Modesto’s minor league baseball team is playing its final season after 78 years.
The city and the team could not reach home on an agreement for a long-term lease and so the team’s history is coming to an end. The current lease at John Thurman Field will expire at the end of September.
The Modesto Nuts' beginnings in the city date back to 1946. The team was named the A’s, the Colts and the Reds in years gone by. Through the team’s ranks rose players such as Jose Canseco, Rollie Fingers and Reggie Jackson, plus current stars including Nolan Arenado, Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez.
Sadly, it was money that brought about the final chapter for the Nuts. Sonya Severo with the city said the Seattle Mariners, which owns the franchise, and the city, which owns the stadium, were far apart in negotiations.
“[The] Nuts were paying about $70,000 a year for a lease and the city was supporting up to $120,000 a year for capital improvements,” Severo said. “Being fiscally responsible to our taxpayers, part of that negotiation is making sure that we negotiate a contract that was fair and sustainable for everyone.”
In a statement, Nuts General Manager Veronica Hernandez wrote that the team enjoyed their experience in Modesto and were “disappointed we were unable to agree upon an extension.”
“I know we and the city worked very hard to find common ground and unfortunately were unable to accomplish our goal,” Hernandez wrote.
Severo said the city will look for other alternatives to minor league baseball.
“We’re fully committed to exploring new sports and entertainment opportunities for our residents and quality of life,” Severo said. “Sports and entertainment are a really important part of our daily lives, so we will definitely be moving forward.”
The Nuts became affiliates of the Seattle Mariners in 2017. They've won 10 championships in their history, two as an affiliate of the Mariners, which owns the team.
The Nuts still have about 30 home games left to play in Modesto this season, which will continue until the end of September. The Nuts team attracts about 90,000 fans in attendance over the season.
Neither the city nor the team said where they will play next season.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
