429:, the story begins: "Preliminary work of grading and planting grass seed was under way today by the county work relief department within the mile track at the fairgrounds in preparation for the 1941 baseball season, when Bakersfield will be represented in a Class C professional league. Present plans call for moving lights over from the softball diamond, constructing dressing rooms, and depending largely the present grandstand for seating facilities." In that era, night games across America were usually scheduled for 8 or 8:15 PM starts thus it really didn't matter, except for tradition, which way the ballparks faced, especially in the lower minors when ballparks were built pretty rapidly with WPA funding. It wasn't until the 1970s that starting times across America began moving earlier, first 7:30 then later around 7:15 PM.
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delay took place on July 3, 1996 and lasted three minutes. Since 1997, the game's first pitch during the summer months takes place after the sun sets and is based on a timetable that has been updated annually by the official scorer. During this part of the season, the time of the game's first pitch ranges from 7:15 PM to 7:45 PM. A large steel and sheet metal screen (125 by 50 feet) was constructed in left-center field, but it only offers a minimal amount of help since the measurements for the sun screen were taken during the off season prior to 1993 when the setting sun was not a factor.
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There have been calls to replace Sam Lynn
Ballpark since the 1980s, but serious considerations have only come along since the rise of numerous California League teams building top-rate facilities, such as Rancho Cucamonga, Lancaster, Lake Elsinore, Stockton, Adelanto (High Desert), and San Bernardino
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Due to the setting sun creating a potential hazard for batters, night games were scheduled for several decades with an 8:00 PM start. Years later, night games were scheduled for earlier starting times then delayed in progress until the sun had set and it was safe for the batters. The last in-game sun
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Sam Lynn
Ballpark originally featured a covered wooden grandstand that was demolished in 1993 and replaced with the current concrete main stand. It has the shortest center field in all of professional baseball at 354 feet from home plate. The outfield wooden wall is 15 feet high and, in right field,
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In 2012, new owners of The Blaze announced plans for a new stadium; scheduled to open in 2014. Unfortunately, funding needed for this new ballpark was not completed by the agreed-upon date, and the team's ownership then reverted to the previous owner. In August 2016, the
California League announced
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Sam Lynn
Ballpark's playing field was renovated for the 2006 season. The first-base (home) dugout has been expanded to hold more players, though many still sit on a bench outside of the dugout. The third-base (away) dugout retains its original smaller design prompting most players to either sit on
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The question of the ballpark's strange construction was finally solved by Kevin
Eubanks, then-editor of Bakersfield Life Magazine. Eubanks, a former public address announcer for the Bakersfield Blaze, discovered documentation that stated that the ballpark was built inside the one-mile oval horse
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the front edge or an adjacent bench located in foul ground.. Starting the 2015 season, the
Mariners organization opted to swap dugouts, placing the home team on the opposite side of the permanent seats. This was not met with enthusiasm by the fans or by sponsors.
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there is a catwalk that is located under the current electronic scoreboard. The site of the catwalk used to be the location of a hand-operated scoreboard. The catwalk remains, and any ball hit onto it is a home run.
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There are several large illustrations of former star players who played in
Bakersfield that greet fans as soon as they walk into the ballpark. Some of the former players honored on canvas include Hall of Famer
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Prior to the start of the 2006 season, the bullpens, previously located behind the stands and hidden from the view of the teams playing the game, were moved into foul territory. Due to this change, the overall
438:(Inland Empire). The City of Bakersfield and Kern County have both been presented with proposals to build a new facility, and both refused to finance it. This caused the then-Major League parent club
248:). This forces the Train Robbers to start most games later than any team in professional ball. From mid-June to mid-August, games can begin as late as 7:58 PM.
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It is one of two ballparks in organized professional baseball where the batter faces west, causing them to directly face the sun (the other being
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of the ballpark was reduced by 700 general admission bleacher seats, from 4,200 to 3,500.
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bottling company who donated much of his income to youth baseball leagues in the area.
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to relocate their
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The following is a list of
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and are not affiliated with any team in Major or Minor League Baseball.
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560:"Bakersfield becomes home to the Train Robbers in the Pecos League"
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519:"Previous Owner Reclaims the Blaze; League Looking for a New City"
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Bakersfield did not field teams in 1943, 1945, 1980 and 1981
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Sam Lynn Ballpark was named for the former local owner of a
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that the Blaze would not be returning for the 2017 season.
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The legend of the backward ball park | Bakersfield Life
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Sam Lynn Ballpark's faces west (into the setting sun).
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and was the oldest ballpark of the Class-A Advanced
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213:(also known as "Historic" Sam Lynn Ballpark) is a
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229:. The ballpark's current tenant is called the
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498:. Minor League Baseball. January 23, 2007
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418:racing track at what was the original
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23:"Historic" Sam Lynn Ballpark
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496:"Sam Lynn Ballpark History"
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69:35.397556°N 119.022384°W
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74:35.397556; -119.022384
459:Las Vegas, New Mexico
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395:Mike Piazza
391:Eric Karros
186:) 1941–2016
125:Right Field
115:Left Field:
72: /
60:119°01′21″W
47:Coordinates
590:Categories
469:References
344:1995–2016
336:1984–1994
328:1982–1983
320:1978–1979
312:1968–1975
304:1957–1967
288:1946–1955
280:1941–1942
127:: 328 feet
122:: 354 feet
111:Field size
57:35°23′51″N
389:, NL ROY
360:Structure
253:Coca-Cola
217:venue in
166:Renovated
132:: 50 feet
325:Mariners
293:Boosters
215:baseball
130:Backstop
117:328 feet
102:Capacity
93:Operator
33:Location
530:May 31,
502:May 31,
401:History
333:Dodgers
317:Outlaws
309:Dodgers
285:Indians
277:Badgers
174:Tenants
137:Surface
433:Future
351:note:
272:Years
204:) 2022
158:Opened
341:Blaze
301:Bears
296:1956
140:Grass
85:Owner
41:93301
532:2014
504:2014
461:and
269:Team
169:1994
453:'s
244:in
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476:^
202:PL
193:PL
184:CL
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