Marysville Drakes rallying to save 2025 season
MARYSVILLE - The Marysville Drakes baseball team is rallying to save their 2025 season.
Jerry Bettencourt is the assistant general manager for the Marysville Drakes, the professional baseball team that took over for the Yuba Sutter Gold Sox last year.
"It's the only entertainment in town besides Movies 8 in Yuba City," Bettencourt said.
Bettencourt spent 20 years in the Air Force and another 20 as a teacher. Then he decided to take it easy after a quintuple bypass.
"I'm living my dream right now," he said.
But finding the funding for a minor baseball team has been heartbreaking. Minimum operating costs run 35,000 a year. They get that through donations and sponsorships. Bettencourt makes nothing and players don't make much more, earning $100 a week. He says it's all about what the team brings
"The kids have a blast. As far as they are concerned this is their World Series," Bettencourt said.
"I like the Drakes, I like baseball and I love getting baseballs," said Rowdy Lindbloom, a 10-year-old ball boy. "On my birthday, that was the best day because I got to throw out the opening pitch."
It's hanging with the players he loves most, and fans eat it up.
"From a parents perspective, I think it's a huge thing for the kids to have because the guys were so interactive with the kids," Brigett Biemer said.
After a few games, Brigett Biemer's kids started attending camps.
"It gives just that little encouragement or inspiration to, 'Hey you know what, they are real people. We can talk. We can interact. I want to strive to be like so and so,' "Biemer said.
The game of baseball drives home principles of dedication, commitment and community.
"It's really important for families to have a place where they can come where they feel safe to bring their children and have an outlet," said Amira Lindbloom, Rowdy's mom.
They hope a little more promotion is the ticket to saving their 2025 season.
On Thursday, the Marysville City Council voted to approve a measure to help fund the team through this season and the Marysville Rotary also pitched in $5,000.
But the 2025 season is still in jeopardy. If they can't find the money, the team goes to Santa Rosa.
