NEWSLETTER
Former NFL wide receiver Golden Tate made headlines yesterday for signing with the Port Angeles Lefties of the West Coast League. In a news release on the West Coast League’s website, Tate called baseball his “first love,” and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity afforded to him by the WCL and the Lefties.
“I am extremely thankful,” Tate said, “to the West Coast League and the Port Angeles Lefties for allowing me to join their league. As some might know, I was drafted twice in baseball. As a child, my first love was baseball, so I’m excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best young players in the league. I look forward to having a lot of fun and exploring baseball more.”
Believe it or not, Tate was actually drafted twice by MLB teams! Tate was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 42nd round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of high school, and again in 2010 in the 50th round by the San Francisco Giants. Tate declined to sign both times, instead riding his stardom on the football field at Notre Dame to a second-round selection in the NFL and a pretty good career to boot.
The WCL describes its league as a “premier summer collegiate baseball league” that encompasses Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta to showcase collegiate baseball prospects “from major collegiate conferences around the nation.”
The WCL’s alumni include Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman who played for the Corvallis Knights, and current Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal who also played for the Corvallis Knights during his days at Oregon State. The full alumni list is actually pretty stacked, and you can check it out if you’d like.
Anyways, Tate started in center field for the Lefties last night and actually played pretty well! Tate went 2-for-4 for the Lefties hitting out of the two-hole as Port Angeles topped the Bend Elks 5-2.
Here’s a video of Golden Tate’s first at-bat, an RBI double:
Pretty cool stuff!
