High Desert Mavericks

High Desert Mavericks
19882016
Adelanto, California
Team logoCap insignia
Class-level
Previous Class A-Advanced (1988–2016)
Minor league affiliations
Previous leagues
California League (1988–2016)
Major league affiliations
Previous
Minor league titles
League titles (4)
  • 1991
  • 1993
  • 1997
  • 2016
Team data
Previous names
  • High Desert Mavericks (1991–2016)
  • Riverside Red Wave (1988–1990)
Previous parks
Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium (1991–2016)

The High Desert Mavericks were an American Minor League Baseball team in Adelanto, California, that played their home games at Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium. They played in the Class A-Advanced California League. The franchise had eight different major league affiliations over its 29 seasons.

History

The franchise was founded in 1988 and was first located in Riverside, California, and known as the Red Wave beginning in 1988. In 1991, it relocated north across the mountains to Adelanto, part of the Victor Valley metro area in California's High Desert region.

The Mavericks played their home games at Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium (known as Stater Bros. Stadium from 2007 to 2014 and Mavericks Stadium until 2007) which opened in 1991 and seats 3,808 fans. The park is known to be an extreme hitter-friendly venue which tended to inflate home run totals drastically.[1] As a result, offensive statistics for High Desert players were discounted for comparative purposes, while the reverse was the case for statistics accumulated by High Desert pitchers.[2]

On November 29, 2010, High Desert Mavericks were sold to Main Street Baseball after more than a year on the open market.[3] Rumors had the team possibly relocating to Chico, California, if a new proposed ballpark had been built there. Although it was later reported on August 12, 2012, the Mavericks would be staying in the High Desert through the 2015 season and possibly through 2018.[4]

In January 2016, the Adelanto City Council voided the team's lease at Heritage Field.[5] The Mavericks were able to continue for the 2016 season at Heritage Field. However, on August 22, 2016, the California League announced the Mavericks would not return for the 2017 season and would cease operations.[6]

Before the California League announced the Mavericks would not return, rumors had the Mavericks relocating and joining the Carolina League in Kinston, North Carolina, while keeping the Rangers affiliation. However, Minor League Baseball also announced on August 22 that two expansion teams would join the Carolina League in 2017 with the new Kinston team taking over the Rangers affiliation at the A-Advanced level from the Mavericks.

In their final game, the Mavericks defeated the Visalia Rawhide 7–4 on September 17, 2016, to capture the California League championship.[7]

The final championship completed a bookend for the Mavericks who won the title in 1991, their first year of existence, and in 2016, their final year of existence.[8]

The Mavericks Luke Tendler hit the final California League home run in Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium and the Mavericks history with a solo shot in the bottom of the 8th inning.[9]

Achievements

Notable High Desert Mavericks alumni

Taylor Stanton pitching for High Desert in 2012

References

  1. Monday Dish: High Desert's Park Strikes Again, Baseball America, June 29, 2009
  2. Seattle Mariners Top 20 Prospects for 2010, Minor League Ball, January 11, 2010
  3. Adelanto approves new lease with Mavericks, Victor Valley Daily Press, August 12, 2012
  4. "An Open Letter from Mavericks Ownership". OurSports Central. January 26, 2016.
  5. "Cal League to Downsize in 2017". OurSports Central. August 22, 2016.
  6. Avallone, Michael (September 18, 2016). "Mavs wave goodbye with a championship". milb.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  7. Reports, Staff (September 17, 2016). "High Desert Mavericks finish history in style, with California League championship". dailybulletin.com. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  8. Reports, Staff (September 17, 2016). "High Desert Mavericks finish history in style, with California League championship". dailybulletin.com. Retrieved September 25, 2016.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/6/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.