Last month, the City of Modesto and the Modesto Nuts announced that the 2024 season will be the last at John Thurman Field. Unable to agree on a lease extension, the Nuts are now seeking new short-term and long-term homes. This decision marks a potential end to Modesto’s rich history of hosting professional baseball.
Professional baseball in Modesto began in 1946 with the city's entry into the California League. Over the decades, John Thurman Field has seen countless future Major League stars, including Hall of Famers like Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, and Rickey Henderson. The ballpark on the west side of town has been the heart of Modesto's baseball legacy.
The Modesto A’s (as they were known at the time) were the sole reason I moved to Modesto in November 2000. A few years into my minor league baseball career, I was looking for my next opportunity. My journey took me from Asheville, North Carolina, to Davenport, Iowa, and finally to Modesto. Each move was driven by the presence of a minor league baseball team, but Modesto became more than just another stop; it became home.
Today, there are only 120 communities in North America with an affiliated minor league baseball team, and it appears that number will continue to dwindle. From November 2000 to November 2018, I spent the majority of my waking hours at John Thurman Field. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that no one has spent more time at John Thurman Field since its renovation in 1997 than I have.
I have many great memories of the players who played at John Thurman Field during my time both with and against Modesto. I recall Randy Johnson pitching on Easter Sunday, Nolan Arenado as a superstar in the making at third base, Pablo Lopez being the nicest person I have met in baseball (and a helluva pitcher), and Mitch Canham (a tremendous leader and manager) guiding the Nuts to a California League championship in 2017.
2017 California League champion Modesto Nuts
While my career began with a passion for baseball, it flourished because of the profound impact a minor league team can have on a community. John Thurman Field hosted countless birthdays, weddings, graduations, and even end-of-life celebrations. It was a gathering place where smiles and memories were more important than wins and losses.
My fondest memories involve the dedicated staff who made everything possible at John Thurman Field. From the front office team, often hailing from across the country, to the gameday staff, including high school students and retirees, everyone worked tirelessly to make Modesto proud.
John Thurman Field is where I found my passion and where my career flourished. I had a passionate love/hate relationship with the stadium. We had some amazing times and events, but the ballpark was outdated from the day it was renovated. I often described the ballpark as functional – it had a playing field, seats, concession stands, and restrooms.
Over the years, in conjunction with the City of Modesto, we added amenities such as new scoreboards and hospitality areas to enhance the fan experience. However, the City, the owner of the facility, was always reluctant to keep the ballpark up to Major League Baseball standards. The facility was assessed every three years and consistently fell below the required standards. Around 2020, the minimum standards for all Minor League stadiums increased substantially. Deferred maintenance, in addition to enhanced requirements, led to a reported $30 million price tag to get John Thurman Field compliant and suitable for professional baseball.
The reality is that John Thurman Field is in the bottom five of professional baseball stadiums in the country. Investing $30 million into the facility wouldn’t improve the rankings much nor would it make it more than just a functional ballpark. Cities across the country are facing the same dilemma: invest in an aging ballpark to keep affiliated baseball or lose their status as one of 120 communities with a team.
As a citizen, I can understand the decision not to invest $30 million into an aging facility. As a business owner, I can also understand why the Seattle Mariners, the owners of the Nuts, balked at investing $30 million into the stadium. The impasse at a long-term solution for the hefty price is not difficult to understand.
Having said that, I take issue with the short-term approach the City of Modesto has taken regarding John Thurman Field. During my time with the Nuts, I negotiated three separate long-term leases with city officials. They were all difficult but fruitful negotiations that left both parties with wins and losses – a good indicator of a fair and reasonable lease. Despite the challenges, we ensured that professional baseball was secure and profitable for a long time. The last lease I signed with the City called for an annual rent of $70,000 – a manageable fee for a below-average ballpark. Prior to the 2023 season, and well aware of the significant upgrades necessary to meet the bare minimum standards of Major League Baseball, the City of Modesto increased the rent to approximately $300,000 annually. A 300% increase in rent for a run-down facility only tells me that the City of Modesto no longer wants professional baseball in our community. No baseball team (independent, collegiate, or otherwise) can run a profitable operation in that facility under those terms.
If City leaders and elected officials have decided that baseball is no longer a priority for Modesto, that is their prerogative. However, it would be more respectful to the community to communicate this openly rather than sending a rushed press release with weak talking points. It’s okay to believe that the community might thrive without minor league baseball, but transparency would allow everyone to understand and appreciate the reasons behind such a decision.
A reasonable lease could have allowed the Nuts to stay for another year or two, providing time to find a new facility and giving the community a chance to celebrate and say farewell properly. The impact of losing professional baseball in Modesto is profound, affecting not just the fans but the entire community that has rallied around this team for decades.
John Thurman Field was the place for fun where family entertainment was number one. It deserved a better ending!
Click below to hear the song played when the gates have opened for every Modesto Nuts game at John Thurman Field!
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