Sport Complex Was The Big Winner

Yesterday before the Senior Little League began their Championship games, the Breakfast Optimist Club of Rocky Mount Presented their award for the top performers in Rocky Mount Senior Little league as well as off the field in the class room and church. It is called the Melvin Newell Award, given for long time little league coach and recreation supporter.

There were four nominees and each was presented a trophy by the Breakfast Optimist and the nominees were Christian Tafoya, Kyle Holland,Tyler Barrett and Forrest Bell. There was a tie for first place and the two winners received a plaque for their efforts and the two winners were Tyler Barrett and Forrest Bell.

There were four division winners yesterday in the Tar Heel Little League State Championships held at the Sports Complex. One of those winners was the American League team from Rocky Mount in the Midget (9/10). The real winner of the weekend was the facilities. Despite the oppressive heat the Complex handled the crowds and 60 games with ease.

Talking with some of the Tar Heel officials Rocky Mount very well might be offered to be the permanent home of the Tar Heel State Championships. That is truly an honor considering this is the first time ever that all four divisions played at the same site and there were very few hiccups.

Omaha Nebraska is the home for College baseball's World Series. That is an outstanding place to have it due to the fact very few teams from Nebraska ever make it to the World Series.

Shelby North Carolina has made an offer to become the permnanent home of the American Legion World Series. They just held it there in 2008 and it was one of the best attended ever. Shelby will host again in 2011 and have offered to keep it every year through 2015. Then in 2015 decide whether it should stay in Shelby.

Hosting the Little League is different because the host city gets and automatic team in the tournament. Will other Tar Heel towns go for one of the best cities for Little league Baseball get an automatic bid every year?

If the tournament was here every year our players would lose that experience of going to Hickory or Valdese. Those are special memories going for four days to the mountains trying to win a State championship.

There is no doubt that the Tar Heel Little league incorporated would be better off with every thing at one site. Unless someone who was here this weekend looks at what we have and says we want that too, there is no other complex in the state that can put on a tournament with 32 teams and get it done in four days as we did.

The City officials who gave the go to build the complex to those who run the recreation department from Lynn Driver on down to the man picking up the trash. Rocky Mount came out the big winner this weekend.

The sad thing about all this as great achievement as this was for our city. There was not one mention about it in the paper, no radio coverage from the area and even local TV which I was a part off didn't even tape the championship game with Rocky Mount in it.

It is a sad state of affairs when something as great as what happened here this weekend went unnotticed by those who could have told others. If there had of been a murder on the property we would have made national news.

Whether it is the radio or newspapers they scratch their heads when they wonder why revenues are down. Our local news media has forgotten a basic principle of their business. The local folks want to know whats happening here not Greenville or Raleigh. They missed a big Public service to the community this weekend.