The California League expanded from 6 teams to 8 teams for the 1947 season and one of those expansion teams was awarded to Ventura after the New York Yankees agreed to field a team in the league and for the first three seasons the team was known as the Ventura Yankees. In 1950 Ventura switched affiliates to the Boston Braves and changed their team name to match their parent club. Following the 1952 season, Ventura lost their Boston affiliation and started a new affiliation with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. For the 1954 season, the Ventura team and the Santa Barbara team combined forces and became the Channel Cities Oilers. Halfway through the 1955 season the Oilers, faced with financial difficulties, folded and Reno took over operations. Cal League Baseball did not return to Ventura until 1986 when the Lodi franchise, who had taken a one year hiatus, moved into town and became the Ventura County Gulls. A lack of stadium lights forced all of their home games to be played in the afternoon which led to the lowest attendance in the league. The team would only last one season, as the team was sold and moved to San Bernardino for the 1987 season.