Between 1960 and 1993, New Orleans was one of the largest cities in the United States without professional baseball. Aside from the one year in which the New Orleans Pelicans (of the American Association) played in the Louisiana Superdome, baseball action in the Crescent City was relegated to the exploits of the Tulane Green Wave and the University of New Orleans programs.

As MLB was preparing to expand with the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins for the 1993 season, the onus was on the Denver Zephyrs' owners to hunt for a new home for the franchise.


Based in Denver since 1955, the Zephyrs were a household name in minor league baseball, winning seven American Association championships and being the training ground for baseball legends such as Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, and Barry Larkin.

At the conclusion of the 1992 season, Denver Zephryr owners reached an agreement with New Orleans attorney Robert Couhig to relocate the franchise from Denver to the Crescent City. And while it seemed as if Couhig was set on changing the name of the relocated franchise, the name Zephyr also fit well with New Orleans, as it was the name of the former roller coaster at the defunct Pontchartrain Beach amusement park.

During the first four years of the franchise in the Crescent City, the Zephyrs, who still kept their working agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers, played on the campus of the University of New Orleans at Privateer Park, which seated roughly over 5,000 fans. In this period, the team achieved back to back third place finishes in 1993 and 1994 before falling back to the pack in their final two seasons at UNO.

In 1997, a new era began as the New Orleans Zephyrs moved to suburban Metairie and Zephyr Field and began its affiliation with the Houston Astros. The first season at the new ballpark saw the team reach the playoffs for the first time in their new city, where they would lose in the first round of the playoffs. After moving to the Pacific Coast League the following season, the Zephryrs again reached the postseason, winning the AAA World Series over the Buffalo Bisons in four games. The victory gave the city its first ever national championship and marked the first title of any kind for New Orleans baseball since the old Pelicans baseball team won the 1934 Southern Association pennant.

Today, the Zephryrs continue to excite New Orleans baseball fans as an affiliate of the Miami Marlins. 

Ryne Hancock is a New Orleans sports fanatic whose writing has appeared on Bro Jackson, The Bleacher Report, and a number of other sports and lifestyle publications. He also hosts the weekly Saints-themed podcast The Poydras Street Report on BlogTalkRadio and appears as a regular guest on other sports programs.