Inland Empire 66ers host fur-tastic event

SPORTS

The evening paid tribute to the San Bernardino Kittens sports team

Inland Empire 66ers’ Kyle Roche, right, hands the ball to Jaina Spagis and cat Theodore of San Bernardino, after she threw out the first pitch at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday. Photos by John Valenzuela

Aysheh Antuono of Riverside brought her therapy pet, Bradley, to the game. The 66ers gave away Kitten-themed jerseys, paying tribute to the first professional team in the Inland Empire — the Kittens of San Bernardino — while also sponsoring a kitten adoption event in partnership with Cats of San Bernardino.

Image

Staff reports

San Manuel Stadium may have seen more furballs than fast balls Saturday as the Inland Empire 66ers paid tribute to the San Bernardino Kittens, the region’s first ever professional sports team.

The 66ers welcomed cats and their owners to the stadium Saturday as the team took on the Visalia Rawhide. The feline-centric night at the park featured photo opportunities and kitten-themed jersey giveaways. Players also donned special jerseys that were auctioned off to support Cats of San Bernardino, a nonprofit rescue organization that operated a cat adoption event at the game.

The evening put a spotlight on San Bernardino’s entry to the Southern California Baseball League in Spring 1913. The Kittens were named for one of the team’s veteran players, Kitty Brashear, who played in the majors in 1899 for the Louisville Colonels of the National League, according to the 66ers.

The Kittens won 48 games and lost 38, taking second place in the Southern California league before it ended that year.