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3 unusual facts about Albuquerque Dukes


Albuquerque Dukes

San Diego took over the Beavers/Dukes, and Los Angeles took Las Vegas, renaming the team the Las Vegas 51s for the famed alleged UFO spaceport, Area 51, near Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the early 1990s, future stars such as Mike Piazza, Pedro Martínez, John Wetteland, Raúl Mondesí, Paul Konerko, and many more came through on their way to 'The Show.' The team won PCL titles in 1990 and '94, and posted the PCL's best overall record in 1991.

That, and the team name reflecting Spanish nobility, likely reflect New Mexico's history as the earliest center of Spanish colonization in the present-day United States.


Del Crandall

In between those American League stints, he was a highly successful manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers' top farm club, the Albuquerque Dukes of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, and also managed the Class A San Bernardino Stampede from 1995 to 1997.

Stan Wasiak

He managed in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League from 1973–1976 as skipper of the Albuquerque Dukes, the Dodgers' top minor league affiliate, winning a division title in 1974.


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