New baseball team hopes to find
fans and fame in Rockbridge County
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| The Rockbridge Rapids will practice and play on Washington and Lee's baseball field. (Courtesy of Rockbridge Rapids) |
Rockbridge County will soon be able to enjoy America’s national pastime well into summer.
The Rockbridge Rapids baseball team opens its inaugural season at Cap’n’ Dick Smith Field in Lexington June 6 against the Staunton Braves.
“It’ll be very charming to come on out with your family, sit on the hillside in a lawn chair or in the stands and watch a baseball game,” said Ken Newman, the team’s general manager.
The Rapids team consists of 32 college students from schools including Stanford University, Boston College and Virginia Military Institute, who have played at least one year of baseball at the college level and have at least one year of eligibility left to play.
Newman said the players, who hail from all over the nation, will stay in Lexington for the summer, live with host families, and spend their days either working at part-time jobs or training in preparation for their night games. Under NCCA rules, the players will not be paid as team members, nor can they receive any form of compensation for play or team-related activities.
The general manager said the benefits of the Valley Baseball League – touted on its Web site as a “gateway to the majors” --- are twofold: for players, a chance to demonstrate their talents for major league scouts, and for area residents, an opportunity to enjoy a summer of highly competitive and entertaining baseball.
While all three area colleges – Washington and Lee University, Southern Virginia University and VMI – have intercollegiate baseball teams, all finish their seasons by late May. Before this year, fans of summer baseball needed to go to Lynchburg or Salem to get their fix by watching minor-league teams.
Newman, a Washington and Lee University graduate who retired to Rockbridge County in 2003, said the Rapids will be an all-star team and a showcase for players’ talents.
Washington and Lee junior Charles Davidson will pitch for the team this summer after finishing the season for the W&L Generals. He said he is looking forward to playing.
“It’s a great opportunity to play with some of the greatest players in the nation,” he said. “This will be a level of competition that’s significantly higher than at school.”
Newman said he hopes the Rapids will be an affordable and fun family activity for area residents. Tickets are now selling for $5 at rockbridgerapids.com. Children 10 and younger are free when accompanied by an adult.
The Rapids are the 12th member of the Valley Baseball League, part of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball, which is sanctioned by the NCAA.
It’s a wooden-bat league that began in the 1920s, said Newman. Using wood bats will give players who have used metal bats for their entire baseball career a chance to play like the pros, he said.
“A wooden bat is very humbling,” Newman said. “It requires a different level of skills.”
The regional league has gained the support of Major League Baseball, which funds a “modest” portion of the league’s operating costs. However, Newman said the Rapids, formed last July, will not receive funding until the team has been established for three years.
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| (Courtesy of Rockbridge Rapids) |
Because of that, the team will cover most of its costs through sponsorship, concessions and ticket sales. Despite the economic downturn, Newman said he has been pleasantly surprised by funding progress so far. He said the operation’s budget has not been finalized and that no figures were currently available.
Newman, a Lexington resident, served as a postal inspector in New York City for 32 years before retiring. He has served as secretary of the Lexington Electoral Board. He said the team is owned by investors from all over the country who have ties to the Lexington area.
Working with Newman will be head coach Mark Mace, currently the head baseball coach at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg. Mace said that as a new team in the league, the Rapids will have to set a standard of excellence.
"My number one goal is to be a first-class outfit and give the game the respect it deserves," he said.
He also said that having a team of players from all over the nation will teach everyone a lesson about being in a new situation. He said that’s a valuable lesson to learn, especially if the players plan to play professionally.
Newman said that while the team is for-profit, he isn’t in it for the money.
“This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. If we break even after three or four years, we will be lucky,” he said.
Newman said because of the Valley League’s success at signing more than 1,000 men to professional teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox, some of his players could someday be big stars.
“Even though it may sound early,” he said, “getting an autograph from some of these players may not be a bad idea.”
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