Salt Lake Stingers

History

The current Salt Lake franchise began in 1994 when Joe Buzas moved the Portland Beavers to Salt Lake City. The team was originally named the Salt Lake Buzz, drawing 713,224 fans in its inaugural season at Franklin Quest Field, a PCL single-season attendance record. The Buzz name was used until 2000, when a trademark dilution lawsuit filed by Georgia Tech—whose yellowjacket mascot is named Buzz—forced a change. In 2001, the team adopted the name Salt Lake Stingers.

The Stingers played at Smith's Ballpark (originally Franklin Quest Field) through the 2005 season. In 2006, the franchise rebranded as the Salt Lake Bees.

The earlier Salt Lake City Bees had existed from 1915 to 1925 as a PCL team, moving to Los Angeles in 1926 and eventually becoming the San Diego Padres. Salt Lake City was without a baseball team from 1926 until 1946, when it received a Pioneer League franchise. The Salt Lake City Angels, a minor league affiliate of the California Angels, played in the city in 1971.

Management

Johnson had previously played for the Stingers during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. On April 6, 2023, Johnson won his 472nd game as Bees manager, breaking the franchise record set by Phil Roof, who managed the Buzz from 1995 to 2000. Johnson won his 500th game as Bees skipper on June 16, 2023.

He left the Bees after the 2025 season to become third-base coach for the Los Angeles Angels in 2026. Doug Davis was named manager of the Bees in early 2026. Davis played 11 years in the minor leagues and seven games in MLB, and was a bench coach for the Florida Marlins during their 2003 World Series victory.

Did You Know?

• The franchise's inaugural season as the Buzz in 1994 drew 713,224 fans, breaking a PCL single-season attendance record that had stood for 48 years.
• The Stingers played at Smith's Ballpark, which was originally named Franklin Quest Field when it opened in 1994.