Following the 1965 season the California League expanded from 6 teams to 8 teams. Lodi was selected as the new franchise and became the Lodi Crushers, a Chicago Cubs affiliate. Beginning in 1970, Lodi switched to an affiliate of the San Diego Padres and changed their name to the Lodi Padres.  In December 1971, Nagayoshi Nakamura, the owner of Nippon Pro Baseball's Lotte Orions, bought the Lodi franchise. Starting in 1972 the team became a Baltimore Orioles affiliate and renamed the Lodi Orions. The following season, 1973, the team was renamed the Lodi Lions to match Nakamura's  new Nippon Pro Baseball team, the Nishitetsu Lions. Nakamura sold the team following the 1973 season and the team was renamed the Lodi Orioles for the next two seasons. Starting in 1976 the team switched their affiliate to the Los Angeles Dodgers and renamed the team, the Lodi Dogers for the next 8 seasons. Lodi's final season welcomed back the Chicago Cubs ad their Major League Affiliate and brought back their original team name, the Lodi Crushers. The Chicago Cubs affiliation lasted only one season. Lodi was unable to find a major league affiliate and were forced to sit the 1985 season out. In 1986 the team relocated to Ventura and became the Ventura County Gulls where they played at Ventura College.