Bend Rainbows

The Hawaii Islanders, a loose affiliate of the California Angels playing at the Triple A level, sought to leverage their extensive fan base and success in recent years to make the move to the MLB.

The name was chosen due to its connection to the teams's Hawaiian parent club and as an homage to the abundant rainbow trout in the Bend area.

During his career in the Major League Silvera won 6 World Series titles with the New York Yankees, serving as the backup catcher to Yogi Berra.

The 1970 roster was highlighted by Bend native and relief pitcher Ed Cecil, who was purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies before the season.

As a result, the Islanders refused to commit to Bend unless they could get enough players loaned from other minor league teams to allow the Rainbows to turn a profit.

When asked about his goals in both acting and baseball, Russell replied that he wanted to be the first Academy Award winner to make the Major Leagues.

Despite finishing first in their half of the division and the presence of Russell, the Rainbows experienced a drop in attendance in 1971, worsening the financial strain that the team was already under.

The Rainbows played their home games at Municipal Ball Park in the south end of Bend,[12] today's Vince Genna Stadium.