By Josh:
I don’t live in the most exciting city in America. It’s a mill town located about an hour north of Portland, OR and two hours south of Seattle, WA. There isn’t a huge selection of things to do. We have our bowling alley, our new movie theatre, a few good restaurants (but no Red Robin and I really wish there was a Red Robin), and we are close to some cool places to go for day trips.
In all my hometown of Longview, WA is kind of boring. However, there is one thing that sets my small boring hometown apart from any other city I’ve lived in and all that I’ve visited.
We are a BASEBALL town.
Sure there are people who like basketball (less since the Sonics moved and the Blazers went through their Jail Blazers time period), football (Seahawks fans), but the majority of us love our baseball.
We have supported and cheered on our Mariners, even through the horrible years.
Our local college Lower Columbia Community College has possibly the greatest college baseball tradition in the state of Washington. 36 Division championships, 10 NWAACC Championships and 77 different players drafted by major league teams. Not bad for a two year school.
For the past decade Lower Columbia College has even hosted the NWAACC championship tournament at their stadium Story Field.
Hosting the Babe Ruth World Series is a regular and anticipated event every three or four years. We have hosted 6 World Series here in Longview including the 2014 13-15 year old Babe Ruth World Series.
We don’t have a minor league team but we do have an awesome college wood bat team, the Cowlitz Black Bears. Honestly, even though the players aren’t professional, they still play great baseball and the atmosphere is better than more than a few minor league teams that I have visited.
My little hometown cares about baseball and as a baseball fanatic I can’t ask for more than that. That is why I feel so at home in Longview, because I know when I look out the window in the winter time hoping for baseball I’m not the only one here doing that.