Bakersfield Train Robbers

Lore & Background

The Bakersfield Train Robbers were established for the 2013 season, playing their first home games at Rodriguez Park in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Casey Dill was announced as the first manager on December 19, 2012. In their inaugural season, the team finished with a 41–27 record but lost in the championship series. On March 11, 2015, pitcher Dustin Bare became the first Train Robber to sign with an affiliated organization, the Atlanta Braves.

In 2016, the club relocated to Topeka, Kansas, playing at Lake Shawnee Sports Complex. On December 15, 2016, it was announced the team would move to Bakersfield, California for the 2017 season, filling the void left by the contraction of the California League's Bakersfield Blaze. In 2018, the Train Robbers won their second division title and defeated the Alpine Cowboys to capture their first league championship.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Manny Corpas appeared in three games for the Train Robbers in 2019 and returned for a second stint in 2021. Over parts of two seasons, Corpas went 2–0 with a 1.05 ERA in 17 innings pitched while striking out 26 batters. As of the completion of the 2023 Pecos League season, the Train Robbers have won three division championships and made three championship game appearances. They currently play at Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield.

Reader's Guide

The Bakersfield Train Robbers represent a persistent independent baseball franchise that has navigated multiple relocations and league changes since their founding in 2013. Originally based in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the team moved to Topeka, Kansas in 2016 and then to Bakersfield, California in 2017, where they filled the void left by the contracted Bakersfield Blaze. Their significance lies in their role as a Pecos League member providing professional baseball opportunities outside the affiliated system. The team's first league championship in 2018, after a runner-up finish in their inaugural season, marked a milestone. The signing of pitcher Dustin Bare by the Atlanta Braves in 2015 demonstrated the path from independent ball to affiliated organizations. The appearances of former Major Leaguer Manny Corpas in 2019 and 2021 added a notable name to the roster. With three division titles and three championship game appearances through 2023, the Train Robbers have established a consistent competitive presence in the Pecos League.

Did You Know?

• The team was originally based in Las Vegas, New Mexico, playing at Rodriguez Park.
• Former Major League pitcher Manny Corpas pitched for the Train Robbers in 2019 and 2021, posting a 1.05 ERA over 17 innings.

Founding & First Season

The Bakersfield Train Robbers trace their roots back to the 2013 season, when the franchise was established as a member of the Pecos League, an independent baseball circuit with no ties to Major League Baseball or its minor league affiliates. Before the first pitch was ever thrown, the organization made its managerial choice public on December 19, 2012, naming Casey Dill to lead the club as its inaugural manager. The team called Rodriguez Park in Las Vegas, New Mexico, its home during that inaugural campaign. The Train Robbers proved competitive right away, finishing atop the North Division with a 41–27 record. Despite that strong regular-season showing, the franchise fell short in the championship series, leaving the ultimate prize out of reach. That early run set a tone of competitiveness that would echo through the team's subsequent seasons, even as the franchise would later undergo significant geographic changes before ultimately settling in the Central Valley city that now bears its name.

A Franchise in Motion: Relocation to Bakersfield

The Train Robbers' journey to their current home was anything but direct. After their initial season in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the club relocated in 2016 to Topeka, Kansas, where it played its games at the Lake Shawnee Sports Complex. That stop was brief. On December 15, 2016, the organization announced a move to Bakersfield, California, for the 2017 season. The timing was particularly fitting: the California League's Bakersfield Blaze had just contracted, leaving a gap in the city's professional baseball landscape. The Train Robbers stepped into that void, bringing independent-league baseball to a community that had recently lost its affiliated team. Since making Bakersfield their permanent base, the franchise has called Sam Lynn Ballpark its home, giving local fans a consistent venue to gather for games. The relocation marked a turning point, anchoring a previously nomadic identity to a specific community and setting the stage for the sustained success that would follow in the years ahead.

Division Dominance & the 2018 Title

The Train Robbers have built a reputation as a perennial contender within the Pecos League. Their 2013 campaign, in which they captured the North Division with a 41–27 mark, foreshadowed a pattern of regular-season excellence. That pattern solidified in 2018, when the club claimed its second division title and then went on to defeat the Alpine Cowboys in the championship series, capturing the franchise's first-ever league championship. The victory represented the culmination of years of competitive play and finally delivered the silverware that had eluded the team since its founding. By the conclusion of the 2023 Pecos League season, the Train Robbers had accumulated three division championships and made three appearances in the championship game, underscoring their status as one of the league's most consistently strong franchises. The 2018 title over the Alpine Cowboys remains the franchise's defining moment, transforming a team known for divisional success into a true champion.

MLB Connections & Notable Arms

Despite operating in the independent Pecos League with no formal affiliation to Major or Minor League Baseball, the Train Robbers have attracted players with genuine big-league pedigrees. On March 11, 2015, the Atlanta Braves signed pitcher Dustin Bare, a former member of the Train Robbers roster, making him the first player from the franchise to sign with an affiliated organization. That milestone highlighted the team's role as a developmental stop for talent. More recently, former Major League pitcher Manny Corpas donned the Train Robbers' uniform in 2019, appearing in three games. He returned in 2021 for a second stint with the club. Across those partial seasons, Corpas posted a 2–0 record with a 1.05 earned run average over 17 innings while striking out 26 batters, demonstrating that even seasoned professionals can find a productive fit in the independent circuit. These connections remind fans that the Train Robbers exist at the intersection of independent baseball and the broader professional game.