A surprising move by the Seattle Mariners. The team acquired a 51% stake in the Modesto Nuts, now the Advanced A team of the Colorado Rockies. The Mariners on their turn are affiliated with the Bakersfield Blaze, which is currently leading the California League North Division. The reason behind this move is that the Mariners…
A feasibility study about the possibility of a minor league ballpark in Fayetteville had a positive outcome for the city. According to the study 4,500 seat ballpark could be created. The study also stated that 88% of the interviewed persons said that they would likely go to a game in the new ballpark in the…
The minor league season barely has started or there is news about another extension of a player development contract. This time the Oakland Athletics and the Stockton Port (A-Advanced affiliate in the California League) extended their cooperation through the 2020 season. The current contract will expire after this season, so apparently the A’s are very…
The High Desert Mavericks will play at Stater Bros Stadium in 2016. Early January, the city of Adelanto nullified the lease contract that both parties signed in 2012. According to the contract, the Mavs had to pay only one dollar rent per year. According to the city this was an abuse of public money, a…
The High Desert Mavericks, A Advanced affiliate of the Texas Rangers in the California League, reveiled their new jerseys for the 2016 season. Even when the home field situation of the team is still unclear, the prepartions for the upcoming season are in full swing. The team will sport two home jerseys and two road…
Yesterday you could see the commemorative logo of the Califonria League that celebrates its diamond anniversary. It is not the only entity that celebrates its 75th year of existence. The Bakersfield Blaze celebrate the fact that in 1941 the first professional team settled in Bakersfield as charter member of the California League. Just like the…
Today the California League presented the commemorative 75th anniversary logo next to the news that the league will host the Carolina League in the All Star Game. This year the California League will celebrate its 75th anniversary. Founded in 1941 as a class C league the league folded during the 1942 season because of the…
Yesterday in the article about the history of the California League, I wrote about 2010 plans that optioned a move of the High Desert Mavericks and the Bakersfield Blaze to the Carolina League. Both teams have a difficult time to stay afloat and currently it is hard to move elsewhere as city councils are not…
Through the decades there have been several leagues that named themselves California League. The first one started in 1886 and lasted through 1889. The second league, that carried the name started in 1891 and lasted a year. The third edition only lasted the 1893 season before a fourth lasted five years from 1898 through 1902….
A couple of months ago, you could read an article about how the Bakersfield Blaze plan to move to Salinas balked. Eventually Salinas in the Monterey Bay Area was named as a possible location. But now that plan has been shot down, another old discussion flares up again. Around 2010 there was a serious discussion…
