Now, as promised, the first of a series on the Spokane Indians baseball cards in the mall. A general comment, here - I really have to remind myself that the cards are of Padres minor leaguers. The team's name is Indians and the jerseys look more like Dodgers or Royals.
NorthTown mall in Spokane opened in 1955, and enclosed in 1983. At the time these photos were taken the key anchors were Sears, The Crescent and Albertsons. The mall was greatly expanded in 1990, right after the Indians pictures.
Osvaldo Sanchez was a good-field, no-hit outfielder who made some spectacular catches for Spokane in 1987, but only hit .233. The Greatest 21 Days chronicled Sanchez's career, which began at Spokane in 1987 and ended in the Braves organization in 1993, playing in 538 games, mostly in A-Ball.
The jerseys look like the Dodgers jerseys, likely because Spokane was a Triple A farm team for the Dodgers from the late '50s until they moved to Albuquerque in the early '70s.
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ReplyDeleteActually, Spokane was the San Diego Padres short-season A affiliate at this time. Spokane lost AAA baseball after the 1982 season, when they were affiliated with the California Angels. The franchise returned in 1983 with the Padres organization, and then was bought by George Brett and his brothers in 1985, who changed the team's uniform style and colors from the Padres' brown and yellow to a style and colors similar to that of the Kansas City Royals, with whom Brett played.
ReplyDeleteAlso, since the set was sponsored by University City (check the back of the card), another prominent mall in town at the time, I'm inclined to think that the photos were taken there rather than at Northtown. I couldn't imagine that U-City would have its name on the back of the cards but then have the photos be taken at a competing mall.