By Nate Gartrell
If you head down past the Shell refinery toward the waterfront of historical downtown Martinez, you may notice some new construction by the train tracks. That’s because the city is working to build a brand new stadium to welcome one of the newest additions to the Pacific Association, and Contra Costa’s second pro baseball team, the Martinez Clippers.
“We’ve built it, they’ve come,” said council member Mark Ross at a recent council meeting. “It’s time to step up to the plate! I think baseball is going to have a resurgence in the next decade.”
The Clippers will make their home debut on May 31, against the Sonoma Stompers. They are owned by Jeff and Paulette Carpoff, the owners of DC Solar, who were warmly welcomed by city leaders and Pacific Association executives when they offered to set up a Martinez team. League executives have been trying to expand the league for years.
The name Clippers is an homage to the famous Yankees slugger Joe DiMaggio, who was born in Martinez in 1914. DiMaggio was nicknamed the “Yankee Clipper,” a reference to clipper sailing ships, which are known for their speed. DiMaggio, a nine-time world champ, also had plenty of lesser-known connections to the proud tradition of independent baseball in California. His brother, Vince DiMaggio—a California baseball legend in his own right—was playing for the San Francisco Seals when he convinced the manager to let Joe take over at shortstop, which turned out to be the start of his career. During his time at California’s Pacific Coast League, Joe DiMaggio set a hit streak record, a feat he would repeat as a Yankee.
Martinez has honored its connection to DiMaggio in many ways over the years: the Joltin’ Joe—a yacht DiMaggio used to romance Marilyn Monroe on—stayed moored at the city’s marina for decades. The addition of the Clippers, however, will ignite a new connection to that era. “I think this is a really exciting development for the city,” Mayor Rob Schroder said.
The Clippers may have a natural rivalry with Contra Costa’s established Pacific Association team, the Pittsburg Diamonds, which in recent years has established itself with the most formidable lineup around. In recent years, they’ve been led by former major leaguer and world champion Aaron Miles, a veteran infielder who played for several teams before retiring in 2012. Miles wasn’t able to stay away from baseball for long, and he took over the Diamonds in 2014. Like his counterpart at the Vallejo Admirals, Miles may occasionally be seen in the Diamonds’ lineup.
The Diamonds, more than any other Pacific Association team, are known for surprising their fans by signing former major leaguers to the team. Most notably, former Oakland A’s slugger Jose Canseco has made annual appearances since 2015, where he’s wowed fans with his cockeyed pitching skills to strike batters out. They’ve signed two of the only Australian natives to play in the majors, Trent Oeltjen and Travis Blackley, and they also signed former A’s second baseman Tony Phillips shortly before Phillips passed away in 2016.
The Diamonds will host the Sonoma Stompers for their June 2nd home opener. For additional information on them, such as their schedule and ticket prices, visit www.diamondsproball.com.
For additional information about the Clippers, including announcements about new player signings, visit: www.twitter.com/MartinezClipper.
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
