(Trying to) shrink the information void that is Cal Baseball
I'll never know until I try, and try
Dear Readers,
Hi, haha. My name is David, first time writer and long time reader (since 2021) here at Write For California, and I'm excited to cover Cal Baseball for the upcoming season, alongside our resident Cal baseball expert, Justin Buechler.
You may be wondering, "Cal Baseball…I could follow them on social media." Well, Yes and No. Yes, they have social media platforms, but it's hard to find video highlights of recent games and recurring coverage and/or player profiles from podcasters, journalists, bloggers, etc.
And that, my friends, sums up the current state of Cal baseball in 2025: it's just not as accessible as our sporting counterparts, football and basketball.
But when I go to a Cal Baseball game at home—as a graduate student and as a alumni—the atmosphere's intimate, electric, fun, and affordable. I saw players like Andrew Vaughn, before he became Andrew Vaughn of the Chicago White Sox and now, the Milwaukee Brewers.
(And I'll never forget those $2 Tuesday games behind home plate...good times)
Fast forward to 2025, you still have $2 ticket Tuesdays—I expect this promotion to return next season—and more baseball merchandise at the Fall Rush Store—my favorite: the white home jersey with the California logo across the chest, and the Cal logo baseballs for $10!—but I'm still puzzled by the information void that is Cal Baseball. Post pandemic, the games remain blacked out behind a paywall, I’m still unclear on the radio signal for live games—seems like it’s been changing year to year—and again, there's not enough recent game highlights.
So instead of resigning to learned hopelessness, why not do something to expand the coverage, and that's what I'll be doing here at Write for California: talk to you—the fans, the alumni, the players, the coaches, and the curious—about Cal Baseball, even though I’m still figuring out what that format could look like.
I may succeed, I may fail, but one thing is for sure: I'll never know until I try, and try.
Talk to you soon.
—David
Thank you David. Go Bears…
Congratulations, and condolences. I'm sure you will pour your heart & soul into covering the program. It's a worthy pursuit, given the long and (sometimes) glorious history of Cal Baseball. Beating Yale for the first CWS title in 1947, then repeating 10 years later. From nearly winning it all again in 1980 before being upset by Arizona in the semifinals, to nearly being canceled before through sheer force of will storming into Omaha in 2011. I look forward to reading your stuff eagerly.
Condolences in that I'm not sure the current Cal coaching staff has either the resources or the ability to lift the team back to those heights. In this dark time of openly buying players, the Bears had their core gutted like a fish in the Pacific market in Seattle. But even WITH those players, Cal was a complete afterthought in the ACC, despite their brief run in the tournament. Add in the severe financial stress on the entire department, and it might be a miracle if the club can survive another potential elimination. I REALLY hope I'm wrong, but I fear the situation is beyond dire. 🙏 for the result to be a benefactor or benefactors to fully endow the program and turn around this malaise. GO BEARS!!!