The Long Beach Aces, playing at Blair Field, were managed by Donald Barbara. Barbara had notably been called up to the majors to play infield for the Red Sox during their spring training in 1995, as a replacement player when the rest of the league was still on strike. The Aces had a rough start to the 1997 season, and by August 12th, they had a record of 6 wins and 11 losses. Gina Satriano, who had come to the Aces from the Silver Bullets, was awarded co-Most Valuable Player for the season.
