The Boys Next Door
Published on April 23, 2012 under California League (CalL1)
Visalia Rawhide News Release
Visalia, CA -- Those travelling through Visalia learn quickly about the hospitality of this great community.It seems everyone is involved with a charity of one kind or another, members of a service club, or belong to a church family.Sometimes all of the above.
This generosity & welcoming spirit is also evident to the 30 players & coaches of the Visalia Rawhide Baseball Team.Class 'A' California League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Here, several local families open their arms to the team each year, welcoming several into their own home & treating them like their own family.
It's what the Rawhide call "Host Families," and Visalia happens to have one of the strongest Host Family programs among all 200 professional baseball teams in the country.
The program took off about the same time as when the Diamondbacks chose Visalia as their affiliate.At the time, there were around 5-6 Host Families which would house approximately 10-15% of the team.
The Visalia families earned themselves an elite reputation at Spring Training camp as players who were moving up in the Diamondbacks farm system recommended the Host Family program to incoming Visalia players.Coincidentally, the same thing was happening in Visalia -- families were spreading the word about the unique and fun experience of hosting a player, and recruited more families into the program.
This season, 21 out of the 25 players on the Rawhide roster are staying with a Host Family.And 3 of the 5 coaches have also been paired up with a family.That's 80% of the team!The most in the California League, and likely the most in the Country.
"It says a lot about the people of this area," said Rawhide Assistant General Manager, Jennifer Pendergraft."All of the families are so welcoming to these guys, and come to games to cheer them on.The life of a Minor League Ballplayer is a tough one -- they often move 4-5 times during a year, sometimes more.So having the generosity and support of a host family means a lot to them.We have the best group of host families in the country.There is no doubt in my mind about that."
There are 16 active host families in the program this year -- almost all of them are hosting multiple players.
And what do these Families get in return - A big hug" says Pendergraft jokingly."None of our families charge the players.They truly do it out of the kindness of their hearts.They are incredible people."
California League Stories from April 23, 2012
- A.J. Kirby-Jones Named California League Player of the Week - Stockton Ports
- San Jose Giants on Deck: Giants Look to Get Back on Track Versus High Desert - San Jose Giants
- Inland Empire Adds Infielder and Reliever - Inland Empire 66ers
- Freddy Sanchez Scheduled to Rehab this Week at Municipal Stadium - San Jose Giants
- The Boys Next Door - Visalia Rawhide
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