Rain shuts down inaugural Central Coast showdown
Update (Feb. 22): The inaugural Central Coast Classic has been cancelled due to rain in the weather forecast. The teams are already looking ahead to 2024 to begin what they hope will be a long-standing tradition.
The San Francisco Pelicans and Barbary Coast squads of B.A.V.B.B. are barnstorming to San Luis Obispo for matches against the Riverside Smudge Pots and the Crestline Highlanders of SoCal Vintage Base Ball.
The four-team event, organized by the Pelicans and dubbed the Central Coast Classic, will feature some of the top vintage base ball teams from California playing a total of four matches at Sinsheimer Stadium, with games starting at noon on Saturday, February 25, and concluding with a Sunday match at 2 p.m. Cranks are welcome and encouraged to come out and support their favorite teams.
“During the end of the 2019 season, before our first Pelicans trip to SoCal to play the Fire Knockers and Wharf Rats, [Barbary Coast captain Brody “Reverend” Romsey] and I chatted about making a four-team event a possibility,” said James “Hollywood” Stapleton, captain of the Pelicans. “Due to the restrictions of 2020 and a shortened 2021 season, we didn’t pick up the idea again until 2022. Having Riverside and Crestline join us in the Central Coast is exciting since they currently are the only SoCal clubs that have taken home the Heritage Cup.”
The B.A.V.B.B. squads will match up against the winningest ball clubs in SoCal vintage base ball history. Additionally, the event will feature the first inter-league matches for Barbary Coast and the Smudge Pots. Although these games will not factor into final standings, all clubs will be looking to score as many aces as they can in San Luis Obispo.
“We’re excited to get back on the field, shake the dust off, and play the game we love with our base ball brethren from the southern shores,” Reverend said.
There have been a total of four official inter-league matches and one scrimmage between the two leagues. The most recent occurred in October, when the Fullerton Fire Knockers brought a squad north to match up against a group of Pelicans. The first match between the two leagues occurred in 2018 at Twin Peaks (near Arrowhead, Calif.), as the Highlanders took down the barnstorming Oakland Colonels of the B.A.V.B.B. East Division.
“Hopefully this can lead to more events and games between these two great leagues, maybe even inspiring vintage barnstorming outside of California,” Hollywood said.
About the teams
The Pelicans finished the 2022 regular season with a 5-8 record, good for third place in the B.A.V.B.B. West Division and the #6 seed in the Golden Gate Cup; they were eliminated from the tournament by Barbary Coast in a quarterfinal match. Meanwhile, the Coasters finished the season by winning six of seven matches to take second place in the West Division and the #3 seed in the tournament with an 8-5 record, then won twice more before falling to the Berkeley Clarions in the Golden Gate Cup Final Match.
“The Barbary Coasters would like to thank the Pelicans for the invitation to join in the SLO adventure, and to thank Hollywood for doing all the work to make his vision a reality,” Rev said.
Founded in 2018, the 2022 Heritage Cup champion Highlanders are the founding club of the SoCal Vintage Base Ball league. Wes “Commish” Abarca, who played in Bay Area Vintage Base Ball, introduced vintage base ball to the Inland Empire after moving to to the SoCal mountains. Since then, SoCal Vintage Base Ball has spread to Riverside County, San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles, and Orange County. The Highlanders finished 2022 with a 6-1-1 record in the regular season.
“The guys are looking forward to the upcoming matches against our brothers from the North,” said Highlanders captain Chris “Glovebox” Dodd. “Should be an epic weekend!”
Founded in 2018 via 1886, the Riverside Smudge Pots are proud to represent their city and continue its rich citrus legacy through their name. Chris “The Curator” Johnson called his friend and eventual co-captain John “Big Time” Magdaleno and asked him to join him on this new adventure. The Smudge Pots, who finished with a 6-2 regular season record in 2022, seek to spread the love of the game in its most purest form, engaging the community, families and friends by creating an old fashioned experience. They won back to back S.C.V.B.B. championships in 2019 and 2021 and credit their success to team chemistry.
“We are excited and honored to have the opportunity to barnstorm up the coast to play the Pelicans and Coasters,” The Curator said. “We have always admired the authenticity and passion of the B.A.V.B.B. We are proud to represent the S.C.V.B.B. and the city of Riverside.”
About the event
Located in Sinsheimer Park on Southwood Drive in San Luis Obispo, Sinsheimer Stadium is currently home to multiple community user groups year round. The stadium was built in 1968 by community volunteers; Mayor Clell Whelchel was even seen working on the dugouts. Currently the stadium is home to the San Luis Obispo Blues baseball team, a member of the California Collegiate League.
Local brewery There Does Not Exist has helped this weekend event come to life by sponsoring all games in San Luis Obispo. The teams welcome all ballists and cranks to a Huzzah Hour on Saturday, Feb. 25th. Beers and ballists will start flowing at 6 p.m. There Does Not Exist is located at 4070 Earthwood Lane, Suite 110, in San Luis Obispo.
In order to keep our 1886 rules and competition fair, the two leagues have arranged for Sirs from both leagues to oversee matches in the games. We thank our sirs and give them a hearty “Huzzah!”
Central Coast Classic
Sinsheimer Stadium · 900 Southwood Drive · San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Saturday, Feb. 25
PELICANS at SMUDGE POTS · Noon
COASTERS at HIGHLANDERS · 3 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 26
SMUDGE POTS at COASTERS · 11 a.m.
HIGHLANDERS at PELICANS · 2 p.m.