Top Menu

Bakersfield to examine future baseball moves

With the current assumption the Bakersfield Blaze (High Class A; California League) will be out of town after the 2009 season as part of a shift of two franchises to the Carolina League, city officials are asking what could be done to get baseball back.With the current assumption the Bakersfield Blaze (High Class A; California League) will be out of town after the 2009 season as part of a shift of two franchises to the Carolina League, city officials are asking what could be done to get baseball back. We know the independent Golden Baseball League has its eye on the Bakersfield market and Sam Lynn Ballpark, so we don’t think there will be a summer without baseball. The larger issue, though, is Sam Lynn Ballpark. It’s an older facility, but not older in a good way: the ballpark orientation is toward the west (meaning fans and batters must look into the sun for the first half of a game), and the revenue opportunities there are limited, to be sure. There have been various plans for a new ballpark over the years, including a downtown facility and one shared with Cal State Bakersfield. Honestly, with the Cal League shrinking by two teams, we don’t see any affiliated team moving to Bakersfield any time soon, and the only way discussions begin is if there’s a new facility on the docket. On the flip side, we’re guessing the GBL could do OK sharing a new ballpark with Cal State Bakersfield. More from the Bakersfield Californian.