In 1997, the league added the Chico Heat, while Palm Springs took the year off and Long Beach became the Mission Viejo Vigilantes.

Grays Harbor suspended operations halfway through the season, and the league took over management of the team, which continued as the Western Warriors and went on an extended 68-game road trip with no home stadium.

For the 2000 season, Reno called it quits after four years in the league, while Sacramento moved to Vacaville, California and became the Solano Steelheads.

The league returned to a market it previously served, adding the Long Beach Breakers to bring the loop back to six teams.

St. George folded, while Marysville, Calif., re-entered the league to take the Pioneerzz' place, playing the season as the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox.

On September 9, 2014, it was reported that former WBL team, the Grays Harbor Gulls, would be reborn as a member of the new Mount Rainier Professional Baseball League in 2015 and would play their home games at Olympic Stadium once again.