The
Billings Mustangs are a minor league baseball team based in
Billings,
Montana
. The Mustangs are the
Pioneer League Rookie affiliate of
the
Major League Cincinnati Reds. The team has been a part of
the Pioneer League since 1948 with a five-year gap between 1964 and
1968, and has been affiliated with the Reds since 1974 (after an
affiliation with the
Kansas City
Royals). The team was officially established on
November 4,
1947.
The Mustangs play at
Dehler Park, named
after Jon Dehler, a Billings businessman who bought the naming
right to the field in 2007. Prior to the 2008 season the Mustangs
played at Cobb Field (named after Bob Cobb who was responsible for
bringing professional
baseball to the city
of Billings). Cobb Field was demolished in September 2007 to make
way for the new park.
The Mustangs won three consecutive Pioneer League titles from 1992
and 1994, then won another in 1997. In 2003, Billings beat the
Provo Angels in the Championship Series
2 games to 0. Provo had tied the league record for wins that year
with 54. Billings, the last team to qualify for the postseason, won
game 1 at Provo 8-5 in 11 innings, then, Billings won 3-0 on a
no-hitter by James Paduch to win the Championship in front of a
sold-out Cobb Field in Billings. The game was a classic pitchers
duel between two of the top pitchers in the league (Provo's being
2003 Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year Abel Moreno). In 2006,
Chris Valaika set a Pioneer League record with a 32-game
hitting streak during the Mustangs 51-win
campaign.
Many Major League stars have begun their pro careers in Billings.
These include
George Brett,
Reggie Sanders,
Paul O'Neill,
Keith Lockhart,
Danny Tartabull,
Ben Broussard,
Scott Sullivan,
Aaron Boone,
Adam Dunn,
Austin Kearns, and
B.J. Ryan.
After years of award-winning work in the front office, Assistant
General Manager Gary Roller was promoted to General Manager for the
2005 season. Roller took over for long time GM and Mustangs
Hall-of-Famer
Bob Wilson. Matt Bender,
who formerly handled the duties of Official Scorer, took over the
vacated Assistant General Manager position.
Dehler Park (and before at Cobb Field) is renowned in the Pioneer
League for the "Beer Batter." Every game the Mustangs Beer Boosters
designate one player as the "Beer Batter." If that player gets a
hit, attendees can buy four beers for $10. Many eager buyers stand
at the stairs anticipating a hit and the oncoming rush of
people.
The Billings Mustangs changed their logo for the 2006 season. The
2007 season was their last at Cobb Field and the Mustangs begin the
2008 season at
Dehler Park.
Current roster
Notable alumni
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