Palm Springs Stadium

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Palm Springs Stadium is a stadium in Palm Springs, California. It is primarily used for baseball formerly named Angels Stadium and was the home field of the Palm Springs Suns of the Western Baseball League in 1995 and 1996. After renovation efforts, Palm Springs Stadium is the home field of the Palm Springs Power of the collegiate-level Pacific Southwest Baseball League since 2004. In Nov. 2006, the Palm Springs Power announced they switched leagues for the 2007 season.

The ballpark had a capacity of 5,185 people and opened in 1949. From 1961 to 1992, it hosted spring training for the California Angels under team owner Gene Autry, also a part-time resident. Their class-A minor league affiliate, the Palm Springs Angels of the California League played good "in the heat" from 1986 to their last season, 1993.

Three other teams played in the stadium, the Palm Springs Promise of the California Collegiate League folded quickly in 1994. The Cal League's Modesto A's played 20 home games that year, and the Riverside Pilots done the same in 1995 (the Pilots are now the Lancaster Jethawks).

For awhile, the only bond with the major leagues was softball. But the Pepsi All-Star softball game went to nearby Cathedral City in 1998 at the Field of Dreams complex. The Palm Springs Heat of the Western States Football League had lackluster games in the 1993 season with a 4-10 record before they folded operations.

The current status of Palm Springs stadium is murky. The city council refused to pay for renovation in the past, when Sonny Bono then mayor of Palm Springs shown little interest. As a result, baseball was lost and teams went, and locals debated whether baseball can survive in an area known for summer heat and more local interest in golf and tennis.

It's a possible site of interest for the Golden Baseball League. But, the current tenant's (the Power) games drew in more fans and local media than other teams. There's talk of a four-team winter league in the Coachella Valley, with teams in Cathedral City, California, Indio, California and Palm Desert, California in relatively small baseball facilities.