Contra Costa County, located in Northern California, is renowned for its rich baseball history and has produced some of the most talented players in Major League Baseball. From Guinn and Speier to the San Jose Giants, Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants, and Sacramento River Cats, the county provides a wealth of opportunities for semi-professional baseball players to hone their skills and gain experience before making it to the big leagues. Guinn's best moments in minor leagues included three All-Star team selections, an All-Star selection from the Caribbean League (Dominican Republic), the Best Player of the Month award, four Association Player of the Week awards, and three league championships. This statistical coincidence reflected how strange the year was for everyone, as a player strike in the middle of the season forced Major League Baseball to divide the campaign into two “halves”, and the winner of the first half played against the champion of the second half in a special tiebreaker. Speier has worked for several baseball organizations since retiring as a player, including the Athletics, Cubs and Reds.
The profits from the cafeteria, merchandise and ticket go to the league, while players are paid half of the proceeds from the drawing for each game (50-50) and the team “feeds the fish by passing a fish-shaped bag through the stands when Sturgeon's players hit a home run or hit the team”. While studying Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley, Brian played baseball and basketball on the varsity team (one year). Speier became a rarity among Expos players, as he didn't run out of town as soon as the season ended. In addition to providing semi-professional baseball players with an opportunity to gain experience before making it to Major League Baseball, Contra Costa County also hosts several tournaments throughout the year that attract semi-professional baseball players from all over California. These tournaments provide an excellent platform for semi-professional baseball players to showcase their skills and gain recognition. In conclusion, Contra Costa County is home to many semi-professional baseball players who have gone on to have successful careers in Major League Baseball.
Guinn and Speier are two of Contra Costa County's most famous semi-professional baseball players who have achieved success in their respective careers. The county also provides many opportunities for semi-professional baseball players to hone their skills and gain experience before making it to Major League Baseball.
