Solano Steelheads
Encyclopedia
The Solano Steelheads were a minor league baseball
team operating out of Vacaville, California
. They played in the independent Western Baseball League
, and were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball
team.
The Steelheads were founded in 1999 as the Sacramento
Steelheads by businessman Bruce Portner. They played their inaugural season at Sacramento City College
. Portner sought to attract attention to the new franchise by hiring notorious MLB star Pete Rose
as "the hitting instructor" of the team.
The Steelheads were relatively successful in the WBL standings in 1999. Sacramento's sports fans largely chose to ignore the home venue, which was located on the grounds of Sacramento City College
, and hence, prevented from serving alcohol. Many area baseball fans were content to wait for the relocation of the Pacific Coast League
Vancouver Canadians
to Raley Field
.
Rather than contend directly with AAA-level baseball, Portner moved his team west to Vacaville, where he built Travis Credit Union Park
on the grounds of the historic Nut Tree. Marketing efforts portrayed the team as a Rockwellian slice of Americana, and Solano County fans responded positively to a professional team of their own. The 2000 and 2001 seasons were successful, in terms of both attendance and profit. 2001 saw a renovation of Travis Credit Union Park that included replacing benches with bucket seating. The ballpark was further improved by the start of the 2002 season with a new permanent concession facility and picnic area.
Due to the City of Vacaville's failure to honor the promised removal of a significant financial condition imposed on Portner when he built the stadium with his own money, Portner was forced to sell the stadium at a fire sale price and ultimately had to place the team in bankruptcy to reorganize its debts.
Legal issues and financial obligations became overwhelming and coupled with the decline of the Sonoma County Crushers, another of the WBL flagship organizations, the Western Baseball League was dealt a critical blow, and folded shortly after the 2002 season.
The Solano Thunderbirds
, a college league team succeeded the Steelheads as Travis Credit Union Park's primary tenant but has never shared in the excitement or crowds enjoyed by Portner's Steelheads drawing less than 100 people to most of its games.
Due to the poor management of the Solano Thunderbirds owned by Curtis, Susan and Byrant Stocking, they ran up debt in the millions of dollars and were forced to close down the Thunderbirds leaving Vacaville with no baseball team.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team operating out of Vacaville, California
Vacaville, California
Vacaville, California is a city located in the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area in Solano County. The city is nearly half way between Sacramento and San Francisco on I-80. It sits approximately from Sacramento, and from San Francisco...
. They played in the independent Western Baseball League
Western Baseball League
The Western Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in the Western United States and Western Canada. It's member teams were not associated with any Major League Baseball teams. It operated from 1995 to 2002....
, and were not affiliated with any Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team.
The Steelheads were founded in 1999 as the Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
Steelheads by businessman Bruce Portner. They played their inaugural season at Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College is a two-year community college located in Sacramento, California. SCC is part of the Los Rios Community College District and had an enrollment of 25,307 in 2009. Sacramento City College is officially accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges , offering...
. Portner sought to attract attention to the new franchise by hiring notorious MLB star Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
as "the hitting instructor" of the team.
The Steelheads were relatively successful in the WBL standings in 1999. Sacramento's sports fans largely chose to ignore the home venue, which was located on the grounds of Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College is a two-year community college located in Sacramento, California. SCC is part of the Los Rios Community College District and had an enrollment of 25,307 in 2009. Sacramento City College is officially accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges , offering...
, and hence, prevented from serving alcohol. Many area baseball fans were content to wait for the relocation of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
Vancouver Canadians
Vancouver Canadians
The Vancouver Canadians are a minor league baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadians are the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The C's have previously affiliated with the Oakland Athletics between 2000-2010. They are the only Canadian team in the...
to Raley Field
Raley Field
Raley Field is the home of the Sacramento River Cats minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League. Raley Field was built on the site of old warehouses and railyards, in West Sacramento, California, USA across the Sacramento River from the California State Capitol.The privately financed...
.
Rather than contend directly with AAA-level baseball, Portner moved his team west to Vacaville, where he built Travis Credit Union Park
Travis Credit Union Park
Travis Credit Union Park was a stadium in Vacaville, California. It was primarily used for baseball and was the home field of the Solano Steelheads of the Western Baseball League and later the Solano Thunderbirds...
on the grounds of the historic Nut Tree. Marketing efforts portrayed the team as a Rockwellian slice of Americana, and Solano County fans responded positively to a professional team of their own. The 2000 and 2001 seasons were successful, in terms of both attendance and profit. 2001 saw a renovation of Travis Credit Union Park that included replacing benches with bucket seating. The ballpark was further improved by the start of the 2002 season with a new permanent concession facility and picnic area.
Due to the City of Vacaville's failure to honor the promised removal of a significant financial condition imposed on Portner when he built the stadium with his own money, Portner was forced to sell the stadium at a fire sale price and ultimately had to place the team in bankruptcy to reorganize its debts.
Legal issues and financial obligations became overwhelming and coupled with the decline of the Sonoma County Crushers, another of the WBL flagship organizations, the Western Baseball League was dealt a critical blow, and folded shortly after the 2002 season.
The Solano Thunderbirds
Solano Thunderbirds
The Solano Thunderbirds were an independent collegiate wood bat baseball team based in Vacaville, California, in the United States. They were owned by Curtis, Susan and Byrant Stocking and played their home games at Travis Credit Union Park in Vacaville...
, a college league team succeeded the Steelheads as Travis Credit Union Park's primary tenant but has never shared in the excitement or crowds enjoyed by Portner's Steelheads drawing less than 100 people to most of its games.
Due to the poor management of the Solano Thunderbirds owned by Curtis, Susan and Byrant Stocking, they ran up debt in the millions of dollars and were forced to close down the Thunderbirds leaving Vacaville with no baseball team.