Editing Pacific Coast League (section)

===Formation and early history===
The Pacific Coast League was formed on December 29, 1902, when officials from the California State League (1899–1902) met in [[San Francisco]] for the purpose of expanding the league beyond [[California]]. Six franchises were granted. These were the [[Los Angeles Angels (PCL)|Los Angeles Angels]], [[Oakland Oaks (PCL)|Oakland Oaks]], [[Portland Beavers]], [[Sacramento Senators (baseball)|Sacramento Senators]], [[San Francisco Seals (baseball)|San Francisco Seals]], and [[Seattle Indians]]. A dispute over territories owned by the [[Pacific Northwest League]], in which the PCL had placed franchises, and the PCL's allowing blacklisted players to compete led to the [[Minor League Baseball|National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues]] (NAPBL) labeling the PCL as an outlaw league.<ref name=2017RB>{{cite book |section=Pacific Coast League Year-By-Year Standings |title=2017 Pacific Coast League Sketch & Record Book |publisher=Pacific Coast League |year=2017 |page=141}}</ref>

The mild climate of the West Coast, especially California, allowed the league to play longer seasons, sometimes starting in late February and ending as late as the beginning of December. During the 1905 season the San Francisco Seals set the all-time PCL record by playing 230 games.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title = Records | encyclopedia =Pacific Coast League Record Book | pages =30 | publisher =Pacific Coast League|editor-last= Weiss|editor-first=William J. | year =1969 }}</ref> Teams regularly played between 170 and 200 games in a season until the late 1950s. This allowed players, who were often career minor leaguers, to hone their skills, earn an extra month or two of pay, and reduce the need to find off-season work. These longer seasons gave owners the opportunity to generate more revenue. Another outcome was that a number of the all-time minor league records for season statistical totals are held by players from the PCL.

[[File:Opening Day 1903, Oakland Commuters leaving the Statehouse Hotel for their first PCL game against Sacramento. (17124238308).jpg|thumb|right|The visiting [[Oakland Oaks (PCL)|Oakland Oaks]] prepare to travel to the ballpark on Opening Day 1903 to face the [[Sacramento Senators (baseball)|Sacramento Senators]].]]

The inaugural 1903 season, which consisted of over 200 scheduled games for each team, began on March 26.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-45989 |title=The Formation of the Pacific Coast League |last=Bauer |first=Carlos |publisher=Pacific Coast League |date=March 30, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617043451/http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?sid=l112&ymd=20060308&content_id=45989&vkey=league3 |access-date=February 4, 2024|url-status=live |archive-date=June 17, 2018 }}</ref> The Los Angeles Angels finished the season in first place with a 133–78 (.630) record, making them the first [[List of Pacific Coast League champions|league champions]].

In 1904, NAPBL president [[Patrick T. Powers]] brokered terms with the PCL, clearing it of its outlaw status and designating it as a Class A league. In 1909, the league classification was raised to Double-A. In 1919, with the earlier addition of the [[Salt Lake City Bees]] and [[Vernon Tigers]], league membership reached eight teams for the first time. While the league had experienced little commercial success up to this point, the 1920s were a turning point which saw increased attendance and teams fielding star players.<ref name=2017RB/>

The [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s resulted in a lower quality of play due to the league's salary reduction. Still, a number of top stars, including [[Joe DiMaggio]], [[Ted Williams]], [[Bobby Doerr]], and [[Ox Eckhardt]], competed on PCL teams that decade. Also helping attendance was the introduction of night games. At Sacramento's [[Edmonds Field|Moreing Field]], the Sacramento Solons and the Oakland Oaks played the first night baseball game, five years before any major league night game, on June 10, 1930. The [[Hollywood Stars]] and [[San Diego Padres (PCL)|San Diego Padres]] were added to the league in the 1930s as well.<ref name=2017RB/>