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We made it through the first of four baseball tournaments that are held during the month of July here in Dodgeville - the state 15 Year Old Babe Ruth Tournament. The Dodgeville team won one game and considering that is a team that has only four 15 year olds playing on it, that's pretty good. Other teams that competed had full rosters of 15 Year Olds and some were All-Star teams made up from players who were from different cities. There were really some courteous fans who were really polite at the stand - some maybe not so as the games were going on (only to the umpires in most cases). I got to meet a bunch of really good people. Many were very impressed with the baseball field as well as the area as a whole and stayed in motels in the area. Some camped out.
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Going on right now is the Ohio Valley Regional where teams come from as far away as Kentucky. There are 12 teams competing for a chance to go to the Babe Ruth World Series for the 16-18 age bracket right here in Dodgeville. It would be great to see a good turnout of fans at Centennial Park from the area. That's usually something that is missing at this tournament.
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I found a tournament program from as far back as 1997, so I know we've been having the Ohio Valley here for that long - some 17 years now. Teams haven't been here every year, but I'll bet until recently - the last for or five years - we didn't miss more than one or two. The teams love coming here to a relaxed atmoshere away from the big cities!
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Farmers Appreciation Day was well attended this year last Saturday with the parade going along the main street and then activities galore at Harris Park. The committee this year had a lot of new faces on it and the group pulled together pretty well!
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The ball games on Saturday evening as well as the fun run, band performance, cattlemans steak sandwich feed and the fireworks were all threatened by the rains, but they all took place when all was said and done.
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While I was working at the concession stand at Centennial Park Friday, Roger Olson, who was in town for his class reunion, stopped and handed me a present. He said he religiously reads my columns and knows how much I like eating the Quality Bakery products, so he handed me a roll from "that special place". I set it aside and kind of forgot about it. Then on Sunday I remembered it and chomped it down. With that I'll reiterate - it really does taste as good a few days later as it does on the day you buy it!