San Francisco Sea Lions history: What to know about former Negro League team

The San Francisco Giants are set to take on the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, the first time a regular season MLB game will ever be played in the state.

Rickwood Field is the oldest surviving professional ballpark in the United States, and the game between the Giants and Cardinals, which will take place on the day following Juneteenth, is being positioned as a celebration of the Negro Leagues.

Both teams will be wearing special Negro League throwback jerseys for the game, with the Cardinals sporting the uniforms of the St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League and the Giants wearing San Francisco Sea Lions jerseys. Our own Curt Bishop gave the lowdown on the St. Louis Stars, but what should fans know about the San Francisco Sea Lions?

When were the San Francisco Sea Lions active?

The Sea Lions were members of the short-lived West Coast Negro Baseball League. According to Baseball Reference, the league's objective was for teams composed of black ballplayers to play games in stadiums used by teams in the Pacific Coast League while their regular occupants were on the road. The Sea Lions played their home games in Seals Stadium, home of the PCL's San Francisco Seals.

The league only lasted for part of one season in 1946 before disbanding due to financial problems brought about by travel costs. After the league folded, the Sea Lions spent the next three years barnstorming before being disbanded.

San Francisco Sea Lions record, accomplishments, history

Detailed history about the Sea Lions and their games is scarce, but baseball historian Rob Neyer recently told The San Francisco Chronicle ($) that his research shows that the Sea Lions were 13-19 in 32 league games.

The Sea Lions' jerseys that the Giants will be wearing on Thursday feature an image of a cub, because the Sea Lions purchased their jerseys from the San Francisco Cubs, a semi-pro team from that era.

Due to the short-lived nature of the league and the lack of top talent, the West Coast Negro Baseball League was not among the leagues whose stats and records Major League Baseball integrated into its record books last month.

Notable San Francisco Sea Lions players in history

The most notable player in Sea Lions history is Toni Stone, who joined the team during its barnstorming tour. Stone was the first female to play on a men's professional baseball team, but ultimately left over a pay dispute because she believed her male teammates were being paid more than she was.

Other notable players include one-armed outfielder (yes, you read that right) Jesse Alexander; Jim Hamilton, the team's shortstop and leading hitter who would later play for the Kansas City Monarchs; and Herald "Beebop" Gordon, a right-handed pitcher that was born in Birmingham, the site of tomorrow's Rickwood Field game.

The Sea Lions also had a player by the name of Willie Mays, though he was unrelated to the late, great, Hall-of-Famer of the same name.

Be sure to tune in to Thursday's game at Rickwood Field to learn more about the Sea Lions, the St. Louis Stars, and the history of Negro Leagues baseball. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:15 ET on Fox.