Bakersfield’s Sam Lynn Ballpark has seen its share of local baseball history. From the original Bakersfield Badgers to the long tenure of the Bakersfield Dodgers and the Blaze, it’s played host to future major league stars like Pedro Martinez and Mike Piazza. Today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots, a look at the park’s colorful history, and the unusual feature that makes it a challenging venue.
Sam Lynn Ballpark opened in April, 1941, with game featuring the Bakersfield Badgers versus the Fresno Cardinals, in the inaugural season of the California League. Today you’ll find the park next to the Kern County Museum on Chester Avenue, near the Kern River. Back then, it was part of the old Kern County Fairgrounds. Aerial photos show the park was built inside the former horse racing track.
It was named for the owner of the local Coca-Cola bottling company, Sam Lynn, who helped found the California League, only to die in 1940. In 2016, Sam Lynn was posthumously inducted into the inaugural class of the California League Hall of Fame, alongside stars like Reggie Jackson and Fernando Valenzuela.
The park’s most famous – or perhaps infamous – design feature involves its orientation. When standing at home plate, batters look directly into the setting sun. It’s claimed that Sam Lynn Ballpark is one of only two ballparks in professional baseball to face into the sun. The design has led umpires to pause many games while the sun goes down, to help ensure the safety of the batters.
Today the park is home to the Bakersfield Train Robbers of the Pecos League.
