Recreation Park

The tranquil setting of Recreation Park, Aug-2004.

The cozy park got new seats and other improvements in 2002.

The view from behind the plate.

• Location: Giddings Street, Visalia, Calif.
• Opened: 1946 (last renovated 2002)
• Home team: Visalia Cubs (1946-52, 1954-56), Visalia Stars (1953), Visalia Redlegs (1957-59), Visalia Athletics (1960-61), Visalia White Sox (1962), Visalia Mets (1968-75), Visalia Oaks (1977-92, 1995-present), Central Valley Rockies (1993-94), California League
• Capacity: 1,612

Rating: 2 baseballs

For a few years, though, including 1994, when I visited on a Saturday night, they were a Colorado Rockies farm club, and the team was known as the Central Valley Rockies. With the Oakland Athletics taking over the affiliation, the team name reverted to the traditional Oaks. Ironically, they are once again a Rockies farm team.

The ownership groups in Stockton and Visalia changed places in 2002. Oaks general manager Jennifer Whiteley advised in 2003 that Recreation Park had undergone a major renovation; on her invitation, I returned in 2004 and took a look. New stadium seats had replaced the benches in the main grandstand, which actually reduced the official stadium capacity (it had been 1,800). In addition, a picnic pavilion has been added down the left-field line, and wrought-iron perimeter fencing has allowed the club to expand the concourse area.

Recreation Park still isn’t a spectacular facility, although additional improvements are in the works, primarily involving new locker rooms. Still, I found watching a game here quite pleasurable.