Area baseball fans are preparing for the final sendoff of their beloved minor league team.
There is just one regular season homestand remaining at John Thurman Field for the Modesto Nuts, the Low-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. And because they are on the outside looking in of postseason contention and with their planned relocation to San Bernardino next year looming, it is looking likely that this week will mark the finale of the club’s 77-year run in Modesto and as Stanislaus County’s lone professional organization.
With just 14 games left in the California League regular season entering Friday, the two-time defending league champion Nuts sport a 25-26 record, eight games back of the San Jose Giants and seven games behind the Fresno Grizzlies. Because the Giants won the first-half division title, the Nuts would have to either win the second-half title outright or finish in second place to the Giants in order to qualify for the postseason — now a tall task, to say the least.
The final homestand will run from Tuesday through Sunday, with festivities and promotions planned for all six games against the Stockton Ports, an affiliate of the Athletics who entered Friday in last place with a 15-36 record.
The promotion for the series opener will be the traditional Together Tuesdays, where fans can bring two non-perishable food items for donation to receive free entry into the game. All donations will be given to local food banks and other non-profit donation centers.
Wednesday’s game is expected to draw one of the larger crowds in recent seasons as there will be an appearance from National Baseball Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers, who will be taking photos and signing autographs for fans and is expected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Fingers was a member of the iconic 1966 Modesto Reds team that featured future A’s legends Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, Dave Duncan and Tony La Russa. Prior to redefining the closer role in the majors with Oakland, the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers, Fingers was a starting pitcher as a farmhand, and pitched to a 11-6 record with a 2.77 ERA and 152 strikeouts.
Karaoke Night will commence after the final out of Wednesday’s contest.
Special guests are also invited Thursday — little leaguers from Turlock. The youngsters sporting their Turlock Little League gear will earn free admission for themselves and their families. Also roaming the ballpark will be plenty of dogs, as it marks the final Pups n’ Pints Nights ever. Dogs are encouraged to attend, and will be able to roam the outfield after the game.
On Friday, the night sky above John Thurman Field and the Tuolumne River will be lit up for the last ever postgame fireworks show.
Saturday will mark the final night game at John Thurman Field. Being celebrated will be the campus community of Stanislaus State in Turlock. At Stan State Night, those sporting Warrior gear will score $5 tickets. It will also be the final Alebrijes de Modesto Latino night, where the Nuts will wear their alternate (and popular) green and white uniforms while fans can indulge in Latin-themed food, drink and music. After the game will be ‘Lucha Libre’ wrestling action courtesy of Pro Wrestling Revolution.
All games are slated for a 6:40 p.m. first pitch with the exception of Sunday’s finale, which has a scheduled start of 12:05 p.m.
The final series in the history of the club will be the ensuing week, when the Nuts travel to San Jose for a six-game set with the Giants from Sept. 1-7, which includes an off-day on that Tuesday.
Barring one of the most improbable comebacks in professional baseball in recent memory, the Nuts won’t be returning home after that.
The final farewells come eight months after the Seattle Mariners sold the Nuts organization to Diamond Baseball Holdings. As a result, the club will relocate to San Bernardino to play as the Inland Empire 66ers next season. The Angels will in turn move their affiliate to Rancho Cucamonga to play as the Quakes, who will be relocated by their parent club Dodgers to a new stadium in Ontario in 2026 under a name to be announced later.
The Modesto team was originally founded in 1872 as a makeshift community club, the Red Caps. By the early 1900s, they rebranded as the Modesto Reds, competing in a local league. Two years after joining the California League as a non-affiliated club in 1946, the club became affiliated in 1948 with the St. Louis Browns, then the Pittsburgh Pirates (1949–1952), Milwaukee Braves (1953), New York Yankees (1954–1961), Houston Colt .45s (1962–1964), Kansas City Athletics (1966), St. Louis Cardinals (1967–1974), Oakland Athletics (1975–2004), Colorado Rockies (2005–2016), and since 2017, the Mariners.
