On a warm Saturday evening at Joe Martin Field, the Bellingham Bells turned their home game against the Port Angeles Lefties into something more than baseball. It was Salute to Service night, a First Responder appreciation event that put local police officers on the field, in the dugout, and at the center of the action alongside players and fans alike.
Bellingham Police Department Officer K. Redmond threw out the ceremonial first pitch, one of the evening's most anticipated moments. Redmond warmed up on the mound before the game, with Hayden, number 33 on the Lefties roster, stepping in as his catcher during pre-game warm-ups. A multi-agency color guard presented the flag during the National Anthem, drawing officers and personnel from departments across the region onto the field in a display that earned strong applause from the stands.
A Bat Kid, a Dugout, and Some Baseball Handshakes
The highlight of the evening for Officer A. Salgado may have been the most unusual assignment of his career. Salgado was invited to serve as an official bat kid for the Port Angeles Lefties, spending the game in the dugout alongside the visiting team's players. His duties included retrieving bats and balls during play, putting him right in the thick of the on-field action. Officers Redmond and N. Parker joined Salgado in the dugout as well, offering support as their colleague carried out his ball-and-bat duties with considerable enthusiasm.
The Bellingham Police Department later shared a point-of-view video of Salgado's bat-retrieving duties on social media, giving followers a ground-level look at what it is like to work the dugout alongside a summer collegiate baseball team. The response was warm, with many residents commenting on the lighter side of community policing the video captured.
For many officers, events like Salute to Service night offer a rare opportunity to connect with the public in a setting entirely removed from the pressures of law enforcement work. The department noted that both the Bells and Lefties players were generous with their time, offering handshakes, pats on the back, and expressions of gratitude throughout the evening.
About the Bellingham Bells and Their Home at Joe Martin Field
The Bellingham Bells are a summer collegiate wood-bat team competing in the West Coast League, one of the top development circuits for college baseball players in the country. Joe Martin Field, located near downtown Bellingham at 1221 Potter Street, has been the Bells' home since the team was founded in 2006. The ballpark seats around 3,000 fans and is known for its family-friendly atmosphere and views looking toward Bellingham Bay.
Salute to Service events have grown in popularity at sporting venues of all sizes over the past decade. For smaller summer collegiate teams like the Bells, those nights carry particular weight. The players are typically college athletes spending their summers in Bellingham, far from home, and many have never had the chance to interact closely with local officers outside of ordinary civic settings. Having a bat kid in a police department shirt show up in your dugout for a full game tends to make an impression.
Port Angeles sits roughly two hours from Bellingham via the Dungeness Spit and Highway 101 on the northern Olympic Peninsula. The Lefties compete in the West Coast League alongside the Bells, making Saturday's game a familiar rivalry with a cross-Sound flavor.
Why Community Nights Like This One Matter
Events that bring first responders and residents together in informal settings have real value beyond the feel-good photos. Research on community policing consistently finds that casual, positive contact between officers and the public builds trust in ways that formal outreach campaigns often cannot match. A police officer catching warm-up pitches or chasing down a bat in the third inning is a different kind of presence than a patrol car rolling through a neighborhood.
Bellingham has leaned into this kind of community engagement in recent years. The Bellingham Police Department has participated in a range of public events from the annual Fun With the Fuzz 5K to neighborhood block parties, building a visible presence at community gatherings throughout the city. Salute to Service night at Joe Martin Field fits neatly into that approach.
For a look at more Bellingham community coverage, including earlier events featuring BPD and local organizations working together, check out the Fun With the Fuzz 5K preview from earlier this spring.
And yes, the Bells won the game. After all the ceremony and dugout adventures, Bellingham's lineup came through on a night that celebrated the people who keep the city running, capping off Salute to Service evening with a victory that sent fans home happy. The full West Coast League schedule, including the Bells' remaining home dates at Joe Martin Field, is available online for anyone looking to catch a game this summer.
