The Ventura County Gulls, based in Ventura, California, played the 1986 season in the state's own professional circuit, returning professional baseball to the coast for the first time since the Channel Cities Oilers era three decades earlier. The franchise arrived when former big league third baseman Ken McMullen led a group, including actor Mark Harmon, that bought the dormant Lodi club and moved it to seaside Ventura County; McMullen knew the league well, having starred for the great 1961 Reno Silver Sox as a young Dodgers prospect.
The Gulls spent their single season as a Toronto Blue Jays affiliate playing at Ventura College, which was intended as a temporary home while a proper ballpark was found. No suitable site materialized, and after one season the franchise was sold and moved inland to become the San Bernardino Spirit, the club that would host Ken Griffey Jr.'s legendary 1988 season and eventually evolve into today's Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
One season, a borrowed college field, and a seabird name make the Gulls a footnote in league history, but a fitting coda for Ventura, whose entire baseball story, from the Yankees through the Oilers to the Gulls, spans barely a decade of actual play across forty years.
Our design is adapted from original Gulls artwork found in the team's 1986 game programs, swinging seagull and all, a genuine piece of Ventura County baseball graphics rather than a modern invention.
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 crewneck sweatshirts are classics that anyone is sure to recognize. They are thick, durable Gildan brand crews. They are a cotton/poly blend that stands the test of time.
Size Guide: True to size
- Made with a medium-heavy fabric blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester (8.0 oz/yd² (271.25 g/m²)), this sweatshirt feels cozy and is the perfect choice for those colder months.
- The classic fit along with the crew neckline deliver a comfy wearing experience with a clean-cut style. Meanwhile, the double-needle stitching at the shoulder, armhole, neck, waistband, and cuff seams add top-tier durability.
- Say goodbye to itchiness thanks to the gray, pearlized tear-away label.
- Made using 100% ethically grown US cotton. Gildan is also a proud member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol ensuring ethical and sustainable means of production. The blank shirt's dyes are OEKO-TEX-certified dyes with low environmental impact.
- Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F); Non-chlorine: bleach as needed; Tumble dry: low heat; Do not iron; Do not dryclean.
