Bobby Brett finally owns only one California League team.

After a year of trying, Brett sold the high Class A High Desert Mavericks to the Main Street Baseball ownership group headed by David Heller. Brett had been looking to sell the club since purchasing fellow Cal League affiliate Rancho Cucamonga in 2009.

Main Street Baseball, which also owns the low Class A Quad Cities River Bandits (Midwest League), has committed to keep the team in High Desert for at least one season.

However, how long the team stays put remains uncertain. Brett has long contended that Stater Bros. Stadium either needs to be renovated or replaced—neither proposition interested local city officials. The team did recently negotiate a two-year lease extension, though the Mavericks do have an out clause.

Main Street Baseball did have success rejuvenating Quad Cities, increasing attendance from 2,254 in 2007 to 3,502 last season thanks in part to several ballpark upgrades.

“We want to see if the same kind of opportunity exists with the Mavericks,” Main Street Baseball vice president Kirk Goodman said. “Seeing as how we just bought the team we have to get in there and see what there is to work with. That’s our next goal, is to really evaluate what the market has to offer.”

Kinston Names New GM

The High Class A Kinston Indians will introduce Benjamin Jones as the Carolina League club's new general manager today.

The 30-year-old Jones, who grew up in nearby Raleigh, spent the previous four seasons as general manager of the Coastal Plain League's Wilson Tobs. He replaces Shari Massengill, who left the K-Tribe after 13 seasons with the club (including five as general manager) to take an assistant general manager position with Triple-A Gwinnett under former Kinston GM North Johnson.

“I’m a real upbeat guy, and I like to do creative, different, fun things,” Jones told the Jacksonville (N.C.) News. “So I think that’ll come through in our promotions at the games and just the all-around atmosphere at the ballpark.

“The fans can expect to see a lot of the same, but with a few new twists mixed in here and there.”