John Thurman Field
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| Former names | Del Webb Field (1955–1983) |
|---|---|
| Location | 601 Neece Drive Modesto, California 95351 |
| Coordinates | 37°37′22″N 121°00′03″W / 37.622658°N 121.000814°W |
| Owner | City of Modesto |
| Operator | City of Modesto |
| Capacity | 4,000 (Baseball) 7,500 (Concerts) |
| Field size | Left Field: 312 feet Left-Center: 393 feet Center Field: 400 feet Right-Center: 370 feet Right Field: 319 feet Backstop: 30 feet |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1954 |
| Opened | April 15, 1955 |
| Renovated | 1997 |
| Construction cost | $3.93 Million (renovation) |
| Architect | L.D. Astorino & Associates, Ltd. (renovation) |
| General contractor | Acme Construction Company (renovation) |
| Tenants | |
| Modesto Nuts (CL) (2005–present) | |
John Thurman Field is a stadium in Modesto, California. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Modesto Nuts minor league baseball team of the California League. It was built in 1955 and holds 4,000 people. It was later named for California State Assemblyman John E. Thurman, from Modesto.
History
[edit]Originally named Del Webb Field, the Modesto ballpark was renamed for state assemblyman John Thurman in 1983 and underwent over $3.93 million worth of renovations prior to the start of the 1997 to keep it up to California League standards.[1]
After the city and the Seattle Mariners were unable to come to terms on who would pay for the roughly $32 million in improvements to John Thurman Field mandated by Major League Baseball, the Nuts planned to leave Modesto after the 2024 season.[2] However, the city and the Nuts came to an agreement in August 2024 to keep the team in Modesto for another year. The Nuts will pay an annual rent of $600,000, and an additional $75,000 will go towards improving the field. A long-term lease agreement must be reached by April 1, 2025, or the team could leave following the season.[3]
Notable events
[edit]On April 7, 2007, left-hander Randy Johnson made an appearance for the Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate, then called the Visalia Oaks. Johnson's appearance sparked a media frenzy and helped the Nuts draw over 5,000 fans for that day's game.[4] On June 22, 2019, it was the first Mexican Concert which was performed by Regulo Caro, Ramon Ayala and Banda El Recodo
References
[edit]- ^ Knight, Graham (May 28, 2005). "John Thurman Field". Baseball Pilgrimages. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- ^ Valine, Kevin (July 10, 2024). "Nuts Are Playing Their Last Baseball Season in Modesto, Team Says. Here's Why". The Modesto Bee. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ Nobert, Matthew (August 28, 2024). "Modesto Nuts Gets Another Year of Play with City Council Decision". Fox 40. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- ^ Suchon, Josh (April 8, 2007). "Unit Makes First Rehab Start with Visalia". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
External links
[edit]- Modesto Nuts: John Thurman Field
- City of Modesto: John Thurman Field
- John Thurman Field Views - Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues