Image of Valley Strong Ballpark via Visalia Rawhide.

The future of the Visalia Rawhide baseball team is uncertain after a recent ruling in Tulare County Superior Court.

A Rawhide owner said in a statement that a stalemate over ballpark upgrade obligations will remain unresolved after the court decision in the City of Visalia’s lawsuit against the team.

Judge David Mathias didn’t rule in favor of either party in regards to who is obligated to ensure compliance with Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium standards.

President and Co-Owner of the Visalia Rawhide Sam Sigal said he was disappointed the ruling did not clarify the City’s obligations as owner of Valley Strong Stadium.

“While we wished there was a more favorable ruling, we still believe the City has obligations to make health and safety improvements to their stadium as outlined in the lease,” Sigal said. 

A result of the decision could be the team relocating to another city if the ballpark is not brought into compliance. According to MLB, teams will not remain in cities that do not maintain compliant stadiums. 

MLB extended its compliance deadline to April 2024 after Rawhide ownership filed for a special extension in its attempt to work out an agreement with the City. It is uncertain if MLB will extend Visalia’s compliance deadline a second time. 

Before Christmas, the city filed a lawsuit against the Rawhide claiming it was not responsible under its lease to maintain compliance with MLB facility standards. The lawsuit was in response to an MLB audit that revealed a significant amount of deficiencies at the City’s stadium, including player safety issues. 

“We are committed to keeping the Rawhide in Visalia, but can’t do that without a willing civic partner,” Sigal said. “When we were told that the City was fine losing baseball, we didn’t believe that lined up considering the Rawhide’s positive impact to our local economy and decades of community support. But without support from City leadership, the future of professional baseball in Visalia is at stake.”

Last year, the City of Visalia filed a lawsuit against the Rawhide, claiming they were only responsible for up to $200,000 per year for facility improvements under a section of the lease, according to a Sun Gazette story, which reported the upgrades could cost $7-11 million. The judge later noted that the city was mistaken about its financial obligations, according to the article.

“It is also not true, as the City contends, that the City’s monetary obligations are always clearly capped in the lease,” Mathias wrote. “Contrary to the City’s representation in its closing brief, section 6(b) regarding ‘Major Maintenance’ does not appear to set any cap on the City’s financial obligation for the items described in that section.”

Visalia has been home to a Minor League Baseball team for nearly 80 years starting in 1946 with the Visalia Cubs. Throughout the years, the Rawhide have played under a number of names, most recently the Visalia Oaks, which became the Rawhide in 2009.

The Rawhide said the 2024 season will not be impacted and that tickets will go on sale March 5. The home opener is April 9 against the San Jose Giants.

The Sun Gazette reported that city leaders are hopeful to strike a compromise.

“Visalia is proud of our 77-year history as the home of a minor league baseball team,” Visalia Mayor Brian Poochigian said. “Hopefully the recent court ruling will bring First Pitch Entertainment, LLC and the City back to working with the agreed upon mediator to reach a reasonable solution to continuing this great Visalia tradition.”