Established
1969
City
Seattle – Milwaukee
League History
2000 – Present / Major League Baseball
1998 – 1999 / National League
1969 – 1997 / American League
Team History
1970 – Present / Milwaukee Brewers
1969 / Seattle Pilots
Nickname
Pilots – For sports fans in Seattle, the origin of the city's Major League Baseball team name is a source of pride and nostalgia. The Seattle Pilots were founded in 1969 as an expansion franchise and played one season before moving to Milwaukee, where they became known as the Brewers. But how did the Pilots get their unique moniker?
The answer lies with two men: Don Paul, hired by former owner Dewey Soriano as public relations director for Seattle’s new MLB team, and Bill McCurdy, a local sportswriter at The Tacoma News Tribune. According to legend, these two created “Pilots” while brainstorming ideas over lunch at Anthony's Home Port restaurant on Pier 66 in downtown Seattle.
Paul had been inspired by his time growing up near Boeing Field (now King County International Airport) during World War II when he witnessed pilots taking off from there every day en route to fight overseas battles across Europe or Asia Pacific Theater fronts—a sight that made him think about aviation whenever he heard someone talking about baseball teams having nicknames like "Aces" or "Flyers." Meanwhile, McCurdy suggested combining this idea with another popular term used around Puget Sound since its first settlers arrived: “pilot," which referred not only to airplane captains but also those brave seafarers guiding ships through treacherous waters into port cities such as San Francisco or Vancouver BC Canada back then (and still today). Thus both men agreed upon “Pilots” being fitting for their potential new baseball team name due to its maritime/aviation double meaning—plus, it sounded fantastic!
In conclusion, whether you are visiting Safeco Field, now the home of Mariners' games, or just watching them on TV wherever you live - take heart knowing your hometown squad got its nickname from some very creative minds in Washington State long ago – so go M's!
Championship
World Series 0
Stadium
2021 - Present / American Family Field
2001 – 2020 / Miller Park
1970 – 2000 / Milwaukee County Stadium
*Seattle*
1969 / Sick’s Stadium
Owner
2005 – Present / Mark Attanasio
1970 – 2005 / Bud Selig
1992 – 2005 / Wendy Selig-Prieb (acting owner)
1969 – 1970 / William Daley
- 1969
- 1970
-
Seattle Pilots Team Formation
The frontman for the franchise ownership, Pacific Northwest Sports, Inc. (PNSI), was Dewey Soriano, a former Rainiers pitcher, and general manager, and former president of the PCL. In an ominous sign of things to come, Soriano had to ask William R. Daley, who had owned the Indians at the time they flirted with Seattle, to underwrite much of the purchase ... -
Need to Move to Milwaukee
By the end of the season, the Pilots were gasping. However, Daley refused to put up more financing. It was obvious that they would not survive long enough to move into their new park without new ownership. It was also obvious that such a move would have to happen quickly, as Sicks’ Stadium was inadequate even for temporary use. During ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Pilots
The Seattle Pilots presently known as Milwaukee Brewers, were a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington that played only one season in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1969 to 1970. The Pilots' brief history is filled with exciting stories and memorable moments for sports fans.
In their inaugural season, the Pilots finished fourth place in the American League West Division, scoring 64-98. Despite their poor performance on the field, they still captured some attention due to several notable events during their short tenure as an MLB franchise. For example, Jim Bouton pitched his famous "knuckleball" game against Oakland Athletics, which ended up being one of the most impressive performances ever recorded by an MLB pitcher at that time; he also set numerous records, including the most strikeouts thrown by any pitcher during a single game and lowest earned run average (ERA). Additionally, outfielder, Tommy Harper won both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards while playing for Seattle - making him just one of two players who have achieved this feat since then!
Unfortunately, however, it was not enough for them to stay afloat financially as they eventually moved away after just one year due to financial difficulties faced by its ownership group, who had failed secure additional investments needed to keep running operations smoothly - marking the end an era for what could have been excellent expansion team into Pacific Northwest region's central league landscape if things had gone differently!
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
1 / Bud Selig
4 / Paul Molitor
19 / Robin Yount
34 / Rollie Fingers
42 / Jackie Robinson
44 / Hank Aaron
*Blue is this team’s history