Jump to content

Visalia Rawhide

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Visalia Rawhide
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassSingle-A (2021–present)
Previous classes
LeagueCalifornia League (1946–present)
DivisionSouth Division
Major league affiliations
Team
Minor league titles
League titles (3)
  • 1971
  • 1978
  • 2019
Division titles (3)
  • 2015
  • 2018
  • 2019
First-half titles (1)
  • 2016
Second-half titles (1)
  • 2024
Wild card berths (1)
  • 2024
Team data
Name
  • 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)
MascotTipper
BallparkValley Strong Ballpark
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
First Pitch Entertainment, LLC
General managerMike Candela & Julian Rifkind[1]
ManagerDee Garner
Websitemilb.com/visalia

The Visalia Rawhide are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Visalia, California, and have played their home games at Valley Strong Ballpark since their inception in 1946.

The team has had nine names, most of which reflected its changing major-league affiliates, most recently the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, Oakland A's, Tampa Bay Rays, and Diamondbacks. They took the name Rawhide in 2009.

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Rawhide were organized into the Low-A West at the Low-A classification.[2] In 2022, the Low-A West became known as the California League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization, and was reclassified as a Single-A circuit.[3]

Casey Jones/Casey at the Bat

[edit]

Once per season, the team wears old-fashioned uniforms recalling Mighty Casey, the main folklore hero of "Casey at the Bat" and the "Mudville Nine", based on the Stockton Ports in Stockton.[citation needed]

Visalia is one of the four oldest cities of the Cal League, along with San Jose (the San Jose Giants/Bees); and Modesto (the Modesto Nuts/A's).

Mascot

[edit]

The Visalia Rawhide mascot is a Holstein Bull named Tipper, 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 broad side 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 stands as an icon for the agricultural heritage of the valley.

Radio broadcast

[edit]

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

Notable Visalia alumni

[edit]

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

Notable alumni

Pop culture

[edit]

As a minor league affiliate of the Oakland A's at the time, the Visalia Oaks were prominently mentioned in the Michael Lewis Book 'Moneyball', and also featured a few times during the 2011 movie Moneyball (which took place in 2002). In one scene, Billy Beane is driving to see the Visalia Oaks during the A's winning streak, and another shows Billy watching video of Visalia Oaks catcher Jeremy Brown tripping and then diving back to first on a ball that turned out to be a home run.

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 character’s bedroom.

Roster

[edit]
Visalia Rawhide roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 15 Casey Anderson
  • 21 Rio Britton
  • 32 Luke Craig
  • 38 Eric Dominguez
  • 18 Jake Fitzgibbons
  • 36 Travis Garnett
  • -- Caden Grice
  • 17 Edgar Isea
  • 12 Denny Larrondo
  • 29 Alexis Liebano
  • 22 Mason Marriott
  • 14 Daniel Nunez
  • 24 Wilkin Paredes
  • 25 Adonys Perez
  • 40 Braden Quinn
  • 31 Rocco Reid
  • 34 Nate Savino
  •  9 Shane Telfer

Catchers

  • 27 Alberto Barriga
  •  7 Kenny Castillo
  • 16 Adrian De Leon

Infielders

  • 19 Demetrio Crisantes
  • 10 Jansel Luis
  • 11 Modeifi Marte
  • 33 Ben McLaughlin
  • 20 Ruben Santana
  • 30 Yassel Soler
  •  8 Cristofer Torin

Outfielders


Manager

  •  2 Dee Garner

Coaches

  •  5 Jaime Del Valle (bench)
  •  4 Brad Marcelino (hitting)
  • 26 Tyler Mark (pitching)

60-day injured list

  • -- Lorenzo Encarnacion (full season)
  • -- Hugh Fisher (full season)
  • -- Yoscar Pimentel (full season)
  • -- Caswell Smith (full season)
  • -- Boris Vecerka

7-day injured list
* On Arizona Diamondbacks 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated September 23, 2024
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • California League
 → Arizona Diamondbacks minor league players

Alumni

[edit]

Minor league affiliations

[edit]
Main article: List of Arizona Diamondbacks minor league affiliates
Level Team League Location Manager
Triple-A Reno Aces Pacific Coast League Reno, Nevada Blake Lalli
Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles Texas League Amarillo, Texas Shawn Roof
High-A Hillsboro Hops Northwest League Hillsboro, Oregon Vince Harrison
Single-A Visalia Rawhide California League Visalia, California Javier Colina
Rookie ACL D-backs Arizona Complex League Scottsdale, Arizona Rolando Arnedo
DSL D-backs 1 Dominican Summer League Boca Chica, Santo Domingo Jaime Del Valle
DSL D-backs 2 Ronald Ramirez

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Personnel News: Visalia, Charleston". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  2. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Visalia_Rawhide&oldid=1248371681"