Portner sought to attract attention to the new franchise by hiring the notorious MLB star Pete Rose as "the hitting instructor" of the team.
Sacramento's sports fans largely chose to ignore the home venue, which was located on the college grounds, and hence, prevented from serving alcohol.
Many area baseball fans were content to wait for the relocation of the Pacific Coast League Vancouver Canadians to Raley Field.
Rather than contend directly with AAA-level baseball, Portner moved his team west to Vacaville, where he built Travis Credit Union Park on the grounds of the historic Nut Tree.
Legal issues and financial obligations became overwhelming and coupled with the decline of the Sonoma County Crushers, another of the WBL flagship organizations, the Western Baseball League was dealt a critical blow, and folded shortly after the 2002 season.