East- West Game is win-win situation
Taking Names and Keeping Score
Charlie Anderson
As many of you may already know the annual Mack Outlaw Lions Club East - West All Star Baseball Game is scheduled for this Saturday, May 17 at the Thomasville High School baseball stadium. This year's game will mark only the second time the game has been played in Thomasville with last year's game being the inaugural event.

The game itself has a storied history with its beginnings being traced to the early 1970's when the Jackson Lions Club first brought it to Clarke County. It was very successful there from the outset and remained in that location up until last year when the game was moved to Thomasville because the Lions Club in Jackson had become inactive and the Thomasville Lions Club which is very active agreed to take it on as a project.

As part of a state-wide network of games, the game in Thomasville features juniors and seniors who are nominated to participate from fourteen high schools in Clarke, Monroe, Washington and Wilcox counties. For the young men who are selected to participate it is an opportunity for them to be honored for their outstanding performance on the playing field in the past as well as provide them some additional exposure to college coaches and scouts who attend the game in search of possible candidates for their programs.

For the Thomasville Lions Club it is an opportunity to raise money for the Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Program as well as continuing to take an active part in serving the people of Thomasville and all those communities affected by the program. It also pro- vides the Lions Club a platform from which to spread the message they have about sight conservation and promote their many other worthwhile activities.

For the city of Thomasville, which has long been recognized throughout Alabama and the Southeast, for that matter, as a great location for baseball tournaments and other such events, it will be one more opportunity to bolster that reputation and expose those who will be visiting our community to the many things that make Thomasville a great place to live and work.

As for the rest of us who just love baseball, the game Saturday will provide us an opportunity to come out and see not only some of the best high school baseball players in the area competing against each other but possibly some who will continue to play baseball at the college and professional levels in the future. Besides that through our purchase of a ticket and our purchases at the concession stand we will have an opportunity to contribute to the worthwhile causes supported by the Lions Club.

As is always the case, this year's game in Thomasville is one of several first round games being held across the state. From this game a squad of all-stars will be selected to represent this area in a regional game which will be played in Brewton the following weekend. That will be then followed up by the finals which will be held in Birmingham on May 30 - 31. A team selected from all those participating in the Regional game will represent the South Region in the finals which will pit teams from the various regions across the state against each other.

In closing, let me encourage all of you who can to come join me at the East - West game this Saturday and enjoy some good baseball while we show our support for the young men who have been selected to play in this year's game as well as the Lion's Club and their many worthwhile efforts.

Until next time……be safe!

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