Strawberry League Baseball Arrives in White Bluffs
As spring settles into the Benton County valley, the local baseball team prepares to join a regional league against rivals from Hanford and Richland.
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When the umpire calls 'Play Ball' next Sunday, the Strawberry League will officially open, marking White Bluffs' entry into competitive league baseball. The home team will host Hanford in the inaugural game, competing alongside clubs from Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, and Connell. While the local squad has had limited practice, the lineup includes Otto Swanson, Bart Montgomery, Franklin Beyers, Rod Knaub, Verne Zerwekh, and H. M. Morford. With improvements to the local grounds, organizers are expecting a record turnout.
“Looks as though the banana belt were moving down river.”
Small-town baseball was the social glue of the 1920s in the Mid-Columbia region. The mention of 'Strawberry League' participants like Kennewick and Pasco highlights a regional pride that predates the rapid industrialization of the atomic era.
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