Golden Baseball League (2005–2010)

The Yuma Scorpions were one of the Golden Baseball League charter members in 2005 along with the Chico Outlaws, Fullerton Flyers, Long Beach Armada and San Diego Surf Dawgs in California; Mesa Miners and Surprise Fightin' Falcons in Arizona and the Japan Samurai Bears, the league's first (and so far only) traveling team. The Panthers, along with the Outlaws, Armada and Flyers remain the only charter teams still active in the league.

The team replaced the former Bullfrogs as the city of Yuma's professional baseball team. The Bulldogs played in the defunct Western Baseball League from 2000 to 2002, but folded after being financially unsuccessful and leaving a legacy of lawsuits and a trail of unpaid bills, players and employees. Other baseball teams are the Yuma Desert Dawgs of the defunct Golden State League (1995–96) and American West Leagues (1997–99). The San Diego Padres inhabited Desert Sun Stadium as their spring training complex and used it from 1968 to 1994 before they went to a new facility in Peoria, Arizona.

Affiliations with foreign leagues

On May 20, 2009 the Yuma Sun reported that the team had signed an affiliation agreement with the Colombian Professional Baseball League (CPBL),^[1] a league owned by Edgar and Edinson Rentería. Edgar played for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball at the time of the signing. Under the terms of the affiliation, the CPBL handled all on-field personnel and player issues while the team retained control of promotions, concessions, and other front-office business. The Scorpions acted as a farm team for all four CPBL teams.^[2] It was reported by some news outlets to be the first time an independent American baseball club had formed an affiliation with a foreign team or league, however, in 1972 and 1973 the California League's team based in Lodi, California had an affiliation with Nippon Professional Baseball's Nishitetsu Lions.^{[citation needed]} Yuma's partnership with the CPBL was at one point reportedly being made into a feature story for ESPN.^[3]

In early 2010 the Yuma Sun reported that the Scorpions had ended their affiliation with the CPBL, but had signed a new three-year affiliation agreement with the Venezuelan Baseball Federation (VBF).^[4]

The move was also portrayed as one that would improve the Scorpions on-field performance. Under the affiliation with the CPBL, the Scorpions went 29-47, worst in the GBL, including a 3-13 start.^[5] Several factors justify this assertion. Baseball is more popular in Venezuela than Colombia, leading to the Sun to speculate that that country will provide superior prospects to the CPBL agreement. Additionally, the previous agreement with the CPBL was only concluded hours before the start of the season, so that players had to literally get on a plane in Colombia, got off in Yuma and immediately play the season opener. The agreement with the VBF was agreed to three months prior to the start of the 2010 season. The Scorpions' Manager for 2010, Darryl Brinkley, had experience playing in Venezuela.^[5]

North American League (2011)

The Scorpions were one of six former GBL teams to join the newly formed North American League in 2010 and began play in 2011.

On April 11, 2011, Jose Canseco and his twin brother, Ozzie, were added to the teams' roster, with Jose being a manager.^[6] In August of that year, 52-year-old former Major League player and then-Scorpions infielder Tony Phillips was involved in an altercation with former Scorpions manager Mike Marshall, then with the Chico Outlaws. Phillips punched Marshall in the face during the incident, causing the latter to press battery charges against the infielder.^[7]

Scorpions who made it to the Big Leagues

Dane De La Rosa, RHP, Yuma Scorpions 2005, Tampa Bay Rays (2011)

Joey Gathright, OF, Yuma Scorpions 2011, Boston Red Sox (2011)

Sergio Romo, RHP, Yuma Scorpions Winter League 2007, San Francisco Giants (2010)

Scorpions acquired by MLB teams

Joey Gathright, OF, Boston Red Sox (2011)

Robby Scott, LHP, Boston Red Sox (2011)

JJ Leaper, RHP Oakland Athletics (2011)

Lee Cruz, OF, Houston Astros (2010)

Gilbert De La Vara, LHP, Detroit Tigers (2010)

Brandon Fowler, C, San Diego Padres (2010)

Rylan Sandoval, SS, New York Mets (2010)

Reynaldo Rodriguez, 1B, Boston Red Sox (2009)

Ryan Barba, SS, Atlanta Braves (2008)

Donald Brandt, P Milwaukee Brewers (2008)

Derrick Hale, SS, Cincinnati Reds (2008)

Kennard Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles (2007)

Charles Merricks, P, Philadelphia Phillies (2007)

Scott Richmond, P, Toronto Blue Jays (2007)

Sergio Romo, P, San Francisco Giants (2007)

Cardoza Tucker, P, Houston Astros (2006)

Dane De La Rosa, P, Tampa Bay Rays (2005)

Jason Dewey, C, Colorado Rockies, (2005)

Major Leaguers who have played for the Scorpions

2005: Alex Arias SS, Joe Davenport P, Carl Sadler P, Jason Dewey

2006: Rusty Meacham P

2007: Pasqual Matos C

2008: Mike Esposito P, Felipe Lira P

2009: Emiliano Fruto, P

2010: Bill Pulsipher P, Alex Prieto P, Cha-Seung Baek P, Mike Johnson P

2011: Joey Gathright OF, Jose Canseco DH, Tony Phillips IF/OF, Ozzie Canseco OF/DH

2011: J.J. Leaper, P

Managers

Benny Castillo (2005–2006) Record: 79–91, Winning % : .465

Mike Marshall (2007–2008) Record: 89–74 Winning %: .546

Boris Villa (2009) Record: 29–47 Winning %: .382

Darryl Brinkley (2010) Record: 41–49, Winning % : .456

Jose Canseco (2011) Record: 35–53, Winning % : .398