SALINAS, Calif. - Dogged by the worst attendance in the league and frustrated by Kern County’s failure to replace the oldest stadium in the league, the owners of the Bakersfield Blaze are exploring plans to move the Class A team to Salinas.
The Blaze have committed to play in the aging Sam Lynn Ball Park in 2015 – the season starts in April – but are drawing up plans to play in Salinas in 2016. On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Reds severed ties with the team, leaving it unaffiliated with any major league organization.
Primary Blaze owner D.G. Elmore said Wednesday night he is studying plans to construct a stadium in Salinas for the team with private funds. He said the new stadium would be ready by the 2016 season.
A measure on November’s ballot asks Salinas voters to approve a bond that could possibly be used to promote baseball in the community.
Salinas, the seat of Monterey County, is on Highway 101 about an hour south of San Francisco.
An architect and construction management firm have already been contracted for stadium designs and cost estimates, according to a statement by Doug Yount with the City of Salinas.
"We are excited by the potential of this opportunity, but there are still numerous hurdles that need to be overcome," Elmore said. "We are hopeful we'll see a groundswell of support within the community of Salinas and the entire Monterey Bay region in the coming weeks."
Despite the Bakersfield Blaze's positive performance on the field last season, game attendance ranks the lowest in the league, with 827 fans per game on average.
In comparison, the Inland Empire 66ers, another team in the California League owned by Elmore, averages 2,838 fans per game.
KGET Sports Director Lina Washington will have a complete report on the story on Thursday.
The Blaze have committed to play in the aging Sam Lynn Ball Park in 2015 – the season starts in April – but are drawing up plans to play in Salinas in 2016. On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Reds severed ties with the team, leaving it unaffiliated with any major league organization.
Primary Blaze owner D.G. Elmore said Wednesday night he is studying plans to construct a stadium in Salinas for the team with private funds. He said the new stadium would be ready by the 2016 season.
A measure on November’s ballot asks Salinas voters to approve a bond that could possibly be used to promote baseball in the community.
Salinas, the seat of Monterey County, is on Highway 101 about an hour south of San Francisco.
An architect and construction management firm have already been contracted for stadium designs and cost estimates, according to a statement by Doug Yount with the City of Salinas.
"We are excited by the potential of this opportunity, but there are still numerous hurdles that need to be overcome," Elmore said. "We are hopeful we'll see a groundswell of support within the community of Salinas and the entire Monterey Bay region in the coming weeks."
Despite the Bakersfield Blaze's positive performance on the field last season, game attendance ranks the lowest in the league, with 827 fans per game on average.
In comparison, the Inland Empire 66ers, another team in the California League owned by Elmore, averages 2,838 fans per game.
KGET Sports Director Lina Washington will have a complete report on the story on Thursday.