The crack of the bat against the thin leather of a baseball, the sound of the announcer echoing across the field, the cheers of the crowd when the home team gets a run—come summertime, baseball in a northern resort town is a sweet ritual for everyone. You’ll agree when you lounge on the lawn or in the seats of Wuerfel Park stadium, taking in Traverse City’s own professional baseball team, the Beach Bums.

The stadium, done in white and embracing an immaculate, emerald field, presents an ideal setting for a game. But unlike a pro-ball game, a Beach Bums game is an intimate, fun, lighthearted event—players even greet fans. Stepping into Wuerfel Park is like stepping back in time, when baseball was just about two groups of guys, knocking a ball around and having a good time in front of the locals. And at a Bums game, that feeling is infectious. Three miles south of Grand Traverse Mall on U.S. 31. Regular season runs May 22–September 6. 231-943-0100, TRAVERSECITYBEACHBUMS.COM.

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