City council unanimously approves one-year lease extension for Modesto Nuts
MODESTO -- The Modesto Nuts will call John Thurman Field home for 2025 after a unanimous vote by the city council approving a year-long lease extension between the team and the city.
Tuesday night, more than a dozen speakers including council members shared why the city should vote to keep the team in town. Some fans shared stories of their own childhood coming to games and others said they wanted to continue to create memories at the ballpark with their own children.
The vote authorizes the Modesto city manager to finalize the deal with the Nuts, the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, to play at the city-owned field through September 30, 2025.
Multiple city council members shared their hopes and the plan to continue negotiations between both sides that would ultimately work out a long-term lease agreement.
"It would be a tremendous loss to the community," one fan shared during the public comment period of the meeting.
The vote follows a July announcement that the city and the Nuts were unable to reach a deal, and at the time, the team's future for 2025 was unknown. There were cheers after the decision was read aloud during the city council meeting.
The Nuts have won 10 championships while in Modesto, including two since the Mariners fully acquired them.