Remembering the Bakersfield Blaze

Remembering the Bakersfield Blaze

THIS WEEK -- THERE SHOULD HAVEBEENAN OPENING DAY IN MINOR LEAGUEBASEBALL -- BUT I DON'T HEARTAKE MEOUT TO THE BALL GAME OR SEE ANYCRACKER JACKS FOR SALE.

ITSPARTLY CORONAVIRUS' FAULT BUTTHE OTHER HALF --THE BAKERSFIELD BLAZE LEFT TOWNOVER THREE YEARS AGO -- BUT THEMEMORIES HAVE LINGERED.SOT - DAN BESBRIS - BLAZEBROADCASTER2011-2016"THERE WERE REAL PEOPLE THERETHAT LOVED BASEBALLAND LOVED US AND THEY'RE JUSTAMAZING FOLKS THAT SORT OFFOUGHT WITH US TO TRY TO KEEPTHE TEAM THERE AS WELL.WHEN THE BLAZE LEFT IN 2016-- ITLEFT FANSWITHOUT PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL INKERN COUNTY FOR THEFIRST TIME SINCE THE EARLY 80'S- UPSETTING FORMER GM MIKECANDELASOT - MIKE CANDELA"I JUST WISH THERE WASPROFESSIONAL BASEBALL NOWTHERE TO FILL THEIR NEEDS --SOMETHING TO TAKE THEIR MINDSOFF THE WINTER AND THATS WHATBASEBALLS THERE FOR."BUILD IT AND THEY WILL STAY - ANEWSTADIUM THAT IS -- BUT A SITEAND FUNDS WERE NEVER PROVIDEDSOT - DAN BEBRIS -STADIUM"WE STILL HAVE A NEWSPAPERCLIPPINGHERE IN MY HOUSE, WALKINGTHROUGH WHAT ESSENTIALLY IS THEDESERT BUT IT WAS WHERE THEBALLPARK WAS GONNA BE OUT IN THEWEST SIDE OF TOWN.

WHERETHEY WERE GONNA BUILT IT, BUT IKNOW AT THE LAST SECONDINVESTORS GOT COLD FEET AND ITALL CAME CRASHING DOWN.""THE TEAM HAD A TOUGH TIMEATTRACTING FANS FOR YEARS-- BUTWHEN IT ENDED --THEY WERE GIVENA PROPERSEND-OFFSOT- MIKE CANDELA"TOWARDS THE END WHEN IT WASANNOUNCED THE TEAM WASGETTING CONTRACTED, FANS FINALLYSHOWED AND ITWAS A TEARDROP TO THE EYE KINDOF THING."LEGENDS LIKE MIKE PIAZZA ANDPEDROMARTINEZ PLAYED AT SAM LYNNBALLPARK -- THE FRANCHISE ISROOTED WITHHISTORY -- DAN BESBRIS REMEBERSA SPECIAL PLAYER FROM 2012."I MEAN OF COURSE WITH BILLYHAMILTONSPLITTING HIS TIME BETWEENBAKERSFIELD AND PENSACOLA THATYEAR, HE SET THE ALL-TIME RECORDFOR STEALS IN SINGLE SEASON.BILLYHAMILTON IS FROM A SMALL TOWN INMISSISSIPPI AND HE WAS JUST THEFASTEST PERSON ON PLANET EARTH."AS MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLANSTOSHRINK IN VOLUME OF TEAMS -- ITSHARD TO IMAGINE A RETURN TOBAKERSFIELD BUT IFTHE IDEA EVER CAME ABOUTSOT - CANDELA"ABSOLUTELY AND COUNT ME IN ASINTERESTED IN TAKING CARE OFSOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS."TAG - MATT LIVELY"EVEN WITHOUT THE BLAZE, WE'RESTILLWAITING ON THE RETURN OF SPORTSWORLDWIDE, CURRENTLY MAJORLEAGUE BASEBALL IS DISCUSSSINGTWO LEAGUES IN TWO DIFFERNETSTATES,ARIOZNA AND FLORIDA.

GAMES WOULDBE PLAYED AT SPRING TRAININGSITES,THERE WOULD BE NEW DIVISIONS ANDA WORLD SERIES IN NOVEMBER.

FROMSAMLYNN BALLPARK, IM MATT LIVELY,23 ABC SPORTS CONNECTING YOU."STILL AHEAD -- A FINAL LOOK ATYOUR FORECAST