Baseball in Ventura County

Baseball on the West Coast dates back to 1847, when the New York Volunteer Regiment stationed in Santa Barbara batted around a cowhide-covered ball with a stick made from a mesquite branch. By 1873, Venturans were playing baseball at Seaside Park. The first local player to reach the major leagues was Charley Hall, who pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in 1906, followed by Fred Snodgrass, who brought along his New York Giants and the Chicago White Sox to Ventura County in 1913. The county has ...