This premium Wichita Pilots Baseball tee celebrates a brief but memorable chapter in Kansas baseball history. The Pilots were a professional baseball team that played just two seasons in 1987 and 1988 in Wichita, Kansas as part of the Double-A Texas League, after the city had gone two summers without baseball following the departure of the Wichita Aeros.
The team gained immediate popularity among local baseball fans when the former Beaumont Golden Gators relocated to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium as a San Diego Padres affiliate. Their inaugural season was particularly memorable as the 1987 Pilots team, under field manager Steve Smith, won the Texas League Championship by defeating the Jackson Mets in a best-of-seven series. This championship was historic as it marked the first time since 1970 that no team from Texas appeared in the Texas League championship series. The team also helped develop future Major League stars Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar, Jr. during their brief existence. Despite these achievements, the franchise was sold after the 1988 season to Bob Rich of Buffalo, New York, who rebranded the team as the Wichita Wranglers prior to the 1989 season.
Our reproduction features the team's iconic logo with an authentically distressed, cracked, vintage feel that honors the original design while giving it that perfectly worn-in look of a treasured game-day shirt from the late '80s.
Product Details:
- Printed on premium Gildan 5000 blanks
- 5.3 oz, 100% preshrunk cotton for comfort and durability
- Classic unisex fit suitable for all fans
- Tear-away label for maximum comfort
- Available in sizes S-5XL
- Multiple popular colors available
- Front logo only (blank back)
- Produced using state-of-the-art direct-to-garment printing technology
Perfect for Kansas baseball enthusiasts, San Diego Padres fans, minor league memorabilia collectors, or anyone who appreciates the brief but championship-filled history of this short-lived franchise.
Own a piece of Kansas baseball history that shined brightly for just two seasons before transforming into something new.