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Wild Wild West League

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Wild Wild West League
WWWL Logo 2022 Version 2.png
SportBaseball
Founded2020
Owner(s)Portland Pickles
CommissionerRob Neyer
No. of teams4 (as of 2023)
CountriesUnited States
Most recent
champion(s)
Portland Gherkins
Official websitewww.wwwestleague.com

The Wild Wild West League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league based out of Portland, Oregon. It serves as a developmental minor league and is owned and operated by the Portland Pickles collegiate baseball club of the West Coast League. The league features four teams and all games are played at Charles B. Walker Stadium at Lents Park in southeast Portland, home of the Pickles.

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Collegiate summer baseball

Collegiate summer baseball

Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate from early June to early August. In contrast to college baseball, which allow aluminum or other composite baseball bats, players in these leagues use only wooden bats, hence the common nickname of these leagues as "wood-bat leagues". Collegiate summer leagues allow college baseball players the ability to compete using professional rules and equipment, giving them experience and allowing professional scouts the opportunity to observe players under such conditions.

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous county in Oregon. As of 2020, Portland had a population of 652,503, making it the 26th-most populated city in the United States, the sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area, making it the 25th most populous in the United States. About half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area.

Portland Pickles

Portland Pickles

The Portland Pickles are a collegiate woodbat baseball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the South Division of the West Coast League, a premier collegiate summer baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. The Pickles play their home games at Walker Stadium in Portland's Lents Park.

West Coast League

West Coast League

The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL), but in 2008 renamed as the West Coast League. The league is designed to develop college talent, and only current college-eligible players are allowed to participate. The West Coast League has produced dozens of professional players, including a number of major leaguers. League teams are operated similarly to professional minor-league teams. The WCL's season typically runs from early June through the middle of August.

Walker Stadium (baseball)

Walker Stadium (baseball)

Charles B. Walker Stadium at Lents Park is a baseball stadium located in Lents Park in the Lents neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. It has been home to the West Coast League Portland Pickles baseball team since 2016. The Pickles play thirty home games per sixty game season. The team pays rent to the City, cleans the stadium, and provides security during games. Outside of the dates set aside for the team, the stadium is open for permitted play by anyone who reserves it. The Northwest Independent Baseball League plays many of its games at Walker Stadium.

History

League's original logo from their inaugural season in 2020.
League's original logo from their inaugural season in 2020.

2020: Inaugural season

The league was formed by the Portland Pickles in 2020 following the cancellation of the West Coast League's regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Months prior, the Pickles also founded a developmental farm club of their own known as the Portland Gherkins.[1][2][3][4][5] The Pickles and Gherkins were joined by the previously independent Gresham GreyWolves and West Linn Knights and played the inaugural two-week season at Bob Brack Stadium in Aurora, Oregon, with all players, coaches and staffs having to follow the COVID-19 guidelines at the local, state and federal levels and limited fans in attendance. The league even grabbed the attention nationally of Forbes magazine. The article was quoted as saying, "When nobody else could play, the Wild Wild West League thrived."[6] Play officially begin on July 11, 2020, with the Pickles playing the Gherkins.[7][8]

On July 15, 2020, the league suspended play for at least seven days following positive COVID-19 tests from two players, just four days after the inaugural season started.[9] The league would resume play eight days later.[10][11]

The Knights won the inaugural league championship defeating the Pickles 8–7 in the championship game.[12]

2021

The league was so successful that it announced a second season and that all of its games would be moved to Walker Stadium at Lents Park in southeast Portland, home of the Pickles, who returned to the WCL.[13] The Knights were folded and both were replaced by the revived Portland Rosebuds (named for the former Negro league team from the 1940's) and Willamette Wild Bills. The Rosebuds won the 2nd WWWL Championship defeating the Wild Bills 6–4 in the finals.[14][15]

2022

The league announced expansion into Cleburne, Texas, with a newly-formed four-team Texas Division with all games being played at The Depot at Cleburne Station, also the home of the Cleburne Railroaders of the professional American Association. The four teams founded by the league included the Cleburne Eagles (named for the former Negro league team from the 1930's to 1960's), Joshua Trees, Burleson Boxers and Fort Worth Rodeo Cats. However, the teams never played due to lack of interest. Therefore, the Texas Division teams and plans were scrapped by the league.

The Oregon teams all returned for a third season and became known as the Portland Division with all games once again being played at Walker Stadium. The Portland Gherkins won the 2022 WWWL Championship defeating the Gresham GreyWolves 9–7 in the championship game.[16]

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Portland Pickles

Portland Pickles

The Portland Pickles are a collegiate woodbat baseball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the South Division of the West Coast League, a premier collegiate summer baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. The Pickles play their home games at Walker Stadium in Portland's Lents Park.

West Coast League

West Coast League

The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL), but in 2008 renamed as the West Coast League. The league is designed to develop college talent, and only current college-eligible players are allowed to participate. The West Coast League has produced dozens of professional players, including a number of major leaguers. League teams are operated similarly to professional minor-league teams. The WCL's season typically runs from early June through the middle of August.

COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified in an outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. Attempts to contain it there failed, allowing the virus to spread to other areas of Asia and later worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020, and a pandemic on 11 March 2020. As of 10 March 2023, the pandemic had caused more than 676 million cases and 6.88 million confirmed deaths, making it one of the deadliest in history.

Portland Gherkins

Portland Gherkins

The Portland Gherkins are a collegiate woodbat baseball team based in Portland, Oregon. They are charter members of the Wild Wild West League, a short-season developmental collegiate summer baseball league owned by Rose City Baseball, LLC, and operated by the Portland Pickles baseball club of the West Coast League. They play their home games at Walker Stadium in Portland's Lents Park and are the Pickles' farm club.

Gresham GreyWolves

Gresham GreyWolves

The Gresham GreyWolves are a collegiate woodbat baseball team located in Gresham, Oregon. The GreyWolves play at Oslund Field on the campus of Mount Hood Community College and were a member of the West Coast League (WCL), a collegiate summer baseball league, in their first two seasons in 2016 and 2017. However, the GreyWolves became an independent team in 2018 when the club was purchased by Rose City Baseball, LLC and replaced in the WCL by the Portland Pickles. The GreyWolves now play in the short-season Wild Wild West League.

Aurora, Oregon

Aurora, Oregon

Aurora is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States and is home to the nation's largest not-for-profit air ambulance company, Life Flight Network. Before being incorporated as a city, it was the location of the Aurora Colony, a religious commune founded in 1856 by William Keil and John E. Schmit. William named the settlement after his daughter. The population was 1,133 at the 2020 Census. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Forbes

Forbes

Forbes is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology, communications, science, politics, and law. It is based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Competitors in the national business magazine category include Fortune and Bloomberg Businessweek. Forbes has an international edition in Asia as well as editions produced under license in 27 countries and regions worldwide.

Walker Stadium (baseball)

Walker Stadium (baseball)

Charles B. Walker Stadium at Lents Park is a baseball stadium located in Lents Park in the Lents neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. It has been home to the West Coast League Portland Pickles baseball team since 2016. The Pickles play thirty home games per sixty game season. The team pays rent to the City, cleans the stadium, and provides security during games. Outside of the dates set aside for the team, the stadium is open for permitted play by anyone who reserves it. The Northwest Independent Baseball League plays many of its games at Walker Stadium.

Cleburne, Texas

Cleburne, Texas

Cleburne is a city in and the county seat of Johnson County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,337. The city is named in honor of Patrick Cleburne, a Confederate general. Lake Pat Cleburne, the reservoir that provides water to the city and surrounding area, is also named after him.

The Depot at Cleburne Station

The Depot at Cleburne Station

The Depot at Cleburne Station is a baseball park located in Cleburne, Texas, United States that opened on May 18, 2017. Seating at the ballpark consists of over 1,750 fixed seats, bleachers, grass berm seating, and several group seating areas. The Cleburne Railroaders baseball team of the independent American Association plays its home games at the stadium. FC Cleburne, a soccer team of the Premier Development League, played their games at The Depot from May 27, 2017, until dissolving the following year.

Cleburne Railroaders

Cleburne Railroaders

The Cleburne Railroaders are a professional baseball team based in Cleburne, Texas, that plays in the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The team, which began play in 2017, plays its home games at The Depot at Cleburne Station.

American Association of Professional Baseball

American Association of Professional Baseball

The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor league affiliates. Joshua Schaub is the league commissioner. League offices are located in Moorhead, Minnesota. Though a separate entity, the league shared a commissioner and director of umpires with the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball during that league's existence. The American Association of Professional Baseball has 501(c)(6) tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. In 2020, as part of MLB's reorganization of the minor leagues, the American Association, together with the Atlantic League and the Frontier League, became an official MLB Partner League.

Special rules

PickleBot 3000

One of the main attractions to the league is an automated strike zone, dubbed Picklebot 3000. Because of the Picklebot, only one field umpire is used for each game. It was introduced in 2021 and has been used ever since.

Current teams

Team City First Season
Gresham GreyWolves Gresham, OR 2020
Portland Gherkins Portland, OR 2020
Portland Rosebuds Portland, OR 2021
Willamette Wild Bills Portland, OR 2021

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Gresham GreyWolves

Gresham GreyWolves

The Gresham GreyWolves are a collegiate woodbat baseball team located in Gresham, Oregon. The GreyWolves play at Oslund Field on the campus of Mount Hood Community College and were a member of the West Coast League (WCL), a collegiate summer baseball league, in their first two seasons in 2016 and 2017. However, the GreyWolves became an independent team in 2018 when the club was purchased by Rose City Baseball, LLC and replaced in the WCL by the Portland Pickles. The GreyWolves now play in the short-season Wild Wild West League.

Gresham, Oregon

Gresham, Oregon

Gresham is a city located in Multnomah County, Oregon, in the United States of America, immediately east of Portland, Oregon. It is considered a suburb within the Greater Portland Metropolitan area. Though it began as a settlement in the mid-1800s, it was not officially incorporated as a city until 1905; it was named after Walter Quintin Gresham, the American Civil War general and United States Secretary of State.

Portland Gherkins

Portland Gherkins

The Portland Gherkins are a collegiate woodbat baseball team based in Portland, Oregon. They are charter members of the Wild Wild West League, a short-season developmental collegiate summer baseball league owned by Rose City Baseball, LLC, and operated by the Portland Pickles baseball club of the West Coast League. They play their home games at Walker Stadium in Portland's Lents Park and are the Pickles' farm club.

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous county in Oregon. As of 2020, Portland had a population of 652,503, making it the 26th-most populated city in the United States, the sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area, making it the 25th most populous in the United States. About half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area.

Former teams

Team City First Season Last Season Result
Burleson Boxers Burleson, TX 2022 2022 Never Played
Cleburne Eagles Cleburne, TX 2022 2022 Never Played
Fort Worth Rodeo Cats Fort Worth, TX 2022 2022 Never Played
Joshua Trees Joshua, TX 2022 2022 Never Played
Portland Pickles Portland, OR 2020 2020 Returned to WCL full-time
West Linn Knights Portland, OR 2020 2020 Folded

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Burleson, Texas

Burleson, Texas

Burleson is a city in Johnson and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is a suburb of Fort Worth. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 36,690, and in 2019 it had an estimated population of 48,225.

Cleburne, Texas

Cleburne, Texas

Cleburne is a city in and the county seat of Johnson County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,337. The city is named in honor of Patrick Cleburne, a Confederate general. Lake Pat Cleburne, the reservoir that provides water to the city and surrounding area, is also named after him.

Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly 350 square miles (910 km2) into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According to a 2022 United States census estimate, Fort Worth's population was 958,692. Fort Worth is the second-largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, which is the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States.

Joshua, Texas

Joshua, Texas

Joshua is a city in Johnson County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,891 at the 2020 census.

Portland Pickles

Portland Pickles

The Portland Pickles are a collegiate woodbat baseball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the South Division of the West Coast League, a premier collegiate summer baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. The Pickles play their home games at Walker Stadium in Portland's Lents Park.

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous county in Oregon. As of 2020, Portland had a population of 652,503, making it the 26th-most populated city in the United States, the sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area, making it the 25th most populous in the United States. About half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area.

Champions

  • 2020: West Linn Knights
  • 2021: Portland Rosebuds
  • 2022: Portland Gherkins

Broadcasting

The league broadcasts all games on Facebook Live and YouTube channels using the Portland Pickles' Broadcast Crew. Carlo Jimenez was the initial play-by-play voice in 2020, followed by Mike Chexx in 2021.

Source: "Wild Wild West League", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 11th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Wild_West_League.

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References
  1. ^ Baseball in 2020: Portland Pickles announce formation of Wild Wild West League, JD Humburg, The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, June 13, 2020
  2. ^ ‘We couldn’t quit on it.’ The Wild Wild West League will bring live sports back to Portland, Matt Cohen, The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, June 14, 2020
  3. ^ About Us, WWWL official website
  4. ^ Portland Pickles: Introducing the Wild Wild West League, 750 The Game website, June 11, 2020
  5. ^ Area Baseball Players Find Opportunity In Wild Wild West League, Jesse Sowa, Corvallis Gazette-Times, July 9, 2020
  6. ^ Wild Wild West League Offers Rare Chance To Attend Baseball Games During Pandemic, Maury Brown, Forbes, August 4, 2020
  7. ^ Wild Wild West League opening night brings live team sports back to Oregon, Matt Cohen, The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, July 12, 2020
  8. ^ Portland Pickles Win First Game of Wild Wild West League, 750 The Game website, July 12, 2020
  9. ^ Baseball’s Wild Wild West League suspends season after 2 positive coronavirus tests, Matt Cohen, The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, July 15, 2020
  10. ^ Wild Wild West League to return to baseball Thursday after coronavirus tests come back negative, Matt Cohen, TheOregonian/OregonLive.com, July 20, 2020
  11. ^ Positive tests shut down Wild Wild West League for week, Tim Martinez, The Columbian, July 15, 2020
  12. ^ WWWL Championship Game 8/9 #1 West Linn Knights vs #2 Portland Pickles, Portland Pickles YouTube channel, August 9, 2020
  13. ^ Wild Wild West League Returns For Year 2, Jeremy McDonald, JMcDonaldMedia, January 25, 2021
  14. ^ WWWL Playoffs: #2 Willamette Wild Bills vs #4 Portland Rosebuds, Portland Pickles YouTube channel, August 29, 2021
  15. ^ Wild Wild West League Returns With Two New Teams In 2021!, Staff, Wild Wild West League official website, January 25, 2021
  16. ^ Portland Gherkins vs Gresham Greywolves Championship Finals, WWWL YouTube channel, August 20, 2022
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