[1] When the modern California League was founded in 1941 as a Class "C" minor league, the Fresno Cardinals were a charter member, the others being the Anaheim Aces, Bakersfield Badgers, Merced Bears, Riverside Reds, San Bernardino Stars, Santa Barbara Saints, and Stockton Fliers.

The Cards finished 104–43 for a .707 won-lost percentage, 5+1⁄2 games ahead of the San Jose Red Sox for the season as a whole.

In addition, a large percentage of the population of Fresno and the surrounding area consisted of transplants from the states of Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas, who arrived with a natural affinity for the Cardinals.

The San Francisco Giants, Oakland A's, Los Angeles Dodgers and other teams sent players and coaches to the dinner regularly as part of their winter hot stove league tours.

Tom McGurn ran the ballclub (source: Fresno Bee death notice, October 24, 1989, retrieved July 11, 2014) from 1957 to 1978.

Bill Thompson,[5] who had formerly teamed with Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons announcing San Francisco Giants radio broadcasts from 1965 to 1975,[6][7] was hired as general manager in 1978 and was there when the Greater Fresno Youth Foundation sold the team to Modesto-based Save Mart Supermarkets president Bob Piccinini in 1982.

After the 46-year-old Euless grandstand was condemned because of structural defects and the team lost its long working agreement with the San Francisco Giants, Yuill reportedly sold it to Dave Kramer, a Van Nuys businessman, for $615,000 in 1988.

Kramer suffered major financial losses as the team was forced to rent portable bleachers and trailers to house its dressing rooms, concessions and offices at Euless.

In addition, the Fresno Suns operated as a co-op, with players supplied by several major league clubs and the Hanshin Tigers of Japan.″ Up to 1988, Fresno and the San Francisco Giants held the longest continuous working agreement in all of minor league baseball, 30 years.

[citation needed] Without a working agreement, operating independently as the Fresno Suns in 1988, and lacking an adequate park, the team finished near the bottom of the standings and drew only 34,734 patrons, less than half the league average.

[10] Grizzlies games were played at Pete Beiden Field on the Fresno State campus until a new downtown ballpark, Chukchansi Park, was finished for the 2002 season.

[13] After the Cardinals affiliation ended in 1957, the name was changed to John Euless Park[14] for John Euless,[15] a local proponent of professional baseball who was associated with the Greater Fresno Youth Foundation and instrumental in keeping pro baseball in Fresno[16] by leading the charge to build the ballpark.

[20] The ballpark is adjacent to FCC's Ratcliffe football stadium and across Blackstone Avenue from the current Fresno City College campus.

Most Valuable Player: 1946 Tommy Glaviano, 1952 Larry Jackson, 1958 O'Neil Wilson, 1964 Ollie Brown, 1972 Skip James, 1974 Gary Alexander, 1986 Ty Dabney Pitcher of the Year: 1985 Charlie Corbell Rookie of the Year: 1949 John Romonosky, 1956 Nelson Chittum, 1964 Masanori Murakami, 1974 Jack Clark, 1986 Ty Dabney Manager of the Year: 1955 Roland LeBlanc, 1956 Ed Lyons, 1964 Bill Werle, 1968 Dave Garcia, 1974 John Van Ornum, 1980 Jack Mull, 1985 Wendell Kim National League Most Valuable Player: George Foster, 1977 Cincinnati Reds Gold Glove Winners: Randy Hundley, Chicago Cubs 1967, Bobby Bonds, San Francisco 1973–74, Garry Maddox, Philadelphia 1975-76-77-78-79-80-81-82, Dwayne Murphy, Oakland 1980-81-82-83-84-85, Will Clark, San Francisco 1991, Robby Thompson, San Francisco 1993 Rolaids Relief Man Award: Jeff Brantley, Cincinnati 1996 Roberto Clemente Award: Garry Maddox, Philadelphia 1986 Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award: Gary Matthews, San Francisco 1973 Silver Slugger Award: George Foster, Cincinnati 1981, Jack Clark, St. Louis 1985 & 1987, Matt Nokes, Detroit 1987, Will Clark, San Francisco 1989 & 1991, Robby Thompson, San Francisco 1993 National League Manager of the Year: Hal Lanier, 1986 Houston Astros Former Fresno Giants in bold.