PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Lefties opened their team store downtown this week, where fans can buy team gear, tickets and socialize with baseball fans.
The store is open at 117 ½ W. First St. two doors from the Next Door Gastropub and will have special hours for the holidays.
“We are excited to get the team store open,” said Lefties Co-owner Matt Acker.
“Besides team gear and ticket, we’ll also be marketing the area. We want visitors not living on the Peninsula to be walking billboards for the community. We’ll be changing up looks often. The store will be evolving as we get closer to the season. Different gear, branded beverages, exclusive events and more to come.”
Holiday hours will be 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The store will close during Christmas week from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2. Then it will be open 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays and closed on Sundays and Mondays.
“Most importantly, we want our team store to feel inclusive to the community, ” Acker said.
“Come by and talk baseball, bring flyers about Cal Ripken or infomation about a local music, social or sporting event. If Port Angeles should know about it, then we want to help get that information out,” Acker said.
Lefties General Manager Ryan Hickey said the store currently has Lefties’ hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts, and that team jerseys should be arriving later this week. The store will add plenty of other items such as key bobs, water bottles and socks with Lefties logos.
The store is one of many steps Leties baseball is taking to settle into the Port Angeles community. In September, Acker announced several upgrades to Civic Field, including 102 cushioned seats, corporate boxes with couches and a party deck with beer and wine available.
Also, the Lefties continue to look for families to host players. For more information on host families, go to www.lefties baseball.com/host-families.
The Port Angeles Lefties are a wooden bat collegiate league that will begin play next spring in the West Coast League, playing teams from all around the Pacific Northwest. Players will come from major universities and many of them will be drafted professionally by Major League Baseball teams. A number of players in the WCL have gone on to become stars in the majors.
The Lefties have a Web site at www.leftiesbaseball.com and can be followed on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
