Rumor has it the South Coast Baseball League season started yesterday

Every new league experiences growing pains. The South Coast Baseball League seems to be experiencing more than most.

The six-team league opened its inaugural season last night. Surprised you didn't hear about it? Don't be. The league seems content to play in anonymity.

The Dugout hoped to do a story on the league, but repeated phone calls to the league office were never returned. Bitter? A little – but it's tempered by amazement. Most independent leagues, let alone startups, do everything they can for publicity. That doesn't seem to matter to the SCBL.

It's not just that the folks shunned MinorLeagueDugout.com. A Google search on the league yields precious little information. Their Web site is only marginally more helpful. Game time is approaching for Friday's contest, yet there is still no mention of last night’s opening night festivities. There aren't even scores from opening night.

Maybe they want to keep the league small and quiet so that it has the exclusive feel of a top-flight South Beach bar. Maybe they figure their fans can’t read, so why go to the effort. Most likely, they simply underestimated how much work goes into the launch of a season.

Independent leagues need publicity of any kind. Fans won't go to the parks if they don't know there is a game. It's just that simple. The Dugout is a fan of every baseball league and sincerely hopes the South Coast League is successful. That being said, The Dugout will be shocked if the league survives to see its third season.