By Josh
On Sunday I hopped in my minivan (don’t knock it, it has two dropped down TVs in it) and drove an hour to watch my first Cascade Collegiate League (CCL) game. The Chinooks were taking on the Llamas. Both teams were filled with college baseball players taking the summer to improve their game.
The CCL is made up of 6 teams; Lynnwood Llamas, Snoqualmie Chinooks, Salem Salamanders, Seattle Sea Turtles, Burlington Barn Owls, and Portland Prairie Dogs. Although they represent specific cities in their names, the teams don’t have home ballparks that they can learn the ins and outs of all summer. Teams bounce around from college fields and high school fields, wherever they can schedule a double header at.
The players in the league may not be top level Division I talent, but they are competitors looking to get better. Honestly watching the game reminded me of the Portland Mavericks from the Battered Bastards of Baseball documentary. Watch it on Netflix if you haven’t seen it. They know that if they want to keep playing the game they love at higher levels they have to fight every step of the way and I saw guys doing that.
When I first got to the game and watched the warm ups I was a little worried about what I was going to see. However, my mind was changed quickly. Players who had barely played a game together were connecting on plays that only the most in-tune teammates would make. Pitchers were doing everything they could to keep their teams in it. Hitters weren’t just swinging for home runs every swing. They hit behind runners to move them over. Base runners were aggressive on the base paths forcing things to happen.
When the game was done and I was walking back to my minivan I couldn’t help but think that this league has the potential to grow. Now I know it has a long way to go to catch up with the West Coast League here in the NW, but it has potential.
I’m glad I was able to make it out to a game and that I have more games on my calendar to get to this summer. The CCL may only just be starting but I hope to see it grow for years to come.