The Reno Aces are a minor league baseball franchise based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States.^[1] The team is a member of the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The franchise is owned by SK Baseball, LLC and is a part of the Pacific Conference's North Division along with the Tacoma Rainiers, Salt Lake Bees, and Colorado Springs Sky Sox. The Aces began their inaugural season on the road on April 10, 2009^[2], and played their home opener in the new Aces Ballpark on April 17, 2009.

History[link]

Team origins[link]

The Aces were originally known as the Tucson Sidewinders from 1998 to 2008. Before that, the team was first known as the Tucson Toros. They were Tucson's Triple-A baseball club, playing at Hi Corbett Field in midtown Tucson from 1969 to 1997. Part of the old 10-team configuration of the Pacific Coast League, the Toros won the PCL Championship in 1991 and 1993. The Toros were preceded by a number of other Tucson teams between 1915 and 1958, such as the Tucson Cowboys and the Tucson Lizards.

After the MLB expansion that added the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Toros moved to Fresno, California, as the Fresno Grizzlies. The Phoenix Firebirds relocated to Tucson, briefly became the Tucson Toros (1997), and then became the Sidewinders (1998), the Triple-A affiliate of the new Diamondbacks. This was accomplished by what amounted to a "swap" in ownership in 1997, with Firebirds owner Martin Stone purchasing the Toros and Toros owner Rick Holtzman receiving interest in the Firebirds. The Tucson team retained management and staff primarily from the Toros, and traces its history from the Toros rather than the Firebirds.^[3]

The Phoenix Firebirds had played from 1958 through 1997 as an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. The franchise joined the Pacific Coast League as a charter member in 1903 as the San Francisco Seals, relocating to Phoenix when the major league New York Giants moved to San Francisco. Seals alumni include Joe DiMaggio.

The Tucson Toros have been affiliated with the Chicago White Sox (1969–1972), the Oakland Athletics (1973–1976), the Texas Rangers (1977–1979), the Houston Astros (1980–1996), and the Milwaukee Brewers (1997 only, with one Diamondbacks prospect, Travis Lee, playing with them by special arrangement).^[3] At the time of the change in venue and affiliations (1998), a new Tucson team name, the "Sidewinders" was chosen after a name the team contest was held.

The Toros have since become a member of the independent Golden Baseball League, adopting their previous Triple-A history from 1969 to 1997.

A new era – Reno Aces[link]

In late 2007, it was formally announced that the Sidewinders would be moving to Reno, Nevada, after the 2008 season. A new 9,100-capacity venue, Aces Ballpark, was constructed for the team in downtown Reno. They will remain a Triple-A affiliate of the Diamondbacks through 2012.

The move forced the Reno Silver Sox of the independent Golden Baseball League to fold.^[4] The franchise dropped the name "Sidewinders" in place of a new identity. Some fans suggested that the team should adopt or purchase the rights to the Silver Sox name from the GBL for the new PCL club, but that was ruled out as that team was, at that point (prior to folding), likely to relocate to Carson City, Nevada.^[5] The Reno Aces introduced their new team name and logo at a press conference on September 23, 2008.^[6] The nickname has a dual meaning: "ace" is a baseball slang term for a team's top pitcher, and the ace is the highest card in several card games (a reference to Nevada's legalized gambling history).

The Reno Aces were due to begin their inaugural season on Thursday, April 9, 2009, on the road against the Salt Lake Bees. However, the game was postponed due to the death of Anaheim Angels' Nick Adenhart (a Salt Lake alumni), who was killed by a hit-and-run driver earlier in the day. Adenhart had played for the Bees during the 2008 season, and was remembered the next day in what was originally the second game in a four game series between the Aces and the Bees. The Bees beat the Aces 6–2 on Friday, April 10, 2009.^[7] The Aces won their home opener at Aces Ballpark on Friday, April 17, 2009, 11–1 against the Salt Lake Bees, to an over-capacity sell-out crowd of 9,167.^[8]

The Reno Aces Baseball Club has been awarded the 2013 Triple-A All-Star Game. The annual Triple-A Home Run Derby is set for Monday, July 8, 2013 and the nationally-televised 26th annual Triple-A All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, July 10, 2013.

Notable alumni[link]

• Josh Whitesell, first baseman
• Ryan Roberts, third baseman

Season-by-season record[link]

Roster[link]

See also[link]

• Current and former players (2009—)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Reno Aces official website
• Reno Ballpark Update

v t e Sports teams based in Nevada Australian rules football USAFL: Las Vegas Gamblers Baseball PCL: Las Vegas 51s • Reno Aces Basketball D-League: Reno Bighorns - ABA: Las Vegas Aces Football UFL: Las Vegas Locomotives - WFA: Las Vegas Showgirlz • Silver State Legacy - WSFL: Nevada Desert Heat - Ind: Reno Barons - LFL: Las Vegas Sin Ice hockey ECHL: Las Vegas Wranglers Roller derby WFTDA: Fabulous Sin City Rollergirls Rugby SCRFU: Las Vegas Blackjacks RFC - AZRU: Sin City Irish RFC - Ind: Las Vegas Slots Women's RFC College athletics (NCAA Div. I) Nevada Wolf Pack • UNLV Rebels (NJCAA) College of Southern Nevada • Western Nevada College

Matt Davidson (born August 9, 1977 in Flin Flon, Manitoba) is a former National Hockey League right wing. He was drafted in the fourth round, 94th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He currently plays with Frederikshavn Whitehawks of Denmark's Oddset Ligaen.

After playing four seasons with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League, Davidson made his professional debut with the Sabres' AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. He played three seasons with the Americans before the Sabres traded his rights to the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of a deal during the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft. Davidson played in 56 NHL games over three seasons with the Blue Jackets, scoring five goals and adding seven assists.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Davidson went to Germany to join the DEG Metro Stars of the Deutsche Eishockey League. While the NHL resumed play in 2005–06, Davidson remained in Germany and played with the Sinupret Ice Tigers, before making the move to Finland for the 2006–07 season.

Matt Davidson has signed a 2 year contract (2007–08 and 2008–09) in Denmark for the Frederikshavn Whitehawks.

External links[link]

• Matt Davidson's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database

This biographical article relating to a Canadian ice hockey winger born in the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e