Local fans should try to catch Series

Those who still think there’s nothing to do around Bangor during the summer really need to get out of the house and leave those “CSI” marathons for cabin fever season.

Not counting the ocean, lakes and mountains an hour or so away, there’s plenty to keep a person busy, highlighted by the the Bangor State Fair and the American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront.

But there’s another diamond in the rough of sorts that has found a home here in recent years, yet remains a somewhat undiscovered blend of culture and competition.

It’s the Senior League World Series, set to begin its fifth season at Mansfield Stadium with opening ceremonies Saturday night followed Sunday by the start of pool play.

Teams of the best 15- and 16-year-old baseball players from Canada, Europe, Latin America, the islands of the Far East and five U.S. regions converge on Bangor, joining a host team in the quest for a world title.

For those participants, the chance for baseball gold is complemented by the chance to see another part of the world.

For fans young and old, it’s a G-rated event that has appeal for all ages, including the chance to learn a little about other cultures through a common language – baseball.

For baseball purists, it’s a gathering of talent that includes players whose names will not disappear once the tournament ends. Take Curt Smith, a shortstop who led Curacao to the 2002 SLWS title, the first year it was held in Bangor. He enjoyed the area so much he came back, and now is a star shortstop at the University of Maine.

Then there’s Dominic Brown, a pitcher-outfielder who led Dade City, Fla., to the 2004 semifinals. Brown was Philadelphia’s 20th-round pick in this June’s amateur draft, and he then signed a $250,000 contract with the Phillies.

Such is the level of athletic talent on display, but while local fans turn out in decent numbers when the Maine District 3 champion plays, there hasn’t yet been a full appreciation for the tournament beyond hometown pride among the general public.

That has been reflected in ticket sales for games not involving the local entry, as well as in the pursuit of corporate support, which has been a struggle for SLWS organizers given competition for those dollars from other events as well as an inconsistent local economy.

A marketing firm was hired this year to help publicize the series and promote ticket sales, and perhaps that will be followed up with the hiring of a professional fundraiser to secure the corporate support needed to secure the SLWS’s long-term viability in Bangor.

In an ideal world, tickets for the Senior League World Series would be free, and corporate sponsorship would subsidize the event fully. That’s the true spirit of Little League, though that spirit is tempered at the Senior League level by financial reality – for example, $38,000 of the $128,000 needed to stage the SLWS last year was generated through ticket sales.

What’s most important here is that the folks who strive to make the series a quality event for participants and fans alike have the resources to maintain the Senior League World Series as another unique element of the fabric of summer life in Eastern Maine.

And all the community support possible, be it corporate donations, volunteer help or gate receipts, surely helps.

So if you’ve come to the Senior League World Series in years past, come again. If you’ve never experienced some of the best youth baseball you’ll ever find, come check it out.

Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net