie |title=Salt Lake Bees Discover History of Utah's All-Black Baseball Team |url=https://kjzz.com/news/local/salt-lake-bees-discover-history-of-utahs-all-black-baseball-team-occidentals-early-1900s-minor-league-sports-baseball-history |access-date=September 5, 2023 |work=KJZZ |date=August 18, 2023}}</ref>

===Salt Lake Bees (1994–present)===
[[File:Spring Mobile Ballpark.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.2|An entrance gate to Smith's Ballpark (former stadium name Spring Mobile Ballpark pictured), home of the Bees]]
The current franchise dates from 1994, when [[Joe Buzas]], a former major league player and the owner of the PCL [[Portland Beavers]], moved the team to Salt Lake City. Buzas made a deal wherein the city would build a new ballpark on the site of historic [[Derks Field]] in exchange for relocating the team. The new ballpark, [[Franklin Quest Field]], opened in 1994 with the renamed Salt Lake Buzz drawing 713,224 fans to home games during their inaugural season—breaking the PCL single-season attendance record that had stood for 48 years.<ref>{{cite news |first=Dirk |last=Facer |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/579908/Buzz-attendance-falls-but-still-tops-PCL.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228033726/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/579908/Buzz-attendance-falls-but-still-tops-PCL.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 28, 2014 |newspaper=[[Deseret News]] |title=Buzz attendance falls but still tops PCL |date=August 29, 1997}}</ref>

Known as the Salt Lake Buzz from 1994 to 2000, the team changed its name to the Salt Lake Stingers in 2001. The change was forced by a trademark dilution lawsuit filed by [[Georgia Institute of Technology|Georgia Tech]], whose [[yellowjacket]] mascot is named [[Buzz (mascot)|Buzz]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Scott|last=Lange|url=http://technique.library.gatech.edu/issues/spring1998/apr24/news1.html|title=Like Buzz, if I could be like Buzz...|work=[[The Technique]]|date=April 24, 1998|access-date=May 18, 2007|archive-date=January 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129060932/http://technique.library.gatech.edu/issues/spring1998/apr24/news1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following the 2005 season, the team announced the Stingers would henceforth be known as the Salt Lake Bees, the name of the original PCL franchise which played in Salt Lake City from 1915 to 1926 and from 1958 to 1965.<ref name=BRSLC/> The team also chose a logo, jersey, and color scheme similar to the latter Bees PCL franchise.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1487/1618/products/Salt-Lake-Bees-1959-Home-Patch_grande.jpg?v=1526313096 | title=Salt Lake Bees logo | format=JPG | website=cdn.shopify.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Bees shirt | format=JPG | url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/73/a4/c573a4cbd75af38ce80891773c2d49d4.gif | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002201428/https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/73/a4/c573a4cbd75af38ce80891773c2d49d4.gif | archive-date=2023-10-02}}</ref> Bees have long been a symbol of Utah. The original name of the Mormon settlement, [[State of Deseret|Deseret]], is said to be the [[Deseret (Book of Mormon)|word for "honeybee"]] in the Book of Mormon; a beehive appears on the [[Flag of Utah|Utah state flag]]; the state motto is "[[List of U.S. state and territory mottos|Industry]]" (for which bees are known); and Utah is widely known as the "[[List of U.S. state nicknames|Beehive State]]."<ref name="Vice">{{cite news |last1=Vice |first1=Jeff |title=The hats, the jerseys, the pants and even |url=https://www.deseret.com/1998/4/17/19374966/the-hats-the-jerseys-the-pants-and-even |access-date=April 26, 2022 |work=The Deseret News |date=April 16, 1998}}</ref>

In 2019, the Bees announced a new logo, name, and branding for the team, taking on the name "Abejas de Salt Lake" for their ongoing participation in The [[Copa de la Diversión]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.milb.com/salt-lake/news/bees-unveil-new-abejas-de-salt-lake-logos-305391348 |title=Bees Unveil New Abejas de Salt Lake Logos |date=March 18, 2019 |publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]}}</ref>

In conjunction with [[Major League Baseball]]'s restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Bees were organized into the [[Triple-A West]].<ref name=JMayo2-12-2021>{{cite web|last=Mayo|first=Jonathan|title=MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/new-minor-league-baseball-structure|website=Major League Baseball|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 12, 2021}}</ref> Salt Lake ended the season in fifth place in the Western Division with a 49–70 record.<ref name=MILB2021>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/standings/pacific-coast/2021?standingsType=firstHalf&standingsView=division|title=2021 Triple-A West Standings|website=Minor League Baseball|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> No playoffs were held to determine a league champion; instead, the team with the best regular-season record was declared the winner.<ref name=MiLB7-14-2021>{{cite news |url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/triple-a-classification-to-add-10-games-to-2021-schedule |title=MiLB Announces 'Triple-A Final Stretch' for 2021 |website=Minor League Baseball |date=July 14, 2021 |accessdate=July 16, 2021}}</ref> However, 10&nbsp;games that had been postponed from the start of the season were reinserted into the schedule as a postseason tournament called the Triple-A Final Stretch in which all 30 Triple-A clubs competed for the highest winning percentage.<ref name=MiLB7-14-2021/> Salt Lake finished the tournament tied for seventh place with a 6–4 record.<ref name=2021FinalStretch>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/standings/pacific-coast/2021|title=2021 Triple-A Final Stretch Standings|website=Minor League Baseball|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> In 2022, the Triple-A West became known as the Pacific Coast League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.<ref name=PCLrename>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-historical-league-names-to-return-in-2022|title=Historical League Names to Return in 2022|website=Minor League Baseball|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2022}}</ref>

In the early part of the 2023 season, [[Jo Adell]] broke a franchise record with a six-game straight home run streak.<ref name="streak">{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Victoria |title=Jo Adell breaks Salt Lake Bees franchise record with home run in 6th straight game |url=https://kutv.com/sports/baseball/jo-adell-breaks-salt-lake-bees-franchise-record-with-home-run-in-6th-straight-game-baseball-albuquerque-isotopes-los-angeles-angeles |access-date=May 2, 2023 |work=KUTV |date=April 9, 2023}}</ref>

In early 2024, Marc Amicone left the Bees to become an advisor on baseball matters for the Larry H. Miller Company. He will work with the company and [[Big League Utah]] in their efforts to bring a Major League Baseball team to Utah. The team named Ty Wardle, the Bees' former chief revenue officer as the new general manager. Cameron Coughlan was hired as assistant general manager.<ref name="Carter">{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Carter |title=A farewell? How the Bees are preparing for possible final season at Smith's Ballpark |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/50963493/a-farewell-how-the-bees-are-preparing-for-possible-final-season-at-smiths-ballpark |access-date=April 3, 2024 |work=KSL |date=March 27, 2024}}</ref>

During the 2024 season, three-time Major League Baseball MVP [[Mike Trout]] played with the Bees as part of his physical rehabilitation. Trout had previously played for the Bees in 2012.<ref name="Greene">{{cite news |last1=Greene |first1=Dana |title=3-time MVP Mike Trout back with Salt Lake Bees |url=https://www.abc4.com/sports/3-time-mvp-mike-trout-back-with-salt-lake-bees/ |access-date=July 27, 2024 |date=July 23, 2024}}</ref>

The Bees plan to leave Smith's Ballpark for [[The Ballpark at America First Square]], a new ballpark in [[South Jordan, Utah]], after the 2024 season.<ref name=CWilliams1-17-23>{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Carter |title=Bees plan move to Daybreak; Salt Lake City seeks to 'reimagine' Smith's Ballpark |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/50559255/bees-plan-move-to-daybreak-salt-lake-city-seeks-to-reimagine-smiths-ballpark |website=KSL-TV |date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=August 1, 2024}}</ref>

In 2024, the Bees have played under multiple names including the Buzz, Gulls, Occidentals, Trappers and Stingers. They played under the name [[Malmö]] Oat Milkers due to a licensing deal that Minor League Baseball struck with the Swedish firm [[Oatly]]. Oatly operates a plant in Ogden, Utah.<ref name="Oatly">{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Carter |title=Salt Lake Bees to play under an identity with nearly no ties to Utah. Here's why |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/51116087/salt-lake-bees-to-play-under-an-identity-with-nearly-no-ties-to-utah-heres-why- |access-date=September 4, 2024 |work=KSL.com |date=September 2, 2024}}</ref>

The Bees played their final game at Smith's Ballpark on September 22, 2024.<ref name="Jag1">{{cite news |last1=Jag |first1=Julie |title=Salt Lake City says goodbye to the Bees in their final game at Smith’s Ballpark |url=https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2024/09/23/salt-lake-bees-play-final-game/ |access-date=November 7, 2024 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune}}</ref>

The Bees introduced new uniforms and logos in late 2024.<ref name="Hill">{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Benjamin |title=Salt Lake Bees generate buzz with evolution of logos, uniforms |url=https://www.milb.com/app-firstpitch/northwest-arkansas/news/angels-salt-lake-bees-unveil-refreshed-design |access-date=6 December 2024 |work=[[Minor League Baseball]] |date=25 November 2024}}</ref>

{{wide image|Salt Lake Bees Baseball (20979556568).jpg|800px|A Salt Lake Bees game in 2015}}