The Minor League Inland Empire 66ers, At the California End of #route66

San Bernardino’s baseball team is named for Route 66.

by Rich Watson 

Before its west coast endpoint, one of the California stops along Route 66 is San Bernardino. Among other things, SB has held a four-day event since 1990 called Route 66 Rendezvous, a classic car show which makes the downtown streets resemble American Graffiti.

Another aspect of SB’s association with the highway is their minor league baseball team, the Inland Empire 66ers.

Minor league baseball 

I’m fortunate in that minor league ball is an alternative to the big leagues for me. Others don’t have that option. When I started sampling the minors beginning in the nineties, I found it pleasant, not to mention cheaper.

In Massachusetts, I saw games at Wahconah Park, the celebrated century-plus field. In Ohio, I saw several Columbus Clippers games, in both their old and newer ballparks. I’ve also seen minor league ball in Binghamton, NY.

Here in the New York area we have 

• the Brooklyn Cyclones, 
• Staten Island FerryHawks, and 
• Long Island Ducks. 

I’ve seen the Cyclones; they play at Coney Island, which means one can stroll along the boardwalk eating a Nathan’s hot dog before going to the game. As a nod to the Brooklyn Dodger era, a statue of Jackie Robinson stands outside their ballpark.

I’ve been to SB, but not for baseball. 

The SB franchise has existed since 1987, but it wasn’t until recently that they took the brand Inland Empire.

What is the Inland Empire?

The IE name, which dates back as far as 1914, refers to the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area. It takes up the lower southeast portion of California state, and includes the counties of Los Angeles and Orange. At over 222,000, SB is one of the biggest IE cities. 

Baseball teams in IE cities Lake Elsinore, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, in addition to the 66ers, play in the California League.

Sports in San Bernardino

Regarding Route 66 locations, obviously, Chicago, St. Louis and Los Angeles are all major sporting venues. Oklahoma City is an up-and-coming one, thanks to the presence of the NBA Thunder. Many of the Route 66 towns have minor league baseball and other sports.

In addition to baseball, SB has had women’s volleyball and motocross racing. The California State University, San Bernardino Coyotes play in the NCAA’s Division II.

The 66ers have been Class A, the lowest level, since 2021, and a Seattle Mariners affiliate beginning this year. They sometimes go by the alternate names San Bernardino Cucuys and the Redland Pickers. The franchise has won six league titles so far.

Major leaguers who have played baseball in SB include:

• Ken Griffey Jr. The Hall of Famer played in SB in 1988 when the team was called the Spirit. He batted .338 with 33 stolen bases. The next year he joined the Mariners.
• Adrian Beltre. Another Hall of Famer, he spent 1996 in SB at age 17. He hit .261 in 63 games.
• Omar Vizquel. The 11-time Golden Glove shortstop played in SB in 1990 for six games before joining the Mariners.
• Orel Hershiser. In 2000, at age 41, the former Cy Young Award-winner played three games in SB before returning to the Dodgers for what would be his final season.
• Chin-Feng Chen. The first Taiwanese MLB player spent 1999 with the team when they were called the Stampede. He hit .316 with 31 home runs. His number 43 is retired in SB, along with Griffey’s.

Since 1996, the 66ers have played at San Manuel Stadium.

San Manuel Stadium 

Located at 280 South E Street, the ballpark seats eight thousand. Among its highlights include 

• palm trees outside the main entrance, 
• a mural of Griffey Jr., 
• a group party area behind the first base dugout, 
• a covered picnic area behind the third base dugout, and
• a grass berm around the left field corner.

The San Gabriel Mountains can be seen beyond the outfield.

One of the non-baseball events at the stadium is the “King of the Cage,” a series of mixed martial arts competitions set up on the field. High school and college graduations are also held there.

Nearby attractions include the Wigwam Motel, accommodations shaped like teepees, and the site of the original McDonald’s fast food restaurant, now a museum.

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Route 66 attractions in California:

• Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch (Oro Grande): pitstop with tree shapes made from glass bottles.
• Cucamonga Service Station (Rancho Cucamonga): service station from 1915.
• Old Trails Bridge (Needles): bridge over the Colorado River.
• Chicken Boy (Los Angeles): muffler man built for the former Chicken Boy restaurant.
• Barstow Harvey House (Barstow): former hotel from 1911; now an Amtrak station.

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Have you been to San Bernardino to see the 66ers? Leave a comment and let me know!

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