Baseball has a rich history in Bend

Baseball in Bend goes back decades, and it’s always been very popular.

The Bend Elks set the West Coast League attendance record two straight seasons earlier this decade.

“Baseball’s been a big part of the community for a long, long time,” Elks play-by-play announcer Anders Jorstad said Wednesday. “There were minor league teams here for decades. The Bend Elks have been here for a couple of decades as well.”

“This has been a big part of the community. You’ll see people come out, people from town and out of town. It’s always a great atmosphere,” Jorstad said.

There have also been some notable players to take the field at Vince Genna Stadium. Two of them play in Major League Baseball today, and one of them is Eric Sogard, an infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A few years ago, he was a starter on two Oakland Athletics playoff teams.

Sogard is not the most famous former Bend baseball player, though. That might be actor Kurt Russell, who played on the 1971 Bend Rainbows.

The best player to ever wear an Elks uniform is undoubtedly Madras native Jacoby Ellsbury, who plays for the New York Yankees. He’s led the majors in stolen bases three times and finished second in American League MVP voting in 2011.

Speaking of stars, you can catch KTVZ’s Emily Kirk throwing out the first pitch at the Elks’ last league home game of the season Friday.