larger view larger view larger view larger view

As the close of the 67th California League regular season comes to an end, so does another year closer to the end of a Bakersfield baseball era. A club that has had over 200 former and current major league ball players is on the edge of extinction, but it’s not the first time.

A simple stroll around the ballpark's outdoor concourse shows banners of players like Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale, who began his professional career in Bakersfield in 1954. Hanging from the walls of Sam Lynn Ballpark are banners of Pedro Martinez, Mike Piazza, Eric Karros, and Johnny Callison. Most recently Texas Rangers second year sensation, Josh Hamilton, hailed his start in a Blaze uniform.

Over the past 67 years the Bakersfield franchise has seen its share of changes. In 1968, the Bakersfield Bears switched affiliations from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Los Angeles Dodgers and took the Dodgers nickname. In 1976, Bakersfield and Visalia dropped out of the California League and the Dodgers switched affiliates to Lodi. In 1984, the Bakersfield Mariners switched affiliations from the Seattle Mariners to the Dodgers and again took the Dodgers nickname. In 1995 the Dodgers switched affiliates to the San Bernardino Spirit and Bakersfield became a co-op team known as the Bakersfield Blaze. Since 1997 Bakersfield has been the A affiliation for the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and to present the Texas Rangers.

So the news and rumors surrounding the recent departure of the club after the 2009 season should come at no great surprise to anyone. So blame it on a sub par ballpark or the multitude of other speculations about the teams move, but it all comes down to this.

Despite what Blaze Owner D.G. Elmore says. I personally feel that shifting the blame to the Cal League inciting that the decision is beyond him, is nothing more than a weak attempt to shift the blame to the league and the Rangers Ball Cub rather than to admit that the Ownership is not intent on staying in Bakersfield.

Earlier this year, Condors owner Jonathan Fleisig acknowledged that he had expressed interest in buying part of the team to Elmore but was only rejected in his attempt to keep the Blaze in Bakersfield. Only part ownership or a partnership was proposed, Fleisig said.

I have personally attempted to get seek out answers, regarding the possible Blaze relocation, by contacting the Elmore Sports Group. I have searched their website. To date have had no response or acknowledgement. The fact of the matter is the Bakersfield Blaze are nowhere to be found on their organizations website, questioning the ownerships interest in their Bakersfield franchise at all.

Now some you are going to rant and rave that I am not being fair. Well you may be right, but before you all dog pile me. I equally put as much blame on the City of Bakersfield and Kern County. Maybe Bakersfield could learn from the city of Visalia who have already started see some dividends after deciding last year to commit $11.6 million to spruce up Recreation Park in order to keep Minor League Baseball in town.

Long time Blaze supporter and season ticket holder, Mayor Harvey Hall has been going to baseball games in the stadium since 1948. He has served as a batboy, scoreboard operator and PA announcer for the various minor league teams that have been in the ballpark. He was quoted in 2004 saying, "We want to have a minor league baseball team, and they can't exist without the fan support,” The mayor also addressed talk of a new stadium replacing the poorly built and situated present facility. "You can't have a new stadium until you have a team on the field and you have fan support," he said.

Well that may be true, but you won't have fan support until you have a ballpark that will maintain any legitimate affilitation, as well as attracting new fans to boost attendance. Sam Lynn Ballpark although full of history and lore, has become a dilapidated ancient relic, and lets face it. Who cares about the Texas Rangers?

Does anyone see the problem here? Or is it just me?

Lets face it. The current agreement between the city and the ownership, the ownership and the Cal League and the Cal League and the Texas Rangers is all wrong. Everyone wants something from someone else, and no one else is willing to give it. So is it too much to ask that a cooperative plan be put in place to save professional baseball in Backwardsfield? 

If we peer back to the Golden Age of baseball in Bakersfield, it demonstrates the love for Bakersfield Baseball. In 1955, a civic-minded businessman and some baseball fans came to the rescue of the Bakersfield franchise when the Brooklyn Dodgers ended their two-year agreement with the club. They subscribed $28,500, at $100 per share, establishing a locally owned corporation that sustained the club and saved minor league baseball for the city of Bakersfield. 

In closing it’s the fans and the residents of Bakersfield that get burned by the Blaze on this one. Once again, we are at the mercy of greedy ownership and bureaucratic incompetence. Baseball fans will not mourn the passing of the Blaze, but the rich tradition that has been part of the Bakersfield landscape for almost three quarters of a century.