{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox Minor League Baseball | name = Bellingham Dodgers | firstseason = 1973 | lastseason = 1976 | allyears = | city = Bellingham, Washington | logo = | caplogo = | class level = Class A-Short Season | league = Northwest League | conference = | division = | past league = | pastmajorleague = Los Angeles Dodgers | pastnames = | pastparks = Joe Martin Field | classchamps = | leaguechamps = | conferencechamps = | divnum = 1 | divisionchamps = 1974 | owner = | manager = Bill Berrier | colors = Dodger blue, white<br>{{color box|#005A9C}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}} }}
The '''Bellingham Dodgers''' were a Minor League Baseball team in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League, based in Bellingham, Washington. The franchise played four season as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1973 to 1976. In 1977 the team would change names to Bellingham Mariners representative of their new parent club.
==History== The franchise arrived in 1973 as the Bellingham Dodgers, affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After three seasons in Medford and one season in Spokane in 1972, the Dodgers moved their Northwest League affiliate to Bellingham for 1973. In their first season the Dodgers posted a record of 42–37. The Dodgers would build upon their initial success. Bellingham went 52–32 on the year to win the West Division title. In the best of three games league championship series, the Dodgers fell to the Eugene Emeralds.
The team gained unwanted national notoriety in 1975 when it opened the season with 25 straight losses;<ref name=dftmls>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=se9LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=V-0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7257%2C5314304 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |last=Hopper |first=Betty |title=Bellingham Dodgers: maybe you can lose 'em all....|date=July 13, 1975 |page=D1}}</ref><ref name=nwlstgs>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=se9LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=V-0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4675%2C5320907 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |title=Northwest League standings |date=July 13, 1975|page=D2}}</ref><ref name=bestrk>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=su9LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=V-0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1909%2C5701582 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Bellingham ends string, starts over |date=July 14, 1975|page=10}}</ref> they finished at {{winning percentage|17|61|record=y}}. The Dodgers would again find themselves at the bottom of the league standings in 1976. Following the season the franchise signed a player development contract with the expansion Seattle Mariners. The Los Angeles Dodgers shifted their short season affiliation to Lethbridge, where they would play as the Lethbridge Dodgers of the Pioneer League.
==Ballpark== The Bellingham franchise played at Joe Martin Field, a venue with a seating capacity near 1,600. The park is currently the home of the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast League.<ref name=bellbelljmf>{{cite web |url=http://www.bellinghambells.com/joemartinfield/history/ |publisher=Bellingham Bells |title=Joe Martin Field |accessdate=September 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901130219/http://www.bellinghambells.com/joemartinfield/history/ |archive-date=September 1, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Season-by-season record== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%" |- !scope="col"|Season !scope="col"|PDC !scope="col"|Division !scope="col"|Finish !scope="col"|Wins !scope="col"|Losses !scope="col"|Win% !scope="col"|Postseason !scope="col"|Manager !scope="col"|Attendance
|- |align="center" colspan="11" style="background:#005A9C; color: white; border:2px solid#FFFFFF"|'''Bellingham Dodgers''' |- |1973 |LAD |South |2nd |42 |37 |.638 | |Bill Berrier |38,396 |- |1974 |LAD |West |bgcolor="#D0E7FF"|1st |52 |32 |.619 |Lost to Eugene in championship series 1-2 |Bill Berrier |30,350 |- |1975 |LAD |North |6th |17 |61 |.217 | |Bill Berrier |21,357 |- |1976 |LAD |South |6th |30 |42 |.416 | |Bill Berrier |23,225 |- |}
{| class="wikitable" border="1" |- |bgcolor="#D0E7FF"|<small>'''Division winner''' </small> |bgcolor="#EEDC82"|<small>'''League champions''' </small> |}
===See also=== *Bellingham Dodgers players (1973–1976)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?city=Bellingham&state=WA&country=US&empty=0 Baseball Reference]
{{s-start}} {{succession box | title = Northwest League franchise | years = 1973-1976 | before = Expansion franchise | after = Bellingham Mariners }} {{s-end}}
Category:Defunct Northwest League teams Category:Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams Category:Professional baseball teams in Washington (state) Category:Baseball teams established in 1973 Category:Defunct baseball teams in Washington (state) Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1976 Category:Sports in Bellingham, Washington