When you walk into the home clubhouse at Dodger Stadium, you immediately notice several things. The most obvious is that it is filled with (almost) 40 guys who are very focused and determined to bring not only a sixth consecutive National League West title to the City of Angels, but also their first World Series Championship since 1988.

But there’s something else abundantly obvious in that Dodgers clubhouse – it is loaded with former Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and Tulsa Driller, the Dodgers Advanced Single-A and Double-A affiliates who just won the California League and Texas League Championships respectively this past weekend.

The 2018 California League Champion Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

For the Quakes, it is their second Cal League Championship in the last four years, having also won in 2015.

But what does winning the Cal League’s (and Texas League’s) highest honor mean to these current Dodgers and former Quakes and Drillers?

Believe it or not, it means a great deal.

“I saw it on Twitter, that’s awesome,” said current Dodgers left-hander Caleb Ferguson, the most recent Quake-turned-Driller-turned-Dodger, who spent the entire 2017 season with Rancho Cucamonga. “I know a lot of those guys, was really happy for them, see a lot of them succeeding. A couple of the guys that are in the [Dodgers] clubhouse now were down there [rehabbing]. Happy to see them back here healthy.

“Yeah, it’s awesome anytime you can win something like that down there and Tulsa,” Ferguson added. “I had a great relationship with [Quakes manager] Drew Saylor and [Drillers manager] Scott Hennessy, so to see both of them succeed is good.”

Dodgers left-hander Caleb Ferguson is the most recent former Quake to make it to the Show. He was pleased when he learned that two of his former minor league teams recently won their respective League Championship Series. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although Dodgers catcher / utility infielder Kyle Farmer was at Rancho before current Quakes manager Drew Saylor was there, he was there for the beginning of the 2015 season when the Quakes won their first Cal League Championship as a Dodgers affiliate, although he did not play in the Championship Series.

“How about the Quakes and Tulsa Drillers too,” said Farmer. “I hadn’t really played with any of the guys on the Tulsa or the Quakes roster, but just being in Rancho – and Tulsa – it’s an awesome town and the clubbies and everybody down there it’s awesome. Tulsa and Rancho are great cities and it’s pretty incredible what they did.”

The 2018 Texas League Champion Tulsa Drillers,
(Photo credit – Kyle Spinner)

One of the (very) few guys who made it from the Advanced Single-A level to the major leagues in the same season is Dodgers phenom right-hander Walker Buehler, who did so during the 2017 season after also having spent time at Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City before making his major league debut with the Dodgers on September 7, 2017.

“Yeah, I heard they won,” Buehler said. “I think any time a team wins a championship it’s huge. It happens like in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and stuff like that. I think that that’s as close to a National Championship or whatever that they’re going to get at Rancho and I think it’s awesome.

“[Drew] Saylor has done a good job there and won a lot of games,” added Buehler. “I guess they got hot at the right time and finished it out.”

Another guy to make it from Rancho to The Ravine is current Dodgers first baseman and 2017 National League Rookie of the Year Cody Bellinger, who is the only current Dodger to have been on that 2015 California League Championship Quakes team.

“Yeah, it’s great,” said Bellinger. “I was there when they won it in 2015, so I know it’s a pretty big deal for the city. I haven’t played with any of the guys there now, but I know that some of them will eventually end up here, probably sooner than later.”

Bellinger received a congratulatory pie in the face after hitting one of several walk-off hits during the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 2015 championship season. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

And then there’s Andrew Toles.

If you don’t want a straight-from-the-heart one hundred percent truthful answer, do not ask Tolsey a question.

When asked if he had heard that the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes had won the Cal League Championship, the extremely popular Dodgers outfielder gave one of those one hundred percent truthful answers.

“Did they?” Toles answered honestly and innocently. “I think I like might know maybe one or two guys there.”

Toles added that he was there during Drew Saylor’s first season at the helm in 2016. He also said that he is eternally grateful to the City of Rancho Cucamonga and even more so to the host family that provided a place for the now 26-year-old Decatur, Georgia native to stay while he was there.

“It was good, man, the host families are great, I had one that I just talked to a little bit,” Toles said. “He’s come up to some of the games [in Los Angeles] and stuff like that. The fan support is good, Dodger fans want to see the up and coming players and that.

“I’m proud of them really,” he added. “Saylor, he’s earning his stripes, so it’s good to see that.”

For you current (and future) Quakes and Drillers, make no mistake about it – you are loved by your alumni.