West Palm Beach Tropics

Let's Get Tropical

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Like the Florida Beachdogs who were profiled in BLaze Issue 1 the West Palm Beach Tropics were the cream of the crop in their respective league. The SPBA that is. Senior Professional Baseball Association.

Managed by Dick Williams, the Tropics would finish the ‘89 season with 52 wins vs 20 losses. Attendance at Municipal Stadium was highest in the league. Shortstop and future Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington was league MVP. Batting .359 with a league high 73 RBI’S. Unfortunately they lost in the league championship to the St. Petersburg Pelicans. (12-4). By 1990 the league was done.

Some of our favorite West Palm Beach Tropics

(1) Rodney Scott 

(15) Ron Washington

(17) Micky Rivers

(23) Dick Williams

(26) Dave Kingman

(33) Lee Lacy

(34) Rollie Fingers

(40) Lowell Palmer

(49) Tim Stoddard

Is Pitcher Lowell Palmer & Famed Skyjacker D.B. Cooper One In The Same?

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Lowell’s last MLB appearance was in September of 1974. Just a mere two months before a mystery man using the alias Dan Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 from Portland to Seattle. Cooper calmly demanded $200,000, and parachutes from authorities. At some point he leapt from the back stairs of the plane as it flew over the Columbia River Wilderness. He’s never been heard from again. Check out the Infamous America Podcast from @blackbarrelmedia for the full story.

Lowell resurfaced in Venezuela in ‘74-75 after his days in the bigs, pitching for the Cardenales de Lara. (Lara Cardinals) Seems like the perfect little place to lie low while the heat cools down if you ask me. Palmer went 2-6 with a 3.56 ERA in 65 Innings of work. However, we mostly remember Lowell for his 1989 season with the West Palm Beach Tropics of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. At 42 he was the 2nd oldest player on the Tropics. Any Tropics fans out there know who was the oldest?

Your Senior League Champion St. Petersburg Pelicans

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Thirty years ago on February 4th, 1990 The St. Petersburg Pelicans claimed the first & only championship in Senior Professional Baseball Association history. The Pelicans were led that day by our man Lamar Johnson , the Star of Stars, who hit a HR & had 3 RBI’s in the 12-4 win over the West Palm Beach Tropics. The league folded mid way through the second season.

Dave Kingman - Kong in The Tropics

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Happy Birthday Kong! Of all the former MLB players to participate in the short lived Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989, Dave Kingman’s 442 career Homeruns was the most of any hitter. Dave hit .271 with 8 HR’s and 40 RBI’s for the 1st place West Palm Beach Tropics. The league would fold in 1990 midway through it’s 2nd season.

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