Following the 1983 season, Bob and Margaret Bavasi purchased the struggling Walla Walla, Washington, based Blue Mountain Bears.[3] Antiquated facilities compounded by dwindling attendance in Walla Walla prompted the new owners to move the franchise. The Bavasis, who had secured affiliation with the San Francisco Giants, ultimately selected Everett as the relocation destination.[4] Playing as the Everett Giants, the club was affiliated with San Francisco for eleven years until 1994. After the 1994 season, Everett signed a player development contract with the Seattle Mariners as their Class A Short Season affiliate and adopted a new unique name, the AquaSox. Since the 2021 season, the team has played at the High-A classification as a Mariners affiliate, initially in the High-A West.[5][6] In March 2022, the High-A West was rebranded back to the Northwest League, as MLB moved to revert all of its Minor Leagues to their historical names.[7]
Stadium
Due to the Northwest League's reclassification in 2021 as a High-A league, which included an expanded schedule and new venue requirements, the AquaSox began exploring a replacement for Funko Field. In September 2022, the City of Everett and Snohomish County approved funds to study a new stadium, which is estimated to cost $80 million and seat 3,500 spectators.[8] A site adjacent to Angel of the Winds Arena in downtown Everett was selected for the study; other proposed sites included the Everett Mall, Kasch Park, and a city-owned lot near Interstate 5.[9][10]
On December 18, 2024, the Everett City Council voted to select the downtown Everett site for a new baseball stadium that meets the updated MLB standards and could host a United Soccer League team. The site is between Pacific and Hewitt avenues on the east side of Broadway.[11] The stadium is estimated to cost a minimum of $102 million, of which $10 million would be paid by the AquaSox; up to $95 million in public funding sources were identified in the study, including state grants and municipal bonds.[12][13] The stadium's design is scheduled to be completed in 2025 or 2026, with plans to open in time for the 2027 Northwest League season.[13]
Identity
One of the team logos, used on road caps and jerseys, is based on the "trident" insignia used by the Mariners in the early 1980s (rotated to look like the letter "E" for Everett, instead of "M" for Mariners). Their mascot is Webbly, a frog.[14] According to long-time team radio broadcaster Pat Dillon, "The frog is a cross between a Pacific tree frog and a Central American red-eyed tree frog—and Brooks Robinson."[15] Previously, the mascot for the Everett Giants was a giant hot dog named Frank.
