Part Three: The First Season
Marketing was a cinch in San Jose. The four thousand seats set aside for season ticket holders sold out in three days, and already the Bombers were guaranteed a forty-five percent sale for all of its twenty-seven home games. Chico opened every one of its seats up for season tickets and sold half, while Fresno and Sacramento had to turn people away after they reached their maximums. Sacramento even went so far as to place people on a waiting list by lottery to ensure fairness in the event a seat opened up.
The graphic design department drew up logos for the four teams, and designed uniforms and cap logos as well.
All four teams approved of the design, for the time being. Fresno and Sacramento both commented that they would adopt a redesign later in their tenure within the league... though such changes were to be approved by the commissioner prior to being adopted.
The last part of the preseason included the inaugural draft. As promised to some of the Japanese players, they were drafted by the teams they showed interest in playing for and with salaries promised them in their individual negotiations. Hirayama, the young pitcher from Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, was handed his new Bombers' jersey with the number 99 on the back, just as he requested. He said that he wanted that number because that was the bare minimum of batters he was looking to strike out each season. Jake told him, "It's too bad we don't have any uniforms with three digits on the back."
Jake, however, was appreciating the new GSBL logo that was designed by the same person. The logo was adapated into a large patch that each player would wear upon the arm of their uniforms:
Spring Training began in San Jose. The first part of the training schedule had two weeks of open tryouts for all would-be players. Professionals and amateurs alike were put through their paces by the teams new coaching staffs and managers. Even players from across the country made it to try out for a spot on the large active roster. Guys with beer bellies and guys with no musclature at all showed up, hoping to impress the staff into letting them play ball for them for the season. With a guaranteed payment of twenty-five hundred dollars (league minimum) for just two months of games, the idea of being a pro baseball player was a dream come true for many.
Five thousand people showed that first week, all playing hard to win one of two hundred and eighty roster spots. Half of them were cut the third day, and it broke Jake's heart to see so many people have their dreams dashed. A majority of those players cut had raw and unfinished talent. He hoped the owners would reconsider the idea of a minor league system, soon.
All four teams made use of the San Jose State University sports complex, including the expanded Municipal Stadium. Two weeks of exhibition games took place, one during the day, and the other at night. To promote the league, people were admitted for free during those two weeks, so they could get a look at the players and start getting a sense of the hometown pride. San Jose held a large Japanese population, and when the Japanese players like Hirayama played, they would bring out their trumpets and drums and chant like they were watching a Japanese game. Jake liked the atmosphere so much, he allowed fans to bring in their instruments to play at games.
NEXT: The First Season II: Regular Season Begins