High Desert Mavericks

History

In 1991, the Riverside Red Wave relocated north to the city of Adelanto, part of the Victor Valley metro area in California's High Desert region, where they were renamed the High Desert Mavericks. The Mavericks played their home baseball games at Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium (known as Stater Bros. Stadium from 2007 to 2014 and Mavericks Stadium until 2007) which opened in 1991 and seats 3,808 fans. The ballpark, next to Hwy 395, is known to be an extreme hitter-friendly venue which tended to inflate home run totals drastically. As a result, offensive statistics for High Desert players were discounted for comparative purposes, while the reverse was the case for statistics accumulated by High Desert pitchers.

On November 29, 2010, High Desert Mavericks were sold to Main Street Baseball after more than a year on the open market. Rumors had the team possibly relocating to Chico, California, if a new proposed ballpark had been built there. Although it was later reported on August 12, 2012, the Mavericks would be staying in the High Desert through the 2015 season and possibly through 2018.

In January 2016, the Adelanto City Council voided the team's lease at Heritage Field. The Mavericks were able to continue for the 2016 season at Heritage Field. However, on August 22, 2016, the California League announced the Mavericks would not return for the 2017 season and would cease operations.

Before the California League announced the Mavericks would not return, rumors had the Mavericks relocating and joining the Carolina League in Kinston, North Carolina, while keeping the Rangers affiliation. However, Minor League Baseball also announced on August 22 that two expansion teams would join the Carolina League in 2017 with the new Kinston team taking over the Rangers affiliation at the A-Advanced level from the Mavericks.

In their final game, the High Desert Mavericks defeated the Visalia Rawhide 7–4 on September 17, 2016, to capture the California League championship.

The final championship completed a bookend for the Mavericks who won the title in 1991, their first year of existence, and in 2016, their final year of existence.

The Mavericks' Luke Tendler hit the final California League home run in Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium and the Mavericks history with a solo home run shot in the bottom of the 8th inning.

In March 2019, the city and the Mavericks' owners settled a lawsuit brought by the owners over the city's 2016 attempt to void the stadium lease, with the city paying $3.8 million to the team owners.

Achievements

• The Mavericks are the only team in California League history to win championships in the years that their major league parent clubs also came into existence.
• The Mavericks were the first team in California League history to have cheerleaders. The Maverick Girls would perform dance numbers on top of the dugouts in between innings.
• On June 28, 2009, the Mavericks performed two historic feats on one day. They combined with the Lake Elsinore Storm to set a California League record for combined runs scored (51) in a 33–18 loss, and outfielder James McOwen broke the California League record for longest hitting streak, hitting safely for the 36th straight game.

Notable High Desert Mavericks alumni

• Rod Barajas
• Nick Bierbrodt
• Bruce Bochy (inaugural manager)
• Craig Breslow
• Billy Butler
• Howie Clark
• Jack Cust
• Greg Halman
• Robby Hammock
• J. J. Hardy
• Corey Hart
• J. P. Howell
• Shawn Kelley
• Travis Lee
• Cory Lidle
• Javier López
• Matt Mangini
• Matt Mieske
• Erick Monzón
• Jay Gainer
• Carl Everett
• Robert Person
• Brad Nelson
• Vicente Padilla
• Brad Penny
• Michael Pineda
• Stephen C. Reich
• Michael Saunders
• Junior Spivey
• Matt Vasgersian (MLB Network Announcer, was the Mavericks first radio announcer 1991)
• Don Wakamatsu (managed Mavs in 1998, was California League Manager of the Year that year; first Asian-American MLB manager)
• Howard Johnson (as manager)
• Brandon Weeden

References

References

1. "Remembering the Riverside Red Wave, 25 years later". The Press-Enterprise.
2. (June 29, 2009). "Monday Dish: High Desert’s Park Strikes Again". Baseball America.
3. (January 11, 2010). "Seattle Mariners Top 20 Prospects for 2010".
4. (November 29, 2010). "Mavs sold to Main Street Baseball". [[Daily Press (California).
5. (August 12, 2012). "Adelanto approves new lease with Mavericks". [[Daily Press (California).
6. (January 26, 2016). "An Open Letter from Mavericks Ownership". High Desert Mavericks.
7. (August 22, 2016). "Cal League to Downsize in 2017". California League.
8. Avallone, Michael. (September 18, 2016). "Mavs wave goodbye with a championship". [[Minor League Baseball]].
9. (September 17, 2016). "High Desert Mavericks finish history in style, with California League championship". [[Inland Valley Daily Bulletin]].
10. (March 12, 2019). "Adelanto, Mavericks Ownership Reach $3.8 Million Settlement". August Publications.