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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1099-E1100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE LIFE OF JOHN CARBRAY
______
HON. JIM COSTA
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 6, 2019
Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to
the life of Mr. John Carbray, who passed away on August 10, 2019. John
was the founder and first president of the Fresno Grizzlies, Fresno,
California's Triple-A franchise. He will be remembered for his vision
and efforts to bring baseball back to Central California.
John Carbray was born in Paris, Arkansas on November 9, 1938. John
and his brother Sam were raised by their mother Helen. When John was
six years old his family moved to Inglewood, California. Sports played
an integral part of his childhood and his biggest passion was baseball.
He played at the collegiate level, first at El Camino Junior College
and Pepperdine University. John would go on to play semi-pro baseball
in Wyoming and even played in Canada for the Edmonton Eskimos of the
Western Canada League.
Eventually John traveled back to Los Angeles to work in a swimming
pool business, before returning to Canada in 1963 after he was named
manager of the Calgary Giants. This was the first stop of a storied
career as a sports executive, with stops in Oregon, Washington DC,
Sacramento and a tenure as general manager of two North American Soccer
League teams.
John pursued his love for athletics and entertainment in different
avenues. During his time away from baseball, he founded Projects West,
a consulting firm that worked with major sports teams to bring concerts
to sporting venues. However, he would not be away from baseball for
very long. After realizing the need for baseball in Fresno, John and
his wife Diane worked tirelessly to return baseball to the city after a
ten-year absence. After much hard work and persistence, the Tucson
Toros were purchased by the Fresno Diamond Group and reborn as the
Fresno Grizzlies. John then pursued building a state-of-the-art
baseball stadium in downtown Fresno. On May 1, 2002, the stadium, now
known as Chukchansi Park, hosted its first game with a sell-out crowd
of 12,792. The stadium paved the way for the revitalization of downtown
and continues to host baseball game, concerts and festivals.
Throughout his career, John was awarded with recognitions for his
dedication to the world of sports. This includes being named Sporting
News Executive of the Year, Pacific Coast Executive of the Year, his
induction into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame and he and his
wife Diane were honored by the Grizzlies with the Al Radka Award in
honor of their contributions to the community and baseball. His
contributions to the City of Fresno spanned beyond sports; he was also
actively involved with many nonprofits, including the
[[Page E1100]]
Boys and Girls Club, the annual City-County All-Star Football Game, and
the Fresno Rotary.
John is survived by his loving wife Diane, and their sons David, and
Kyle. He will be greatly missed by many friends, associates and those
who had the pleasure of working with him.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of
Mr. John L. Carbray. His contributions to the City of Fresno will be
felt for generations to come. I join his family in honoring his great
life.
____________________
