Palm Springs Stadium

Palm Springs Stadium is a stadium in Palm Springs, California. It is primarily used for baseball. It was formerly named Angels Stadium and was the home field of the Palm Springs Suns of the Western Baseball League in 1995 and 1996. Palm Springs Stadium is now the home of the Palm Springs Power, formerly of the collegiate-level Pacific Southwest Baseball League. The Power started play at the stadium in 2004. In Nov. 2006, the Palm Springs Power announced they switched leagues for the 2007 season. Their new league is the Southern California Collegiate Baseball Association (SCCBA). The stadium had a capacity of 5,185.

History

Formerly a polo ground, the present-day stands opened in 1949 and was expanded 4 times in the 1950s. They hosted exhibition games for several Pacific Coast League teams throughout the 1950s and 1960s. From 1961 to 1992, it hosted spring training for the California Angels under team owner Gene Autry, also a part-time resident. Their class-A minor league affiliate, the Palm Springs Angels of the California League played good "in the heat" from 1986 to their last season, 1993.

Three other teams played in the stadium, the Palm Springs Promise of the California Collegiate League folded quickly in 1994. The Cal League's Modesto A's played 20 home games that year, and the Riverside Pilots done the same in 1995 (the Pilots are now the Lancaster Jethawks). The Phoenix Firebirds of the AAA-level Pacific Coast League played 20 "home" games at the stadium in 1997 before they became the Fresno Grizzlies.

For a while, the only bond with the major leagues was softball. But the Pepsi All-Star softball game went to nearby Cathedral City in 1998 at the Field of Dreams complex. The Palm Springs Heat of the Western States Football League had lackluster games in the 1993 season with a 4-10 record before they folded operations.

The status of Palm Springs Stadium was murky in the late 90's and early 00's. The city council refused to pay for renovation in the past, when Sonny Bono then mayor of Palm Springs shown little interest. As a result, baseball was lost and teams went, and locals debated whether baseball can survive in an area known for summer heat and more local interest in golf and tennis.

It's a possible site of interest for the Golden Baseball League. But, the current tenant's (the Power) games drew in more fans and local media than other teams. There's talk of a four-team winter league in the Coachella Valley, with teams in Cathedral City, Palm Desert and Indio in relatively small baseball facilities.

However, on October 10, 2007, the Arizona Winter League announced that an expansion team, the Palm Springs Chill, which is co-owned with the Power, will begin play in the 2007-08 winter baseball season.

Present

The current status of Palm Springs Stadium is no longer murky. The City of Palm Springs repainted the entire stadium in May 2007, right before the start of Power Baseball's 2007 season. In addition the Power have made additional capital improvements to the stadium and the field.

In addition to being the home stadium of Power and Chill baseball (who also have year round offices in the stadium), Palm Springs Stadium hosts an amateur football team, the Desert Valley Spartans who are members of the LaBelle Community Football League (LCFL) and LCFL-West, from August to October, a springtime USABF Amateur Baseball tournament, pop-warner football, numerous local festivals, and Softball tournaments throughout the year. The California Desert Heat soccer team of the America-Mexico Soccer League/Liga Futbol de America-Mexico plays some of their regular season games there.

With the success of Power Baseball in the hot summer months of June and July, and the support of the city, the future of Palm Springs Stadium is bright.

Palm Springs Stadium History by the Years

January 1950: World Class Rodeo Inaugurates Polo Grounds Arena
1950-1955: Pacific Coast League’s Seattle Rainiers Played at Polo Grounds
1957-1959: Other Pacific Coast League Teams Use the Facilities
1960: Seattle Rainiers Return to Palm Springs
1961: California Angels, Owned by Gene Autry and Robert Reynolds,Make Palm Springs Their Spring Training Home
April 1969: 250 Law Officers Face 1,500 Wild Youths During Pop MusicFestival Riot
March 1983: Tommy John Takes on Sutton at Angels Game
July 1983: Stadium Gets Lights Due to Funds Donated By Gene Autry
October 1985: Stadium Site of Big Circus and Halloween Carnival
November 1985: Vintage Grand Prix Held at Stadium
January 1991: D. Strawberry and Other Dodgers Play in Celebrity Softball Game Held at Stadium
June 1991: Power Jam Loads Stadium With Top-40 Bands for Music Festival
December 1991: Senior Olympics Return For Their Fifth Year
March 1992: Angels Bid Farewell to Palm Springs as They Head to Tempe, AZ
August 1992: Kansas City Royals Baseball Tryouts Set in Palm Springs
April 1993: PS Angels Start Play at Stadium
September 1993: PS Angels Move to Their New Home in Lake Elsinore
June 1994: PS Promise Come Out Swinging on Opening Day
May 1995: PS Suns Start Play at Stadium
June 1996: Angels Stadium Gets Name Change to PS Stadium at Request of PS Suns
July 1997: Phoenix Firebirds of the Pacific Coast League played 20 "home" games at the stadium
June 2004: Baseball Fans Excited as Palm Springs' new hometown team, Palm Springs Power, Take the Field atPalm Springs Stadium
June 2005: Power Start Their Second Season in Palm Springs Stadium
June 2006: Power Start Their Third Season in Palm Springs Stadium
June 2007: Power Start Their Fourth Season in Palm Springs Stadium
May 2008: Power's fifth season in P.S. Stadium with the total seasonal attendance of over 250,000 fans. The team is now members in the Southern California Collegiate Baseball Association.
"(time line compiled from sources at the Palm Springs Public Library)"