The California League celebrates its 76th season in 2017. For the first time since 1996, the mid-summer Advanced-A classic will be an intra-California League contest with All-Stars comprised of the North and South Divisions.

It’s the first time since 1989 and only the second time overall that the All-Star festivities will be hosted in Visalia.

“Baseball has been an integral part of the fabric of the city of Visalia for over 70 years, and we’re excited to see how the local community has already embraced the All-Star Game coming to Visalia,” said Rawhide General Manager Jennifer Pendergraft. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to host this prestigious game, and to showcase our community and the improvements that have been made to Recreation Ballpark to everyone in the California League.”

The festivities will begin with the All-Star Fan Fest on Monday, June 19th at 6pm. The Fan Fest will feature a Charity Beep Baseball Game to benefit the Blind Babies Foundation of Tulare County and a Hitting Challenge for local high school baseball & softball players, where the contestants will have the chance to win scholarship prizes. The Fan Fest will wrap up with the traditional Homerun Derby and Skills Competitions among the All Stars. There will be autograph and photo sessions throughout the event to give fans the chance to meet the future big-leaguers in person. Each attendee will receive a free All-Star cowbell courtesy of (insert sponsor here).

The North and South Division All-Stars will take to the field on Tuesday, June 20th for a 7pm game, which will be followed by a post-game fireworks show. While the game itself is the marquee event of the All-Star Festivities, the Rawhide will host a pre-game ceremony to induct the second class of California League Hall of Famers (still to be named), giving fans a chance to see some of the greatest stars in California League history from the closest seats to the field of play in professional baseball.

“I have been filtering calls for tickets ever since it was announced that Visalia would host the All-Star Game in July of last year!” said Rawhide Director of Ticketing, Heather Dominguez. “Fans from all over California have added themselves to our waiting list, and are planning on traveling to Visalia to attend the event. There is a lot of excitement built up around the All-Star Game already. We will definitely sell out early!”

Pendergraft also emphasized, “We are hosting all of the All-Star players, coaches, and league executives in Downtown Visalia hotels, and are pushing them to downtown restaurants. We want the economic impact of this event to the businesses in our local community to be undeniable. The Downtown, City, and other partners are all ready for the celebration to begin!”

2017 marks the 71st year of baseball in Visalia at Recreation Ballpark and the 11th season as the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Arizona Diamondback in the California League. For more information or tickets call 559-732-4433 or visit Rawhidebaseball.com.

The post California League All Star Game and Fan Fest Tickets Now On Sale appeared first on Valley Voice.

Courtesy of an 8-3 victory over the Bakersfield Blaze at Sam Lynn Ballpark on Tuesday, June 14, the Visalia Rawhide have officially clinched the California League’s First-Half North Division Championship in 2016.

The Rawhide will earn a first round bye in the California League Playoffs come September thanks to their effort and it marks the second consecutive time the Rawhide have earned First-Half Division Championship honors and only the second time since 1990 that the franchise has clinched the first half. Visalia has now brought home three straight half division championships and the first-half title in 2016 is the ninth first-half championship in franchise history and 22nd half-title overall.

Reigning California League Manager of the Year JR House will guide the Rawhide back to the postseason for the second year in a row since taking over and for the Rawhide franchise this will be the fourth straight year of qualifying for the post season.

Visalia’s postseason road begins on Saturday, September 10 at Rawhide Ballpark and continues with game two on Sunday September 11. The Rawhide will then travel for games three and four on Monday, September 12 and Tuesday, September 13. Home field advantage for game five (if necessary) will be awarded to the team with the best overall record at the end of the 2016 regular season.

However, It’s been 38 years since the Rawhide have won a California League Championship and the spirit of a key reptilian figure is to blame. Over the past three-and-a-half decades. Visalia’s professional baseball club has suffered a litany of misfortunes. They’ve reached the Cal League’s finals nine times, but have lost all nine.

Clearly, luck has not been with Visalia, but is there more to it than that?

The 1978 Visalia team was one of the best in minor league history; dominated the league, winning 97 games and losing only 42. They scored over 1,000 runs, batted over .300 as a team, had two 18 game winners on their pitching staff, and defeated Lodi in the Finals for the Championship. They had multiple stars, but one man was the heartbeat of the team: Joe Charboneau. “Super Joe” as fans called him, batted .350 for Visalia, earning admiration and awe for his daring exploits on and off the field. Two years later, he would be named American League Rookie of the Year and become a cult figure in Cleveland. Charboneau was the life of every party in the summer of ‘78, and was famously willing to do or try nearly anything, including drinking beer through his nose and pulling his own tooth.

Did we mention he owned a pet alligator. Why yes, in fact, he did! It’s name was Chopper. It was Brazilian, and it lived in Joe’s bathtub. Chopper, by all accounts, was a good-natured, even-tempered young reptile. Except when he tried to bite his owner. Or eat a teammate’s kitten. Not long after, Chopper decided he’d had enough of being restricted to an aquarium. He made a heroic leap out of the water, and towards the sweet ground of freedom. He missed. Instead of making his escape. The raging gator hit his head on the tank, and passed from this life. Visalia, it turned out, could not contain him. Is it a coincidence that things haven’t been the same for Tulare County’s only professional sports team since Chopper’s tragic and untimely death? Is it possible that his angry spirit still haunts Rawhide Ballpark, causing misfortune to repeatedly befall the ballclub? Join us during 2016 California League Playoffs and find out!

2016 marks the 70th year of baseball in Visalia at Recreation Ballpark and the 10th season as an Arizona Diamondback affiliate in the California League. For more information or tickets call 559-732-4433 or head to Rawhidebaseball.com. You can follow the Rawhide on Twitter (@VisaliaRawhide), Facebook (TheRawhide), Instagram (@visaliarawhide) and Snap Chat (visaliarawhide).

The post Rawhide Clinch First-Half North Division Title in 2016 appeared first on Valley Voice.