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The Bakersfield Blaze were a minor league baseball team in
Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
. They played in the Class A – Advanced
California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...
. They played their home games at
Sam Lynn Ballpark Sam Lynn Ballpark (also known as "Historic" Sam Lynn Ballpark) is a baseball venue in Bakersfield, California and was the oldest ballpark of the Class-A Advanced California League. It was built in 1941 for the Bakersfield Badgers, which began the 1 ...
. Opened in 1941, the stadium is well known for facing the setting sun and its shallow 354-foot center field fence, and seats 3,500 fans. Near the end of the 2008 season, it was rumored that the Blaze would move to the
Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
after the following season. However, Minor League Baseball president Pat O'Conner announced in February 2009 that they would remain in the California League. The Blaze were sold to local Bakersfield businessmen Gene Voiland and Chad Hathaway just prior to the 2012 season. The new ownership renovated Sam Lynn Ballpark in time for Opening Day and announced in November 2012 that a new ballpark would be ready for the 2014 season. However, financing plans for a new stadium failed to meet the $30 million target and team ownership was reclaimed by former owner D. G. Elmore. As a result, the California League began looking for a new home for the team. However, in August 2016, the California League announced that the Blaze would not be returning for the 2017 season. The team played its final game on September 12, 2016. The
Fayetteville Woodpeckers The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and play their home games at Segra Stadium. From 2017 to ...
replaced the Blaze at the Advanced-A level, however the Fayetteville Woodpeckers are not the continuation of the Blaze.


Year-by-year record


Notable former Bakersfield players


Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
alumni

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Pedro Martínez Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25, 1971) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to , for five teams—most notably the Boston Red Sox from to . At the time o ...
(1991) Inducted, 2015 *
Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball tea ...
(1991) Inducted, 2016 *
Don Sutton Donald Howard Sutton (April 2, 1945 – January 19, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 23 seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland ...
(1987) Inducted 1998


Notable alumni

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Pedro Astacio Pedro Julio Astacio (born November 28, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1992–1997), Colorado Rockies (1997–2001), Houston Astros (2001), New York Mets (2002–2003), Boston Red Sox (20 ...
(1990) *
Elvis Andrus Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres (born August 26, 1988) is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Ente ...
(2007) 2x MLB All-Star *
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(2009) *
Larry Bowa Lawrence Robert Bowa (born December 6, 1945) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. Bowa went on to ma ...
(1967) 5x MLB All-Star; 2001 NL Manager of the Year * Phil Bradley (1982) MLB All-Star *
Johnny Callison John Wesley Callison (March 12, 1939 – October 12, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 16 seasons and is best known for the 10 years he spent with the Philadelphia Phillies as a right ...
(1957) 4x MLB All-Star *
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(1969) 6x MLB All-Star; 1981 World Series MVP *
John Danks John William Danks (born April 15, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox. Personal life Danks graduated from Round Rock High School in Texas in 2003 and wa ...
(2005) * Chris Davis (2007) MLB All-Star; 2013 AL RBI Leader * Ivan DeJesus (1971, 1973) *
Don Demeter Donald Lee Demeter (June 25, 1935 – November 29, 2021) was an American professional baseball outfielder, third baseman, and first baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) over all or parts of 11 seasons for the Brooklyn / Los Angel ...
(1954) *
Rick Dempsey John Rikard Dempsey (born September 13, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player.Scott Feldman Scott Wynne Feldman (born February 7, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cincinnati ...
(2005) *
Jonny Gomes Jonathan Johnson Gomes (; born November 22, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and coach. He is the minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He playe ...
(2002) * Juan Guzman (1987) MLB All-Star; 1996 AL ERA Leader *
Tom Goodwin Thomas Jones Goodwin (born July 27, 1968) is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons, primarily as a center fielder, from 1991 to 2004. As a player, he was listed at and ...
(1990) *
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(2011) MLB All-Star * Juan Guzman (1987) MLB All-Star; 1996 AL ERA Leader *
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(2002) 5x MLB All-Star; 2010 AL MVP *
Jason Hammel Jason Aaron Hammel (born September 2, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, ...
(2004) *
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(1991) 1988 NL Cy Young Award *
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(2008) *
Todd Hollandsworth Todd Mathew Hollandsworth (born April 20, 1973) is an American former professional baseball outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). In , he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, setting a record as the fifth consecutive Los Angeles ...
(1992) 1996 NL Rookie of the Year *
Jay Howell Jay Canfield Howell (born November 26, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1980), Chicago Cubs (1981), New York Yankees (1982–1984), Oakland Athletics (1985–1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1988–1992), ...
(1992) 3x MLB All-Star *
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(2008) * Grant Jackson (1962-) MLB All-Star *
Eric Karros Eric Peter Karros (born November 4, 1967) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Karros played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1991 to 2004 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. He was the Nati ...
(1989) 1992 NL Rookie of the Year * Kevin Kennedy (1987, Mgr) *
Lee Lacy Leondaus "Lee" Lacy (born April 10, 1948) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles betw ...
(1970) *
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(1982) 4x MLB All-Star *
Paul LoDuca Paul Anthony Lo Duca (born April 12, 1972) is an American retired professional baseball player and television personality. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers (–), Florida Marlins (2004–, ), New York Met ...
(1994) 4x MLB All-Star * Mike Marshall (1962) 2x MLB All-Star; 1974 NL Cy Young Award * Ramón Martínez (1986) *
Raul Mondesi Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...
(1991) MLB All-Star; 1994 NL Rookie of the Year *
Jon Moscot Jonathan Solomon Moscot (ג'ון מוסקוט; born August 15, 1991) is an American-Israeli former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds in 2015 and 2016, and who played internationally for Team Israel. Moscot ...
(2013) *
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6x MLB All-Star * Jeff Nelson (1986) MLB All-Star *
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(1986, Mgr) 6x MLB All-Star *
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1995 NL Rookie of the Year *
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(1989) 2x MLB All-Star * Tyler O'Neill (2015) *
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(1968) MLB All-Star * Henry Rodríguez (1989) MLB All-Star *
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(1971) *
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(1968) 3x MLB All-Star * James Shields (2003-2004) MLB All-Star * Mario Soto (1988) 3x MLB All-Star *
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(1975) 3x MLB All-Star; 1979 NL Rookie of the Year; 1982 AL ERA Leader; 1984 NL Cy Young Award * John Tudor (1989) *
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(2006-2007) *
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(1986) 3x MLB All-Star; 1996 World Series MVP *
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(2005) 2x MLB All-Star *
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(1963) 2x MLB All-Star *
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(1993) 1986 NL Rookie of the Year *
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(1969)


References

{{reflist


External links


Bakersfield Blaze official website
Baseball teams established in 1941 Baseball teams disestablished in 2016 Sports in Bakersfield, California Cincinnati Reds minor league affiliates Texas Rangers minor league affiliates Tampa Bay Devil Rays minor league affiliates San Francisco Giants minor league affiliates Los Angeles Dodgers minor league affiliates Seattle Mariners minor league affiliates Philadelphia Phillies minor league affiliates Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates Brooklyn Dodgers minor league affiliates Detroit Tigers minor league affiliates Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates Defunct California League teams Professional baseball teams in California 1941 establishments in California 2016 disestablishments in California Defunct baseball teams in California