HarbourCats to give Eccles ultimate honour
Knuckleballer to have jersey retired June 17
Claire Eccles’ numbers, and demeanour, were modest. But not her impact.
The first female to play in the West Coast League of baseball will have her No. 8 jersey retired by the Victoria HarbourCats during a ceremony before the June 17 game against the Bend Elks at Royal Athletic Park.
“Claire transcended baseball and this franchise,” said Jim Swanson, managing director of the HarbourCats.
“She touched lives in a way the other players couldn’t because of circumstances. She was special.”
The HarbourCats stressed from the start that although the signing of Eccles made headlines, it was never a publicity ploy.
“It was a trail-blazing move on her part. It was out-of-the-box on my part in going out on a limb,” said HarbourCats GM Brad NorrisJones.
“It worked out wonderfully. So many female baseball players, and female athletes of all sports, came out to watch Claire, and it was so important to them.”
Eccles won the bronze medal with Canada in the 2018 women’s baseball World Cup. The White Rock native is in her final season on the UBC Thunderbirds softball team.
On the HarbourCats mound, the knuckleball lefty was 2-0 with two starts and nine relief appearances with three strikeouts over two seasons in 2017 and 2018.
“She earned her way onto our roster,” said Swanson.
“Hitters respected her . . . it was always interesting to watch the varied reactions. It took the right person, with guts, to do this. It also took the right city, market, and organization, to take what some viewed as a risk. Signing Claire was a success on every level.”
The ramifications were felt league-wide in the WCL, which features NCAA Div. 1 and other collegiate players in summer ball.
“Claire Eccles has meant more to the HarbourCats — and for that matter, the entire West Coast League — than mere statistics can suggest,” said WCL commissioner Rob Neyer, in a statement.
“Claire has been a true pioneer, and I look forward to the day when nobody is surprised to see a talented woman playing in the West Coast League.”
Eccles becomes the first HarbourCats player to have their jersey retired.
She will also become the sixth player on the HarbourCats’ Wall of Honour on the Royal Athletic Park main baseball grandstand, joining the likes of pitcher Nick Pivetta of the Philadelphia Phillies and Triple-A infielder Alex De Goti in the Houston Astros system.
AROUND THE BASES: The HarbourCats has announced the signing of four players from the NCAA Div. 1 Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference — catcher Kyle Harper, first-baseman Chase Wehsener and pitchers Blake Helton and Branson Wilson.