World Series starts in T'ville Saturday
By Charlie Anderson Contributing Writer

PHOTO BY ARTHUR MCLEAN The Texas flag flies over Tucker Field during last year's Dixie Majors World Series in Thomasville.

There is an old expression that simply states 'the third time is the charm', Although I am not absolutely certain what that means, it has always been my best guess that it means the third time you do something or have a similar experience, that third time around should be the best yet. Well for Thomasville this year will mark the third time in the past five years that we have hosted the Dixie Pre-Majors World Series and expectations are that it will indeed be the best yet.

The first such event took place back in the summer of 2003 when Thomasville became one of the smallest communities to ever host a World Series. The commitment to excellence and hard work by the city and all those involved in seeing that the tournament was a success, paid off with Thomasville being given the opportunity to host both the 2006 and 2007 World Series.

In that 2003 Series the team from Monroe, La. went through the tournament undefeated to claim the title of World Series champion. In their final game that year they defeated AUMMontgomery, the Alabama representative. Along the way during the week long tournament, teams from Texarkana, Ark.; Marion County, Fla.; Toccoa Ga.; Meridian, Miss.; Columbus County, N. C.; Dentsville, S. C.; ECS-Memphis, Tenn.; Marshall, Texas; South Boston, Va.; and host Thomasville also battled for a chance to make it to the finals.

This past year in the 2006 World Series it was AUMMontgomery, the Alabama representative, who emerged as the series champion defeating Toccoa, Georgia in the finals. Possibly in a surprise to everyone but themselves, the host team from Thomasville finished third in the twelve team field when they picked up their second loss to Toccoa, Georgia on the final day of the tournament. The other teams who competed during the week in last year's series included: Dierks, Ark.; Sebring, Fla.; West Monroe, La.; Laurel County, Miss.; Columbus County, N. C.; Dillon S. C.; Bolivar, Tenn.; Marshall, Texas; and Appomattox, Va.

Looking ahead to the 2007 Dixie Pre-Majors World Series that begins this week in Thomasville, it is quite interesting to note that three of the eleven states participating in the tournament are being represented by teams from the same community that represented them in 2006. Those include: Toccoa, Georgia; Laurel, Mississippi; and Appomattox, Virginia. As a matter of fact the team from Toccoa, Georgia is making its third World Series trip to Thomasville having been the representative from Georgia back in 2003 as well. One other community, Dentsville, S. C.; is making a second appearance having represented the Palmetto State back in 2003.

The representatives from the other seven states involved in this year's series are: Southern Timber out of the Birmingham area representing Alabama; Sevier County, Ark.; Lakeland, Fla.; Moss Bluff, La.; East Lincoln, N. C.; Collierville, Tenn.; and Kilgore, Texas.

The festivities will begin on Friday night as the teams are welcomed to Thomasville at a banquet being held in their honor. The actual games will get under way on Saturday with three games being played on both the Thomasville High School Field and Tucker Field. Play will continue then through Thursday, August 2, with the 2007 champion being determined at the end of play on that day.

One thing is for certain no matter who emerges as the new World Series Champion, all those who come here in quest of the title and those who will be representing Thomasville, when all is said and done, will be proud to have been part of all that makes up an event like this.

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