6-757: The Sacramento Smokeys were a semi-pro and collegiate summer baseball team located in Sacramento, California , founded in 1949 by Larry Manuian, who ran the team until his death in 2011. The Smokeys played in multiple leagues in Northern California usually consisting of their prominent rivals such as the Fontanetti's Athletics and the Humboldt Crabs . In the 1990s, many Smokeys games were broadcast on local television. The Smokeys were Sacramento’s top baseball team with prominent coverage in
12-473: A pitcher with the Smokeys in the summer of 1992. After the signing, the Smokeys received national news coverage from People Magazine , Late Show with David Letterman , CBS This Morning , Entertainment Tonight , Good Morning America , and USA Today . Over nine seasons pitching for the Smokeys, in between acting jobs, Busfield has amassed a pitching record of 30 wins and 12 losses. In 1993, Busfield went with
18-752: The Sacramento Bee , from when the Sacramento Solons moved after the 1976 season until the arrival of the Pacific Coast League’s Sacramento River Cats in 1999. The Smokeys roster usually consisted of former professional players and current college players from Sacramento City College , UC Davis and Sacramento State . A year after the Thirtysomething ended its fourth and final season on ABC , actor Timothy Busfield made national news when he signed as
24-715: The Smokeys on a road trip to Arcata Ball Park to pitch against the Humboldt Crabs , pitching 7 innings and sustaining a 4-3 loss to future major league pitcher Mike Thurman . Collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate from early June to early August. In contrast to college baseball , which allow aluminum or other composite baseball bats , players in these leagues use only wooden bats, hence
30-496: The collegiate summer season. These draftees can remain with their collegiate summer team until they sign a professional contract. During the season, players are housed by volunteer host families and bussed to and from road games. The leagues vary greatly in their attendances, quality of play, and ability to attract scouts. The Alaska Baseball League (ABL) and the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) are considered
36-701: The common nickname of these leagues as "wood-bat leagues". Collegiate summer leagues allow college baseball players the ability to compete using professional rules and equipment, giving them experience and allowing professional scouts the opportunity to observe players under such conditions. To find a collegiate summer team, players work with their college coaches and prospective teams' general managers. They report to summer leagues after completing their spring collegiate season with their NCAA , NAIA , NJCAA , CCCAA , and NWAC teams. Some players arrive late due to their college team's postseason play, which sometimes runs into early June. In some cases, players are drafted during
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