Baseball Diamonds In The Inland Empire

The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino is a minor league baseball team in San Bernardino, California. They are the Low-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels and play in the Low-A West. The 66ers play home games at San Manuel Stadium. They were members of the California League from 1987 to 2020. Mexican American Baseball in the Inland Empire celebrates the thriving culture of former teams from Pomona, Ontario, Cucamonga, Chino, Claremont, San Bernardino, Colton, Riverside, Corona, Beaumont, and the Coachella Valley. From the early 20th century through the 1950s, baseball diamonds in the Inland Empire provided unique opportunities for nurturing athletic and educational skills, ethnic identity, and political self-determination for Mexican Americans during an era of segregation. Las Debs de Corona served as an important means for Mexican American communities to examine civil and educational rights and offer valuable insight on social, cultural, and gender roles. These evocative photographs recall the often-neglected history of Mexican American barrio baseball clubs of the Inland Empire.