Visalia Rawhide

Visalia Rawhide
Founded in 1946
Visalia, California
Team logoCap insignia
Class-level
Current Class A - Advanced (1990–present)
Previous Class-A (1975–1989)
Class-C (1946–1962)
Minor league affiliations
League California League
Division North Division
Major league affiliations
Current
Minor league titles
League titles (2)
  • 1971
  • 1978
Division titles (1)
  • 2015
First half titles (1)
  • 2016
Team data
Nickname
  • Visalia Rawhide (2009–present)
  • Visalia Oaks (1995–2008, 1977–1992)
  • Central Valley Rockies (1993–1994)
  • Visalia Mets (1968–1975)
  • Visalia White Sox (1962)
  • Visalia Athletics (1960–1961)
  • Visalia Redlegs (1957–1959)
  • Visalia Cubs (1954–1956, 1946–1952)
  • Visalia Stars (1953)
Ballpark Recreation Park
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
 Top of the Third, Inc
Manager J. R. House
General Manager Jennifer Pendergraft

The Visalia Rawhide are a minor league baseball team in Visalia, California, U.S. They are a Class A - Advanced team of the Arizona Diamondbacks operating in the California League and have recently agreed to renew their affiliation through 2016.

The Rawhide play their home games at Recreation Park which opened in 1946 and seats approximately 2,700 fans. In 2009, the City of Visalia completed a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion of Recreation Ballpark supported by a 10-year lease with the ballclub, the longest lease in franchise history.

After two years of fan surveys, polls, focus groups, and direction by players, the team announced a name change to the Visalia Rawhide, representing one of the richest agricultural regions in the world and the top dairy-producing area in the country. This change went into effect for the 2009 season; for the previous fourteen seasons, the team was known as the Oaks.

Casey Jones/Casey at the Bat

The Visalia Ballclub also keeps alive the tradition of the Mighty Casey, the main folklore hero of "Casey at the Bat" and the "Mudville Nine", even wearing the old-fashioned Mudville Nine uniforms once per season as part of a turn back the clock promotion.

Visalia is one of the 4 oldest cities of the Cal League, along with San Jose, California (the San Jose Giants/Bees); Modesto, California (the Modesto Nuts/A's) and the previous past in Lodi, California north of Stockton which goes back 70 years to 1941.

Mascot

The Visalia Rawhide mascot is a Holstein Bull named Tipper. Tipper was introduced on October 15, 2008. Tipper represents the tens of thousands of Holsteins in Tulare County, the top dairy-producing area in the country. Tipper's home is a ballpark barn - a 40' x 20' red barn which is part of the outfield fence - doubles carom off the side of the barn, and home runs land on the roof, leading to a new twist on the old baseball adage "couldn't hit the broadside of the barn" which now represents weak hitters instead of wild pitchers. The traditional red barn was built as a "community barn raising" to raise awareness for Habitat for Humanity and stand as an icon for the agricultural heritage of the valley.

Major league affiliates

The Rawhide has been affiliated with numerous Major League franchises. The most recent are the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, Oakland A's, Tampa Bay Rays, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Radio broadcast

The Rawhide are heard terrestrially on KJUG AM 1270 and over the internet through their website www.rawhidebaseball.com


Hall of Fame Alumni

Randy Johnson

Kirby Puckett (1983) Inducted, 2001

Notable Visalia alumni

  • Tom Kelly (1979-1980, MGR) 1991 AL Manager of the Year; Manager: 2 x World Series Champion - Minnesota Twins (1987, 1991)
  • Evan Longoria (2006) 3 x MLB All Star; 2008 AL Rookie of the Year
  • Max Scherzer (2007) 5 x MLB All-Star; 2 x Cy Young Award (2013 AL, 2016 NL)'
  • Barry Zito (1999) 3 x MLB All-Star; 2002 AL Cy Young Award

Pop culture

As a minor league affiliate of the Oakland A's at the time, the Visalia Oaks were mentioned twice during the 2011 movie Moneyball (which took place in 2002).

In the 1988 film Bull Durham, Visalia was mentioned as a potential managing job for aging catcher Crash Davis, played by Kevin Costner.

In the 1994 film Little Big League, a Visalia Oaks pennant can be seen hanging on the wall in the main characters' bedroom.

Roster

Visalia Rawhide roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 31 Miguel Aguilar
  • 39 Jose Almonte
  • 14 Ryan Atkinson
  • 36 Nick Baker
  • 21 Kirby Bellow
  • 23 J.R. Bradley
  • 33 Justin Donatella
  •  8 Cameron Gann
  • 32 Bud Jeter
  • 22 Keegan Long
  • -- Yoan López
  • 17 Austin Mason
  • 37 Mason McCullough
  • 26 Cody Reed
  • 40 Trevor Simms
  • 19 Bo Takahashi

Catchers

  •  9 Tyler Baker
  • 12 Francis Christy
  • 16 Matt Jones

Infielders

  •  1 Sergio Alcantara
  • 20 Austin Byler
  • 24 Henry Castillo
  •  2 Galli Cribbs
  • 27 Marty Herum
  •  5 Daniel Lockhart

Outfielders

  • 34 Grant Heyman
  •  4 Matt McPhearson
  • 13 Jason Morozowski

Manager

Coaches


7-day disabled list
* On Arizona Diamondbacks 40-man roster
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporary inactive list
Roster updated June 6, 2017
Transactions
→ More MiLB rosters
→ Arizona Diamondbacks minor league players

Alumni

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