One of the best-kept secrets in Austin sports, the Zaragoza League serves up major-college-quality baseball in an intimate East Austin ballpark, all summer long, for only a $2 admission (and there are no concessions, so it's BYOB and snacks). The seven team rosters are mostly made up of college players between seasons or who have finished their eligibility, plus a smattering of ex-pros and other high-level recreational players. They seem a little thin on pitching (who isn't?), but that just gives the hitters a little more room to work. In this year's championship game, played last weekend, the Gold Sox took the title by scoring ten runs in the final inning -- eight of them with two outs -- to win 15-10 over the defending champion Texas Baseball Club. As this goes to press, the Gold Sox are competing in the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, KS.
