The Santa Barbara Rancheros, based in Santa Barbara, California, played the 1962 and 1963 seasons in the state's own professional circuit, returning professional baseball to one of its founding cities. The name reached back to the region's Californio past, when the great Mexican-era land grant ranchos defined the Santa Barbara coast, and it came from the people: a naming contest was won by Wendell Simons, a librarian at the University of California at Santa Barbara, who was first to submit Rancheros and collected a pair of season tickets from Caesar Uyesaka, chairman of the Santa Barbara Baseball Committee.
The front office had genuine baseball royalty. Business manager Al Gionfriddo was the ex-Brooklyn Dodger forever remembered for robbing Joe DiMaggio of a certain home run in the 1947 World Series, one of the most famous catches ever made, and he was no stranger to Santa Barbara baseball, having played for the Channel Cities Oilers there in 1954. The Rancheros opened at home at Laguna Park on April 24, 1962, and the opponent carried its own irony: the defending champion Reno Silver Sox, the very franchise that had left Santa Barbara for Nevada as the Channel Cities Oilers back in June 1955. On the field the Rancheros hovered right around even, going 35-32 in the second half of 1962 and 32-35 in the second half of 1963, competitive baseball if never a championship threat.
The Rancheros filled the gap between Santa Barbara's two Dodgers eras. The city had hosted the Santa Barbara Dodgers from 1946 through 1953, and after the Rancheros' two seasons the Dodgers name returned from 1964 through 1967, when professional baseball left Santa Barbara for good.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our standard tees are classic, heavyweight t-shirts that are durable and thick. They are looser fitting and run true to size.
Size Guide: True to size
- Brand: Gildan | Product ID: 5000
- Made with medium fabric (5.3 oz/yd² (180 g/m²)) consisting of 100% cotton for year-round comfort that is sustainable and highly durable.
- The classic fit of this shirt ensures a comfy, relaxed wear while the crew neckline adds that neat, timeless look that can blend into any occasion, casual or semi-formal.
- The tear-away label means a scratch-free experience with no irritation or discomfort whatsoever.
- Made using 100% US cotton that is ethically grown and harvested. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. This blank tee is certified by Oeko-Tex for safety and quality assurance.
- Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Do not iron; Do not dryclean; Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Tumble dry: low heat.
