Tri-City Dust Devils - Before The Dust Devils

Before The Dust Devils

The Tri-Cities in southeastern Washington, which include Kennewick and Richland along with Pasco, have fielded a number of teams in the Northwest League and its predecessor, the Western International League. The Tri-City Braves were a member of the WIL from 1950 to 1955, when the team became a charter member of the new Northwest League. The Tri-Cities were continually represented through 1974 and had a number of teams during this period (Braves 1950-60, 1962; Angels 1961, 1963–64; Atoms 1965-68; A's 1969; Padres 1970-72; Triplets 1973; Ports 1974). In 1974, the Ports were an independent team and went 27-57 in front of 21,611 fans. The team was managed by owner Carl W. Thompson, Sr. before folding.

The Tri-Cities were without baseball until 1983 when the Tri-Cities Triplets (an homage to the 1973 name) formed, though they only lasted until 1986. The Triplets had relocated from Walla Walla and were an affiliate of the Texas Rangers for the first two years, independent for the final two. They played their home games at Richland High School baseball field, adjacent to the Bomber Bowl football stadium. The team was owned by the Brett brothers in 1986, who sold it that fall to a group headed by the general manager, Mal Fichman. The Triplets relocated to southwestern Idaho for the 1987 season and became the Boise Hawks.

The Tri-Cities was also home to the Tri-City Posse of the independent Western Baseball League from 1995 to 2000. The Posse were founded in 1995 and won the league title in 1999, but they folded in 2000. The Posse was one of the founding members of the Western Baseball League.