It’s Spring Time and Baseball is in the Air
“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” –Hall of Fame baseball player Roger Hornsby, known as “the greatest right-hander in baseball history.”
Photos and Story By Mike Salsbury
Goldendale, Wash., March 12, 2024 –Ask Goldendale citizens how they measure the arrival of spring and their answers paint a nice picture of the changing seasons here in Klickitat County.
Gardeners will tell you that the snow has to be gone from the upper slopes of the Simcoe Mountains before it’s time for springtime planting. It’s a steadfast rule they say that one should never test (even if you might notice activity over at the baseball diamond).
Hearty hikers will let you know that springtime wildflowers have already started their spectacular show with the arrival of grass widow flowers along the trails at Horse Thief Butte and to get ready for lupine and balsam roots bringing more color to the hillsides.
Here in town, according to locals, dandelions in the cemetery might be another indicator that the season has changed in Goldendale.
Windy-changing weather, skunks, migratory geese honking from overhead, and the inevitable increase in the number of feral kittens roaming Goldendale streets might provide evidence if you ask around.
Wander on down to Jackson Field on a Saturday in early March, though, and the familiar sights and sounds of a springtime tradition will greet you as boldly as that winter weather still bringing snow to the Simcoes.
It’s baseball season and it’s time for a change.
The sounds of chatter from the dugout, the thud of a pitch, and a home plate umpire calling a “strike three” evoke familiar memories of the National Pastime and this was definitely brought back to life in Goldendale over the weekend.
The excitement of a new season, the energy of a close play, and the spirit of the game are captured in a photo sequence shown here as Goldendale third-baseman Jackson Gamble tags out a runner from Columbia-Burbank during their first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Jackson Field and the celebration ensues.
The Timberwolves won both games over the Coyotes on Saturday, 10-9 and 10-7. No other stats were available.
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