Baseball is Leaving Bakersfield

For the first time in seventy-five years there will be no professional baseball in Bakersfield, California. Minor League Baseball announced that the Bakersfield Blaze and the High Desert Mavericks will be moving to the Carolina League next season, cutting the California League down to eight teams next season.

Today was the last regular season home game to ever be played at the historic Sam Lynn Ballpark, home of Bakersfield minor league baseball since 1941. The Blaze have one more week of baseball to play, but these games will be played on the road. Currently they are in first place so they'll most likely see some playoff games at the old stadium, but these dates are unknown as of this moment.

With this reduction in teams, the California League could end up in jeopardy. This, despite being a successful league and being the home of one of minor league baseball's best selling franchises, the Lake Elsinore Storm. The reduction of the two teams would leave the California league with eight teams, making this league the smallest one in minor league baseball.

Admittedly Sam Lynn Ballpark was a wreck. Home plate faces the west, directly in the eyes of the batter. The franchise placed a green tarp fifty feet high in centerfield, but it doesn't help with the appearance of the stadium. Already the home of a scoreboard that was erected in 1982 and seating that is far from comfortable, what the team really needed was a completely new stadium. There was an attempt in 2012 to do this, but the funding for this fell apart.

There is already a precedent in Bakersfield that a proper venue can attract fans. The Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (minor league hockey) do well, but they also have a state of the art arena.

And it's a shame. Bakersfield as a city should have a baseball team. The city has an estimated 375,000 citizens. Fans will have to drive to Lancaster to catch the Jethawks play or to Los Angeles to catch the Dodgers if they want to see a professional baseball game next season.

“Baseball has had a long and wonderful history in Bakersfield,” said Blaze owner D.G. Elmore in a prepared statement. “I am sorry to see it come to a close.”

Former Bakersfield alumni include Don Drysdale, Pedro Martinez, Steve Yeager, Ron Cey, Mark Langston, Mike Piazza, and so many more. Sure, the new Carolina teams will eventually have a possible spectacular roster of alumni, but the history won't be there. This was a Class C franchise that was home to professional baseball in California before the Dodgers and Giants made their way west.

So as the season comes to a close, it is possible that the Blaze could close Bakersfield's longtime baseball history with their third California League championship. It would be a fitting way to see the team off, but bittersweet as the baseball fans will have no where to go next year with their families.

In the end, it should be interesting to see what will happen to the "Game Today" banner that the team hangs along Chester Avenue. Put up and taken down manually all season long, if left up, will be a painful reminder to the citizens of Bakersfield of the piece of Americana that they lost.

Minor League Baseball's Best Mascots

The play on the baseball field has always been the focus of fans for as long as baseball has been around, but some teams have been able to spice up the game by the antics of their team mascots that represent them off the field and in between innings. Mascots such as the Philly Fanatic and the Padres' Friar have been fan favorites at the Major League level, but Minor League Baseball has been able to beat out their mainstream counterparts.

Almost every team in the minor leagues has a mascot that entertains fans during the games, attends local functions on behalf of the team, and stars in viral videos to boost the awareness of their team's promotional nights. Because of their unique mascots, many minor league fans believe that their favorite minor league teams possess a more entertaining mascot than their big league counterparts.

With this in mind, here are the top mascots in Minor League Baseball.

1. Thunder (Lake Elsinore Storm): The green dog from Southern California is the most entertaining mascot in the minors, let alone in the California League. Thunder can often be seen dancing on the dugouts, giving high-fives to fans before the game, and finding himself distracted while running the bases against kids. The Storm feature multiple mascots that also include Jackpot the Rabbit and Ace the Fastest Squirrel in the World, but Thunder is definitely the head honcho of the Padres' Single-A team. You can tell just by the large shoes he wears.

2. Cosmo (Las Vegas 51s): Cosmo's storyline says he's an alien from the planet Koufaxia who survived a spaceship crash. Since 2001, he has taken over as the mascot for the Mets' Triple-A team and has remained a fan favorite while the wearer of Cosmo's costume grinds it out inside the costume in the Las Vegas heat. To entertain fans, Cosmo has even raced a cow (well a person in a cow costume).

3. Sandy the Seagull (Brooklyn Cyclones): Another Mets' minor league representative, this Single-A team plays in the New York-Penn League and in 2014, Sandy was a finalist for top mascot in Minor League Baseball. Sandy is often found taking pictures with pretty girls and dancing with the team's cheerleaders. The Cyclones are also notorious for their promotional nights that celebrate pop culture successes such as TV's Seinfeld and Curious George from children's books. Sandy becomes a fan favorite for pictures on these nights, taking pictures with people who have dressed up for these special nights.

4. Ferrous (Lehigh Valley IronPigs): This Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies features a pig wearing a baseball jersey with the number 26 on his back (26 is the atomic number for iron). This mascot is perhaps one of the most helpful in the minors. He can occasionally be seen shining the shoes of an umpire between innings. Ferrous has also participated in the famous ALS Ice Bucket Challenge with his girlfriend FeFe, starred in a video teaching people CPR, and even has participated in a homerun derby featuring minor league mascots.

5. Kazoo (Pensacola Blue Wahoos): It's said that aquatic creature took an interest in the Pensacola baseball stadium that was built on the bay in 2012. Kazoo instantly fell in love with the Reds' Double-A franchise in the Southern League and has been their mascot since. Full of energy, Kazoo has been in fights with the Pensacola Ice Flyers' mascot, Maverick, in the middle of a hockey game.

Photo taken by Daniel Millhouse on 7/28/2015

Great Stadium Eats

Whatever the sport, the fan is always number one. They are the ones whom cheer for their teams. They are the ones whom pay for the tickets so their favorite team can afford better players. They are the ones whom become a "twelth man," "sixth man," and whatever else to the players on the field. The die-hards know everything there is about the team and the stadium. They visit multiple times during a year. So what is the best way to make these fans happy? Food.

Many stadiums have unique food they serve, unlike the other teams in their league. This gives local flavor to the team and the taste buds of the fans. Some teams have horrible food and have vendors outside that cook better than the cooks inside -the street vendors that make the sausage sandwiches outside of Staples Center in Los Angeles for one. Even if the food comes from a greasy looking cart, the food has great possibilities.

My first memorable food experience at a stadium was at Angels Stadium, chowing down on lasagnua from an Italian food booth. I loved that lasagnua and found myself sad when the food server was no longer there after the stadium was remodeled and fitted with national names like Panda Express, Ruby's and more. During my pre-teen years, it was probably my favorite Italian food in general and being at a baseball game made it extra special.

At Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, they serve a capicola and cheese sandwich made on Italian bread, and containing provolone cheese, cole slaw, french fries, and of course, the awesome meat calle capicola. It's a heart attack waiting to happen, but I would eat it in a second.

The peach cobbler, served at Atlanta Falcons games, has a reputation of being one of the best dessert items in football. Any why not? Georgia, the state known for their awesome peaches should be known for a dish using these same peaches.

Can a team be known for it's condiments? Yes. Cleveland stadium mustard is probably the best mustard served in the United States. It has flavor, a little bit of brown sugar mixed with a little spice. It's a perfect combined with a brat and beer.

AT&T Ballpark in San Francisco has the reputation of being the best stadium food in sports, especially if you like garlic. They love spreading garlic butter on many of their sandwiches, have world famous garlic fries, straight from Gilroy, California, sourdough bread right from Boudin, and even some of the best hot dogs, soaked in beer.

Also, if you ever get a chance to go to a minor league baseball game, go. If not for the game, for the food. Most teams have unique dishes that will open your eyes. Even the television show Man Vs. Food did a whole show dedicated to minor league baseball game food.

Stadium eats are unique and part of the fun to a ballgame. People aren't usually satisfied with just the Crackerjacks and popcorn. Don't be afraid to try something new, especially a non-national named brand company. Local food is the flavor to every team.

Photo credit: CrazyPaco from Wikipedia.com