Take Me Out to the California League

The Golden State's Major League Baseball Is Slow-Paced and Pricey, but Our Minor League Beautifully Binds Us Together

Take me out to the ballgame this summer? Sure, as long as you’re taking me to San Jose or Visalia or Lake Elsinore.

Yep, I know those cities don’t have major league teams—that’s the point. In California these days, Major League Baseball is miserable. But the California League—our very own minor league—is a little-known jewel, binding together our most challenged cities and regions with wholesome and affordable entertainment.

This summer, I’ve made a point of attending California League games in search of an antidote to the awfulness of California’s five …