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Eugene Church · 04-30-2012, 08:46 PM

Around the Town in the IPA

SAN DIMAS RANCHEROS

Owner: Esai Montanez
GM: Paco Banderes
Manager: Wesley Pate

San Dimas is located in the southeastern tip of Ruthlandia on the Valerian Ocean in the swampy lowlands. The town and its surrounding area were founded by Spanish settlers in the 1700s. Originally, the area was called Mud Springs, but when this name proved to be troublesome in recruiting new settlers from Spain, it was changed to San Dimas.

Because of its remote location, San Dimas remained largely a ranching area until the start of the 20th century. The San Dimas climate was perfect for farming, and in 1903 the San Dimas Irrigation Company was formed, and the following year the Ruthlandia Railway Line reached San Dimas. The combination of the two established the town as the heart of a vast agricultural community that continues to thrive to this day. Oranges, grapefruits, sugar cane, and all types of vegetables are grown in the San Dimas region.

Despite agriculture taking over as the dominant economic force, ranching remains the face of the community. Each February brings the San Dimas Exposition and Livestock show to the Stockyards, kicking off a three-week celebration that includes the largest rodeo in Ruthlandia. The area around the old Stockyards has been preserved as a Ruthlandia Historic Site and includes a state of the art Western museum along with renovated stores that recreate old San Dimas. During the rest of the year there is a local rodeo on every Saturday night when the Rancheros aren’t in town.

Some of San Dimas' other highlights include San Dimas A & M University. A & M is the finest agricultural university in the nation and the center for most cultural activities in town.

As evidenced by the town name, San Dimas’ culture is still very rooted in its Spanish heritage. Many of the buildings still reflect the architecture of the Spanish colonial era. These influences can be further seen in music and food as well. San Dimas boasts more tapas bars than anywhere else in the country, and flamenco is very popular in many of the local establishments.

The Rancheros struggled for many years at the box office as the team played second fiddle to the ever popular rodeo. In 1974 the club was purchased by Esai Montanez, changing the team’s fortunes almost immediately. Mr. Montanez held numerous promotions and promoted a lively, fan-friendly atmosphere at the ballpark. The team was so successful that dozens of other owners came to San Dimas to attend seminars on how to model their franchise after the Rancheros. The atmosphere continues to this day as the team employs a pig to bring the umpires balls between innings and is still famous for its many other whacky promotions. Among the more popular promotions are Trekkie Night where fans wearing their Star Trek costumes get in for $1 and two-for-one beer nights dubbed “Thirsty Thursdays.” The seventh-inning stretch features flamenco dancers on both dugouts, and fans can expect to be entertained by the team’s mascot, “Bucky the Bronco.”

Another successful aspect of the Montanez ownership has been the construction of Ranchero Park. The project was a combination of public and private financing with the town paying for all of the infrastructure costs and the Montanez family paying the stadium construction costs. Ranchero Park was opened to the public in time for opening day 1988 and has been a huge success for both the club and San Dimas. Originally it held just over 6,500 fans, but in 2002 for their debut into the Islandian Pro Alliance, the club built a picnic area, luxury suites and bleachers in left field that has added an additional 1,000 seats.

The general manager and former field manager of the Rancheros is Paco Banderes. He is one of the few managers in the Islandian Pro Alliance that did not play in amateur or industrial leagues. Banderes always says, "I was always the last one chosen when we would choose up sides on the playground." But that didn't keep him from being a successful manager in company league circles. "When it comes to baseball, I may not be able to do it, but I can sure heck tell you how to do it. And there ain't too many guys around that can out-manage me, either!"

The current skipper for the Rancheros is a former player, Wesley Pate. who was a journeyman catcher with club for 14 years. Pate posted a career .282 batting average from 2005 to 2018.

Ranchero Park (1988)

Capacity: 7,500

Dimensions:

LF Line 330
LF 350
LCF 375
CF 402
RCF 375
RF 350
RF Line 330

04-30-2012, 08:46 PM	#3065
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,696 Blog Entries: 1	Around the Town in the IPA SAN DIMAS RANCHEROS Owner: Esai Montanez GM: Paco Banderes Manager: Wesley Pate San Dimas is located in the southeastern tip of Ruthlandia on the Valerian Ocean in the swampy lowlands. The town and its surrounding area were founded by Spanish settlers in the 1700s. Originally, the area was called Mud Springs, but when this name proved to be troublesome in recruiting new settlers from Spain, it was changed to San Dimas. Because of its remote location, San Dimas remained largely a ranching area until the start of the 20th century. The San Dimas climate was perfect for farming, and in 1903 the San Dimas Irrigation Company was formed, and the following year the Ruthlandia Railway Line reached San Dimas. The combination of the two established the town as the heart of a vast agricultural community that continues to thrive to this day. Oranges, grapefruits, sugar cane, and all types of vegetables are grown in the San Dimas region. Despite agriculture taking over as the dominant economic force, ranching remains the face of the community. Each February brings the San Dimas Exposition and Livestock show to the Stockyards, kicking off a three-week celebration that includes the largest rodeo in Ruthlandia. The area around the old Stockyards has been preserved as a Ruthlandia Historic Site and includes a state of the art Western museum along with renovated stores that recreate old San Dimas. During the rest of the year there is a local rodeo on every Saturday night when the Rancheros aren’t in town. Some of San Dimas' other highlights include San Dimas A & M University. A & M is the finest agricultural university in the nation and the center for most cultural activities in town. As evidenced by the town name, San Dimas’ culture is still very rooted in its Spanish heritage. Many of the buildings still reflect the architecture of the Spanish colonial era. These influences can be further seen in music and food as well. San Dimas boasts more tapas bars than anywhere else in the country, and flamenco is very popular in many of the local establishments. The Rancheros struggled for many years at the box office as the team played second fiddle to the ever popular rodeo. In 1974 the club was purchased by Esai Montanez, changing the team’s fortunes almost immediately. Mr. Montanez held numerous promotions and promoted a lively, fan-friendly atmosphere at the ballpark. The team was so successful that dozens of other owners came to San Dimas to attend seminars on how to model their franchise after the Rancheros. The atmosphere continues to this day as the team employs a pig to bring the umpires balls between innings and is still famous for its many other whacky promotions. Among the more popular promotions are Trekkie Night where fans wearing their Star Trek costumes get in for $1 and two-for-one beer nights dubbed “Thirsty Thursdays.” The seventh-inning stretch features flamenco dancers on both dugouts, and fans can expect to be entertained by the team’s mascot, “Bucky the Bronco.” Another successful aspect of the Montanez ownership has been the construction of Ranchero Park. The project was a combination of public and private financing with the town paying for all of the infrastructure costs and the Montanez family paying the stadium construction costs. Ranchero Park was opened to the public in time for opening day 1988 and has been a huge success for both the club and San Dimas. Originally it held just over 6,500 fans, but in 2002 for their debut into the Islandian Pro Alliance, the club built a picnic area, luxury suites and bleachers in left field that has added an additional 1,000 seats. The general manager and former field manager of the Rancheros is Paco Banderes. He is one of the few managers in the Islandian Pro Alliance that did not play in amateur or industrial leagues. Banderes always says, "I was always the last one chosen when we would choose up sides on the playground." But that didn't keep him from being a successful manager in company league circles. "When it comes to baseball, I may not be able to do it, but I can sure heck tell you how to do it. And there ain't too many guys around that can out-manage me, either!" The current skipper for the Rancheros is a former player, Wesley Pate. who was a journeyman catcher with club for 14 years. Pate posted a career .282 batting average from 2005 to 2018. Ranchero Park (1988) Capacity: 7,500 Dimensions: LF Line 330 LF 350 LCF 375 CF 402 RCF 375 RF 350 RF Line 330 Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 04-30-2012 at 09:14 PM.