Back in the Swing of Things
After canceling their 2020 season, The Bells return to compete for a West Coast League title.
Story by Jordan Stone
The Bellingham Bells have been playing baseball at Joe Martin Field since 1999. Before that, the Bellingham Mariners occupied the field from 1977 until 1994. Over this time, Bellingham, Washington has seen magnificent baseball talent play in its city.
From Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez, to local stars like Austin Shenton, the people of Bellingham have watched spectacular players take the field. But in 2020 the usual sights, sounds and smells of baseball were absent from the field.
The stadium had changed significantly since players like Griffey and Martinez played there, according to long-time Whatcom County Sports Writer Jim Carberry.
“They fixed up the press box, they added stadium seating, which they didn’t have before,” Carberry said. “They made it a lot more family-friendly.”
Even with those hospitable additions, the Bells couldn’t anticipate the accommodations a global pandemic would require.
As both Washington and Oregon were grappling with the ramifications of COVID-19, the West Coast League (WCL) was forced to make decisions about its season. First they delayed the season, but ultimately had to cancel due to the risks of COVID-19.
It wasn’t just the WCL or baseball in general that were impacted by the pandemic. Kids all around the country lost their ability to play sports on a regular basis.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Sports Communication, “COVID-19 has generated uncertainty in the future of youth sports and created psychological, developmental and economic fallouts from the stoppage of sports.”
However, some of those impacts are positive, according to Stephanie Morrell, general manager of the Bellingham Bells.
“I think there will be long-term impacts from so many things that have happened in the last year, but I don’t necessarily think that all those impacts have to be negative,” Morrell said. “One thing we’ve seen this year is that our kids’ baseball camp enrollment is way higher than it traditionally would be at this time of year.”
There was plenty to miss in 2020 with the absence of baseball in Joe Martin Field. The smell of freshly cut grass wafting in the air. The roar of the crowd after a home run. The sound when the ball meets the bat. The anticipation of what could happen next.
For Morrell, it wasn’t the baseball that she missed most, it was the community.
“We get to see so many different people and get to know people,” Morrell said. “It’s a long time to go without having those connections in your community.”
For Bells Head Coach Adam Geaslen, it’s the hype of baseball he longs for.
“It’s the buzz of the game, the anticipation of that first pitch,” Geaslen said. “Every coach will know what I’m talking about on this one; you kind of get that excitement and anticipation, that anxiousness in your stomach.”
This anxiety is something Geaslen never experienced as a player because he felt he could use that excitement in the game. He knew as long as he took care of his own business on the field, everything would work out.
But as a coach, sitting back and watching his players is a different feeling.
You’re unable to control the game in a significant way, which is one big reason for the butterflies he gets in his stomach before coaching a game, he said.
Aside from having the opportunity to be on the field and compete, Geaslen is most excited to get to know his players.
“I love working with athletes, I love trying to understand athletes, no two are alike,” Geaslen said.
Geaslen will have plenty of players to get to know come June when they begin to report to the Bells. He counted over 20 schools that will be represented on the Bells roster this season, a number that could grow as the roster evolves.
While that number may sound staggering, it’s typical for college summer league teams like the Bells to gain players from all over the country.
One of those players, Cole Hinkelman, a Washington state native and an infielder from Stanford University, is excited about being back in Bellingham for his second season with the Bells.
“I’m looking forward to getting the team together and playing in front of the fans in Bellingham again,” he said. “Playing in front of the fans is a blast and we’ll make sure to get some wins for them too.”
Geaslen thinks they’ve moved on from the loss of development as a result of seasons being canceled last year.
“I think you saw that, for lack of a better term, rustiness or lack of polish at the start of the season,” he said. “I honestly believe that we’ve gotten through that already.”
Another logistical challenge of this season is the increased player pool that the Bells and other collegiate summer leagues have to choose from. According to an announcement made by the NCAA last summer, student-athletes who had their seasons canceled due to COVID-19 will be granted an additional year of eligibility.
It’s not just that there are more players who are available than in a normal year, Morrell noted. It’s also that a lot of teams around the country, including five of the Canadian teams in the WCL, are still unable to play.
Geaslen acknowledged the fact there were hundreds of more players out there, but added that it didn’t affect the way the Bells constructed their roster. He admitted that the number of coaches calling him, telling him they had players looking for teams, did increase this year.
“Each year you always field emails and calls and things like that of new and different schools saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got some players this year,’” he said. “I would say that has probably quadrupled this year, just the amount of programs reaching out.”
Geaslen will be interested to see how college coaches deal with roster congestion in the future. He said that recruiting coordinators and college coaches’ jobs will be tough in the next few years, dealing with the fallout from COVID-19.
Morrell and the Bells didn’t have to go long before they welcomed the community back into their ballpark. The Bells played their first game since the 2019 season when they welcomed the Port Angeles Lefties to Joe Martin Field on June 4, 2021, just one day shy of the anniversary of the 2020 season’s cancellation.
“I’m really excited to have a safe option to come out and hang out in their community and have something to do with their family,” Morrell said. “You don’t have to drive to Seattle, obviously, the Mariners are playing, but this is a local accessible option. And it’s just something that people really haven’t had in two years.”
One of the promotions the Bells put on during the summer is fireworks night. Hinkelman fondly remembers seeing fireworks light up the night sky, hearing the unforgettable crackling sounds as they illuminated the city with sparks.
“The fireworks night was my favorite memory with the Bells,” he said. “We won right before and then hung out at the field a little while longer during the fireworks. It was awesome.”
With all of the history in Joe Martin Field, along with the new additions, Carberry believes the stadium is something the people of Bellingham should be proud of.
“Big cities have the big, big stadium,” Carberry said. “But for the small community of Bellingham and Whatcom County, they should take pride in Joe Martin Field. It’s a great field and a lot of great things have happened in it.”
According to a study in the Journal of Sports Economics, “minor league baseball is a substitute for MLB when teams are within 100 miles of each other.” While the Bells are not officially a minor league team, they operate and offer a similar experience to that of minor league teams. Another draw, according to the same study, is winning baseball games.
At the start of the season, the Bells will be able to hold 50% capacity, which is about 1,500 fans, according to Morrell. The team will be following Washington state guidelines by enforcing mask mandates and social distancing precautions.
In addition to following the state’s guidelines, the Bells have a plan for food and beverage ordering through their mobile app, as well as fully-vaccinated seating sections.
These sections relax restrictions on social distancing and mask wearing, and closely resemble what it was like to attend a sporting event before the pandemic.
In addition, fans will be able to sit amongst their friends and enjoy the camaraderie that being a baseball fan brings.
Geaslen admitted the impending season would be a big challenge for him as a coach.
“It’s not just a matter of doing the baseball things that we’ve done thousands and thousands of times,” he said. “We have to be cognizant of the different protocols and make sure guys are safe and masked up and doing what they need to do.”
Geaslen isn’t the only person in the league who is paying attention to the protocols. The WCL announced a new Health and Safety group on May 3. The group will be made up of five representatives from teams across Washington and Oregon, as well as commissioner Rob Neyer.
“All of our member teams are deeply committed to creating and maintaining safe environments for their fans and their personnel, both on the field and off. I’m honored to serve on the Health and Safety Group, and I look forward to our work this spring and summer,” Neyer said in a statement.
With everything going on, Geaslen is thrilled for Bellingham baseball fans to see the talent on his roster, highlighting a few players in particular.
“Cole [Hinkelman] is going to split some time between the outfield and over at first base,” he said. “Cole is a gigantic human being and a phenomenal athlete. He’s one of those kids that walks through the door and you’re just like, ‘Wow, that young man is put together.’ Fantastic left-handed hitter. He has some thunder in that bat.”
Another player Geaslen mentioned is local product Ty Saunders from Anacortes, Washington. Saunders will play all over the infield for the Bells, but Geaslen wants to keep him up the middle, playing either second base or shortstop. Geaslen described Saunders as a “baseball rat,” someone who just loves to be at the ballpark.
Another name, and one that Bells fans might recognize, is Nick McLain, an outfielder from the University of California, Los Angeles. His older brother, Matt McLain, is a first-round MLB draft pick who played for the Bells a few seasons ago.
Geaslen acknowledged he could go down the entire roster, gush about each and every player and how they all add value to the team.
“I can tell you that those great fans in Bellingham are going to be treated to some really good talent,” he said. “This is one of those rosters that has a chance to be special.”
Who knows? In 10–15 years, the fans in Bellingham might begin to reminisce about having players like Cole Hinkelman, Ty Saunders and the McLain brothers playing their early years at Joe Martin Field, just like they reminisce now about the days of Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez.
