‘Very pleased’: Visalia Rawhide will not be relocating

VISALIA, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – The Visalia Rawhide, one of the Arizona Diamondbacks minor league teams, has reached an agreement with Visalia to upgrade their current ballpark and will continue playing in the city.

This agreement comes almost eight months after the team could have faced relocation following the Tulare County Superior Court handing down a decision for the city’s lawsuit against the team .

On Jan. 3, the Visalia Rawhide posted on social media saying that the City of Visalia filed a lawsuit against them and it ensured a stalemate over the ballpark upgrade obligations.

In that statement that was posted, it said the judge did not rule in favor of either party regarding whether the city is obligated to ensure compliance with Major League Baseball (MLB) rules for stadium standards.

But now, the City of Visalia says they have reached an agreement with the team to upgrade Valley Strong Ballpark, where the team plays, to meet current Major League Baseball (MLB) facility standards.

This agreement, the city says, is enabling Visalia to continue to host professional baseball in the community. Minor League Baseball has been a part of the city since 1946.

“We are very pleased with the city’s cooperation to reach an agreement that will work for both parties. We also know that these improvements will be greatly beneficial to the players who cross the plate in Visalia,” said Sam Sigal, President, and Co-Owner of the Visalia Rawhide.

Visalia’s Mayor Brian Poochigian says the settlement would keep the stadium as a thriving part of the community. He says he appreciates the financial commitments the Rawhide is making.

The city says they will be implementing long-term maintenance projects including replacing the fence and batter’s eye, lighting upgrades, and major improvements to the clubhouse and batting cages.

The Visalia Rawhide has also committed to significant financial contributions that will assist with the expenses of the projects, according to the city.

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