Lewiston Broncs

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Lewiston Broncs (1952–1974)

The Lewiston Broncs were a small-town baseball team from Lewiston, Idaho. They also went by the nickname Lewis-Clark to include nearby Clarkston, Washington. They played at Bengal Field, near Lewiston High School.

Ownership and origin
- The team was owned by Lewiston Baseball Club, Inc., formed in 1952 by local businessmen.
- Before Lewiston, the franchise came from the Tacoma Tigers, which had been affiliated with the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League.

Where they played and who they were with
- 1952–1954: Western International League.
- 1955–1974: Northwest League (a short-season league).
- Colors: royal blue and white.
- Home ballpark: Bengal Field.

Championships and notable people
- The Broncs won NWL titles in 1961, 1970, and 1972.
- 1961 was led by catcher-manager John McNamara, who later became an MLB manager.
- Notable players include Reggie Jackson, who appeared in 12 games for Lewiston in 1966, at age 20.

Major league affiliations over the years
- Kansas City Athletics (1960–1966)
- St. Louis Cardinals (1967–1970)
- Oakland Athletics (1973–1974)
- Baltimore Orioles (1953–1954 and again in 1972)
- Philadelphia Phillies (1957)
- St. Louis Browns (1953)
- The team also spent a year in 1971 as an independent club.

Why the team ended
- The Broncs dissolved in January 1975 after years of financial losses and low attendance.
- A’s owner Charlie O. Finley interfered at many levels, causing top players to be moved to other A’s minor league teams.
- After Lewiston folded, the A’s kept a northwest presence with a new Boise franchise in 1975, which later moved and changed affiliations.

Legacy
- The ballpark, Bengal Field, later became the football stadium for Lewiston High School.
- The Lewiston Broncs left a mark in the area with memorable seasons and players, including a young Reggie Jackson.