There's Something Special About Baseball

There's something special about walking into a baseball stadium. From lining up at the ticket booth to walking through the turnstiles; catching a whiff from the grills as you weave your way through the throngs beneath the columns of the stadium's façade; and walking up the stairs and seeing the field unfold starting with the outfield scoreboard, giving way to the infield and the mound, and ending with the batter and the dugouts as the ball strikes the catcher's mitt. You pause and take it all in. This is how summer days and nights should be spent.

It's a familiar scene, played out by millions upon millions of fans at hundreds upon hundreds of venues. For another Summer, that scene is taking place in Macon.

The Peach State League has brought the familiar surroundings back to storied Luther Williams Field. And thank goodness for that.

As the temperatures rise to a brutal degree it becomes apparent that, while football reigns supreme, Macon is still very much a baseball town. The buzz builds as the high school postseason reaches its climax, and as the Braves become a daily fixture in our sports psyche. In a region that embraces the warm months on lakes, in parks, and on patios and porches, the diamond is very much a part of the warm-weather routine.

While the heart of Central City Park hasn't exactly been packed to the rafters since opening night, there has been a steady stream of fans taking in PSL play. And if the first two-plus weeks is any indication, people appear ready to embrace the league, and its "home team", the Macon Pinetoppers.

The league's makeup is a bit unconventional, with four teams playing in one venue, but just one wearing the home white uniforms. But more and more you're hearing fans pull for the team in the midnight-blue hats. Pinetopper players are hearing the support when they step in the batters box, and the cheers when they take off down the first base line. At a venue that has such a rich history, the first-year rookie league has given the town yet another team to cheer for.

Between the lines, the players are doing their jobs. The boys of summer have descended on Central Georgia from all over the country. Former college players who have gone undrafted or seen their minor league stints end all too quickly. Guys that have gone well out of their way at another shot at the minors, and hopefully beyond.

Within two weeks of opening night the PSL already fulfilled its prime objective for one player. Warner Robins outfielder Adan Severino was scooped up by the Frontier League's Normal Cornbelters. The Frontier League is an independent league made up of 12 teams and has sent players to the majors. For Severino, it is a step closer to his big league dreams.

But one player and one season does not a successful league make. The area has seen teams and leagues come and go in Luther Williams' 81 year history. Longevity will be key. Keep the on-field product strong. Keep giving fans a reason to walk through the stadium's threshold. And keep the games coming, not just day after day, but year after year.

Now that would be something special.

Darnay Tripp