I continue to be amused with the names of minor league baseball teams. It almost makes me forget my Major League frustrations with the Cubs and White Sox. I remember on our recent trip to Walla Walla, Washington, seeing some merchandise for the Walla Walla Sweets, a name selected to promote the sweet onion crops in that area. They are playing the Portland Pickles next week, a nickname selected probably just because it’s weird like the city. There is the MoonBrine Pickle Company that relocated its world headquarters to Portland sixteen years ago, producing out of the Historic Ford Building.

The Portland Pickles play in the South Division of the West Coast League (WCL), a premier collegiate wooden bat summer baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. The Pickles play their home games at Walker Stadium in Lents Park. In this upcoming battle,  it’s Pickles vs. Sweets, but there are other uniquely named competitors in this league, including the Bellingham Bells Kewlona Falcons, Port Angeles Lefties, Victoria HarborCats, Wenatchee AppleSox, Yakima Valley Pippins, Bend Elks, Corvallis Knights, Cowlitz Black Bears, Ridgefield Raptors, Spokane River Hawks, Moses Lake Pirates, Medford Rogues, Klamath Falls Gems, Kitsap Blue Jackets, and Gresham GreyWolves. 

Team nicknames have always stimulated personal fascination. At one time, I knew every high school mascot in Indiana, but I’m certainly not as familiar with the Northwest. Getting to know and supporting the area teams is always one of the first steps of fitting-in with the local community. It all started with the Elkhart Blue Blazers, Albion Britons, the Indiana Hoosiers, Purdue Boilermakers, Indianapolis Indians, Decatur Commodores, and Austin Bats. While we live in Portland, it’s now about the Hillsboro Hops and the Portland Pickles. After years of hot speculation, it doesn’t look like the city is ever going to get a Major League Baseball franchise. 

In the meantime, the Cubs continue to have road woes losing last night to the Giants for the 10th time in 14 games. I’d say they are in a pickle! I was fortunate to actually see them win at AT&T Park two years ago. They are a miserable 18-29 away from Wrigley Field, yet somehow manage to still lead the NL Central Division. The cross-town White Sox have settled into the middle of the AL Central Division with an even poorer 19-32 away-from-home mark. 

Watch out for the Cardinals! They are 8-2 following the All Star break and only a half-game behind in the standings. The Cubs are 6-4 and their victories have been against bottom-dwellers, plus they haven’t won a road series since mid-May when they took two of three from the Nats. Last night, it was reliever Brad Branch who gave up the walk-off in the 13th. The night before it was Pedro Strop who blew a two-run lead in the 8th with his fourth relief loss of the season. R-E-L-I-E-F has become a four-letter word for Cubs fans like me!

The Pickles, on the other hand, are 7-2 so far in the second half of this year’s WCL season, just a game behind the Knights. They finished the first half at 9-17 and at the bottom of the South Division. Fortunately, this surge occurred before the “Dill Was Gone.” Get It? Here’s to also wishing for a “Sweet” series victory over Wall-Walla next week. I know the Pickle’s mascot Dillon is hoping to lead “Raise The Chair,” a unique celebration after scoring a run. Keep It Weird On The Field – Go Pickles!