The Tri-City Dust Devils (High-A; Northwest League) are the latest team to address MiLB’s upgraded facility specs, as the team is signing a 20-year lease with Pasco that includes Gesa Stadium improvements.
The team, like every other team in the Northwest League, is facing a double challenge: they transitioned from a limited Short Season A season to a full High-A schedule without adequate ballparks, and then MiLB upped the ante by introducing new facilities standards.
In the case of the Dust Devils, the new lease includes the necessary Gesa Stadium improvements to ensure compliance with new MLB player facility standards. That includes expanding both clubhouses (home and visitors) featuring updated training facilities and new nutrition areas will be incorporated. Additionally, a new weight room facility will be constructed onsite behind the home clubhouse. More ballpark upgrades are planned for future seasons.
“Every Minor League Baseball team strives to have a strong partnership with their city. Since our ownership group arrived in 2004, we have enjoyed plenty of success in becoming great partners with the City of Pasco,” Derrel Ebert, Vice President-General Manager of the Dust Devils said via press release. “It is very exciting to enter into another lease agreement that puts us on a great path to continue providing fun and affordable family entertainment for the Tri-Cities community.”
Image courtesy Tri-City Dust Devils.