Tour of the CAL / A team-by-team look at the California League

High Desert Mavericks

Adelanto

Club established: 1991, when the franchise moved from Riverside.

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Affiliation: The Diamondbacks’ Class A team.

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Ownership: The team is owned by Brett Sports Inc., with the principal owners being George Brett, the former Kansas City Royal who has been involved in several minor league franchises, and his brother Bobby, the team president.

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Manager: Don Wakamatsu took over this season for former San Francisco Giant Chris Speier, who led the Mavericks to the California League championship in 1997. Wakamatsu directed the Diamondbacks’ Arizona League affiliate, Peoria, to a 22-20 record last season. Originally slated to manage South Bend of the Midwest League, Wakamatsu was shifted to High Desert when Dick Scott decided to become Arizona’s advance scout in the major leagues. Wakamatsu was an All-American catcher at Arizona State.

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Top current prospects: Three of the Diamondbacks’ top pitching prospects are at High Desert. Brad Penny, a right-hander, was the organizational pitcher of the year when he was with South Bend in 1997. Arizona signed John Patterson, a right-hander, after he was declared a free agent when the Montreal Expos failed to offer him a contract after taking him in the first round of the 1996 draft. Nick Bierbrodt, a left-hander, was the organization’s first draft pick in its inaugural draft in 1996. Rod Barajas is one of the Diamondbacks’ top catching prospects and Jhensy Sandoval is the organization’s top-rated young outfielder.

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Most famous alumni: Joey Hamilton, Matt Mieske, Scott Sanders, Bryce Florie and Tim Worrell all spent time in Adelanto when the High Desert franchise was affiliated with the San Diego Padres in 1991-92. As an affiliate of the Florida Marlins, the Mavericks had Carl Everett, Robert Person and Joel Adamson. Travis Lee, an early favorite for NL rookie of the year, played half the 1997 season in High Desert.

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Home stadium: Thanks to desert winds that blow from home plate to the outfield, Mavericks Stadium, which seats 3,808 and was built in 1991, has the reputation of being the top hitters park in the California League.

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High Desert baseball history: In seven years in Adelanto, the franchise has won three California League titles, each with a different parent organization. In 1991, Bruce Bochy, now manager of the San Diego Padres, led the team to a title in its inaugural season. In 1993, the Mavericks won the league again as a Marlins affiliate. The Mavericks, as a Diamondbacks affiliate, won the title again in 1997.

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High Desert is famous for: The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans museum is in nearby Victorville. Adelanto is roughly 20 miles north of San Bernardino on U.S. 395, the main route for skiers heading from Southern California to Mammoth Mountain and Lake Tahoe.

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Web site: https://www.hdmavs.com