Let's play two…and keep going

By Staff
Mike Self, FCT Sports Editor
Today is the final day of the Franklin County baseball tournament, and so far it's been a smashing success.
I love the new format, which features two days of round-robin play in which each team in the county plays all three other teams. The teams are then seeded based on their records for today's single-elimination tournament.
In years past, the entire tournament consisted of three games total-two semifinals and the championship. That meant that two teams played two games and two teams played just one-not much of a tournament, when you think about it.
This year, however, each team will get to play at least four games. That's more like it.
Also, the weather at this year's event has been outstanding, which is hardly a given. I can remember two years ago at Phil Campbell, sitting in the Vina dugout during a game huddled up against a small heater to seek shelter from the freezing temperatures. (I was in the Vina dugout because Phil Campbell's dugout had no such source of warmth-head coach Micheal Beck said, and I quote, "Heaters make you soft." As I proved on that night, when it comes to being soft, just call me Charmin.)
This year no heaters have been necessary, as the temperatures have been close to 80 degrees with lots of sunshine and a nice warm breeze.
Also, I'd like to commend the job done by Vina cheerleading sponsor Deborah Townsend, head baseball coach Greg Hamilton, and all the other folks in Red Devil country who have helped run the tournament so flawlessly. They have made this week a very pleasant experience. (A special thanks to Mrs. Townsend for hooking up a certain hungry sportswriter with free food. Hey, seven hours is a long time to spend at a ball field.)