It was a Wednesday night at the Squalicum Creek Baseball Field No. 2 and the Dollz & Ballz were leading Sit On My Base 2-1 in the final inning.
With two outs and a runner on first base, a line drive was launched to second base where Dollz & Ballz player Grace Berlin made the game-winning play.
Instead of using a glove or baseball, Berlin threw a big red ball at her opponent to win the Bellingham Kickball League title.
“I was surprised on that final play because they were a great team,” Berlin said. “It was super fun and I always had a good time.”
Bellingham’s kickball league, for ages 16 and above, was created by the Downtown Bellingham Partnership in 2015 and was called the Throwback Thursdays Urban Kickball League. Now it’s called the Coed Wednesday Night Kickball League.
The Bellingham Parks and Recreation department took over and held a four-week season during July with four teams consisting of nine to 15 players.
“It is a great thing to have in a small community like Bellingham,” umpire Andrew Robinson said. “It allows people to bring the community together from across various backgrounds.”
The players’ ages range from early 20s up to 60s. Even though many players are not as agile as the first time they played kickball, they all said they attempt to relive the glory days.
“I have played baseball my whole life, but because of my reading skills, I wasn’t able to play at recess starting in third grade,” Greg Jay Richardson said. “This is my first opportunity since I was 9 to play kickball. It is amazing because you can be a full-blown adult and feel like you’re 10 years old.”
Richardson, who is in his 30s, played for Last Picked, also known as the Murder Hornets. The Murder Hornets finished the season winless but felt like they gained a lot when it wrapped up.
“We had four moral victories. It’s one of those sports where athleticism doesn’t matter. It’s honestly more strategy and coordination behind it,” Murder Hornets captain Brock Seaman said.
Seaman, who is in his early 30s, last played in high school more than a decade ago and decided he wanted to play again. So, he created the team with co-workers and friends at the nonprofit Opportunity Council. He decided to form the team because his co-workers did not have the opportunity to bond outside of the office.
“When I invited people, they either said, ‘What is that?’ or ‘I have not played that in so many years,’” Seaman said. “Also, many of us have never played an organized sport before. It is really fun to see people who have never taken a chance at a sport try out kickball.”
Even though the Murder Hornets did not win the title, they provided a spark to the league, bringing laughter to every practice and game.
“We listen to Doja Cat, play by the rules and play semi-competitively,” Richardson said. “Nobody takes it overly serious, which would kill the energy for a lot of people. We come and play after work and it’s like we are kids again.”
The games usually last six innings but the postseason tournament had two semifinal matchups and a championship game lasting four innings.
The Murder Hornets went above and beyond after the elimination game. The squad surprised Seaman with an ice bath, customized bobblehead and pizza party.
“It is fun to see teams get out in the sun and make plays,” said Robinson, who has umpired the league for four years. “Most people don’t care if they win or lose, they are here to have fun and not get hurt. Everybody feels their youth come back the minute they step back on the field.”
With a light-hearted atmosphere, Robinson makes sure to add some drama to the games with his weird noises instead of calling strikes and outs.
Since the season finished on Wednesday, July 31, kickball team members have time to heal their bodies, enjoy the postseason parties, and prepare for next season. Typically, games run through the month of July.
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
