Jones: State championship teams deserve more fields

MURFREESBORO -- Shelbyville dominated the Tennessee Youth Baseball Association State Tournament this past weekend by sweeping all four divisions in a 35-team field.

To further illustrate the manner in which the Bedford County kids controlled the competition, no less than six of our hometown teams played in the championship games.

The Shelbyville Screaming Eagles (25-3) won the 5-6 coach pitch division, scoring 157 runs while allowing 24, and defeated the Shelbyville All-Stars in the finale.

Coach Porter Hardison's 7-8 Screaming Eagles team won their draw in the lower divisions.

In the upper division, the Shelbyville Shox won the 9-10 All-Star kid-pitch championship game with a thrilling come-from-behind win in the final inning. And, in the 11-12 division, the Shelbyville All-Stars got a two-out, game-winning home run off the bat of Holt Parsons to defeat the Shelbyville Soaring Eagles in one of the best games in recent memory.

Not bad for a small town with only two ball fields for approximately 550 children (and growing about 10 percent every year) ages 5-12 to hone their skills at any given time.

Four state championship teams not only validates the direction that the Shelbyville youth baseball sports program is on and the numerous people that spend so many hours of volunteer time to perpetuate its success, it also illustrates a varied and deep talent base that we will all enjoy for many years to come.

Successful high school programs have excellent feeder programs at the middle school level, but it all starts at the youth level and we as a community should concentrate our efforts at expanding our youths' opportunity to play the great American past-time.

I readily admit that I am not a politician, and my wife will certainly attest to the fact that I am not an economist, but it seems that it is in the best interest of our ever-expanding baseball program to find a way to provide for more playing surfaces so that young children are not forced to start their season in freezing weather and stay out until 10 or 10:30 on school nights in order to complete their season.

This has been a problem for the entire nine years that I have been involved with local sports, and I am told by long-time observers that it has been an issue for many more years beyond that.

One solution may be the modification of the now-defunct Babe Ruth League's two fields that are adjacent to the youth league ballpark.

In any event, it does appear that it is time to for the powers that be to get serious about moving forward with a new sports complex.

I realize that it is easier said than done, but the return on investment to our community in the form of healthy activities for kids pales in comparison to the cost of expansion.

Speaking about return on investment, think of the economic impact that four or five tournaments consisting of 20 or so teams each weekend would have.

"We hosted a tournament the last week of June that brought 21 teams to Shelbyville," Bedford County Baseball League President Chris Thomas said. "Several of the teams stayed in hotels or motels and it was hard to get a seat in a restaurant on Friday or Saturday night for all the ball players and family members.

"I can't give even a ball park figure, but I would say that there was a significant amount of money spent by the participants that weekend.

"We have the funds and could make two 5-6 year old fields out of the small Babe Ruth field and that alone would allow us to host several more tournaments a season. It would also give us the capability of bidding and possibly hosting a state tournament ourselves."

I am a lifelong baseball fan and played the game in one form or other for 40 years.

I am also old school and feel that the most important reason to play is for pride, and that no recognition should be necessary other than that of your teammates. But I must admit that the dream of running onto the field and hoisting the championship trophy in the air for all to see is quite an enticing one for me, as I know it is for many others.

I believe that with teamwork, hard work and determination, anything is possible.

I also believe that we have a very good governing body in Bedford County that will continue to work to find solutions to these issues.

Let's all hope that it's sooner, rather than later.

Jimmy Jones is a Times-Gazette sports writer. He can be reached at jjones@t-g.com.