Bakersfield will begin a new era of baseball tonight, when the Bakersfield Train Robbers (independent; Pecos League) play their home opener.
The Train Robbers are the new tenant that is moving into Sam Lynn Ballpark, the former home of the Bakersfield Blaze (High A; California League), a team that played at the facility through last season before departing as part of the California League/Carolina League realignment. Thursday will mark the beginning of the Train Robbers’ stay at the facility, as they are scheduled to face the Monterey Amberjacks in their home opener.
The shift from affiliated to independent baseball will represent a change for both Sam Lynn Ballpark and Bakersfield at large, which had a decades-long run in the California League. Thus far, however, it seems that the Train Robbers are settling into the community. More from Bakersfield.com:
“Any time you’re new anywhere, the first impression is a good thing to do,” said manager Bill Moore, a veteran of several Pecos League stops. “We haven’t made an impression on anybody yet, but the few exhibitions we’ve had, I think they enjoyed what they saw.”
Moore also thanked locals for their support in finding host families for all the Train Robbers families.
“Bakersfield the community has really opened up to us,” he said.
Bakersfield is not the only former California League market that will field a team in the Pecos League this season. The High Desert Yardbirds are moving into Adelanto Stadium, which was home to the High Desert Mavericks from 1991-2016.