| San Francisco Sea Lions | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| League | |
| Location | San Francisco, California |
| Established | 1946 |
| Disbanded | 1946 |
The San Francisco Sea Lions were a Negro league baseball team in the West Coast Negro Baseball League, based in San Francisco, California, in 1946.[1] Following the collapse of the league, the Sea Lions played as an independent barnstorming team.
In 1949, the Sea Lions were engaged in tour of Western Canada, when money problems led to seven players leaving the team for the integrated Buchanan (Saskatchewan) All-Stars.[2]
The San Francisco Giants have paid homage to the Sea Lions by recreating and wearing their jerseys four times. The Giants wore a road jersey in 2014, and a home jersey in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
On May 3, 2014, the Giants wore the Sea Lions road jerseys against the Atlanta Braves in a regular season game at Turner Field.[3] The Braves wore a Negro leagues throwback uniform for the heritage game which were Atlanta Black Crackers uniforms.[4]
On June 19, 2021, as part of their celebration honoring Juneteenth, the Giants wore replica uniforms of the San Francisco Sea Lions against the Phillies. The jerseys were intended to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the team that played in the West Coast Negro Baseball Association league during the 1940s.[5] During a pre-game ceremony, the family of Toni Stone, the first female known to play on a professional men's baseball team when she played for the Sea Lions, was given a jersey honoring her legacy.[6]
On July 17 of 2022, the Giants honored African American Heritage Day at a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park by wearing Sea Lions uniforms and giving away Sea Lions caps to fans in attendance.[7]
On August 26, 2023, the Giants and Oracle Park celebrated African American Heritage Day by wearing the Sea Lions uniforms during a game against the Atlanta Braves. [8]