HOTDOGS. >> THANK YOU.
ś
>> IT'S OPENING DAY FOR BASEBALL, AND EXCITEMENT DRIFTS
THROUGH THE AIR LIKE THE SMELL
OF HOTDOGS AND HAMBURGERS
SIZZLING ON A GRILL.
DROVES OF PEOPLE MOVING THROUGH
THE TURNSTYLES ARE ANXIOUS TO
GET INSIDE THE HALLOWED GROUND
OF AMERICA'S FAVORITE PASTIME.
THE CRACK OF THE BAT PROCLAIMS
SUMMER HAS ARRIVED IN SOUTHERN
INDIANA WHERE BALL TEAMS BOAST
NOSTALGIC PARKS, OLD-TIME
BASEBALL PARKS ARE A RARITY AS
THEY MAKE WAY TO CORPORATE
SUITES, JUMBOTRON SCOREBOARDS
AND LARGE CONCOURSES, BUT NOT IN
EVANSVILLE.
EVANSVILLE. ONLY TWO PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL
PARKS ARE OLDER, WRIGLEY FIELD
IN CHICAGO AND FENWAY PARK IN
BOSTON.
BOSTON. IT'S PART OF THE CHARM THAT
DRAWS PEOPLE TO THE GAMES.
>> EVERY NIGHT YOU TREAT LIKE
OPENING NIGHT.
OPENING NIGHT. IT'S ALWAYS SOMEONE'S FIRST TIME
COMING.
COMING. YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE THE BEST
TIME POSSIBLE.
TIME POSSIBLE. I LIKE TO SAY WE'RE CREATING
MEMORIES.
MEMORIES. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, IS
MAKING SURE SOMEONE NOT ONLY HAS
AN ENJOYABLE TIME BUT WILL WANT
TO COME BACK AGAIN OPINION.
>> THE EVESTVILLE OUGHTERS PLAY
IN THE FRONTIER LEAGUE, A LEAGUE
THAT STARTED IN 1993 WL EIGHT
TEAMS NOW HAS GROWN TO 12
DRAWING ALMOST 1.5 MILLION FANS
ACROSS THE MIDWEST.
>> I JUST LIKE BASEBALL, AND
THEY DO GOOD HERE, AND THEY HAVE
A NICE BALLPARK.
>> I TELL EVERYONE IT'S LIKE
GOING TO THE MOVIES.
YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME FROM THE
TIME YOU GET HERE TO THE TIME
YOU LEAVE.
YOU LEAVE. >> AFTER THE GAME THE KIDS CAN
RUN THE BASES, MEET THE PLAYERS.
IT'S JUST A REALLY
FAMILY-FREDGEDLY ATMOSPHERE AS
WELL.
WELL. YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT LANGUAGE OR WHAT YOUR
CHILDREN WILL BE SEEING, AND YOU
WON'T SPEND ALL OF YOUR MONEY ON
FOOD AND TICKETS.
>> THE SAME CAN BE SAID IN
HUNTINGBERG ABOUT SEVEN MILES
SOUTH OF JASPER WHERE THE DO BOY
COUNTY BOMBERS PLAY.
THEY ARE PART OF THE NEW
LEIVE-TEAM PRAW -- 11-TEAM
PROSPECT LEAGUE.
PROSPECT LEAGUE. THEY HOPE TO BE THE ELITE WOODEN
BAT SUMMER BASEBALL LEAGUE IN
THE NATION.
THE NATION. >> BASICALLY COME OUT HERE TO
PROVE TO PRO SCOUTS, PEOPLE AT
THE NEXT LEVEL THAT THEY CAN HIT
OR PITCHER WITH A WOOD BAT.
WHEN THEY GET HERE IN THE SUMMER
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THEIR GOAL.
>> JAY SAYS MINOR LEAGUE TEAMS
SUCH AS THE THE BOMBERS FEEL THE
RIPPLE EFFECT OF THE AILING
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY. >> WE FEEL LIKE THE ECONOMY HAS
ACTUALLY HELPED US TO AN EXTENT
BECAUSE THERE'S LESS PEOPLE
TRAVELING TO THE MARKETS AROUND
HERE, THE CINCINNATI REDS, THE
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS ON TRIPS
LIKE THAT TO SEE BASEBALL.
MORE PEOPLE REALLY STAYING AT
HOME IN THE AREA TO SEE LOCAL
BASEBALL AND ALSO ENJOY THE KIND
MUCH UNIQUE SETUP AND KIND OF
THE NOSTALGIC ATMOSPHERE THAT WE
HAVE HERE.
HAVE HERE. >> THE BOMBERS PLAY AT LEAGUE
STADIUM, ANOTHER HISTORIC
BALLPARK.
BALLPARK. STEPPING INSIDE HERE FEELS LIKE
TAKING A LEAP BACK IN TIME, A
PERFECT SETTING FOR A MOVE EVE.
>> PENNY MARSHALL AND MEL GROOM
SHOWED UP ONE DAY.
I KNEW THEY WERE COMING.
I COULDN'T TELL ANYONE.
PENNY MARSHALL HAD A BALL CAP
ON.
ON. CASUALLY DRESSED.
CASUALLY DRESSED. THEN THEY LET US KNOW ABOUT A
WEEK LATER THEY WANTED TO LOOK
AT THIS AREA AS A SITE.
>> THE ORIGINAL BALL FIELD AND
GRANDSTAND WERE RENOVATED AND
EXPANDED IN 1991 BY COLUMBIA
PICTURES FOR THE FILMING OF THE
MOVIE "A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN."
>> MOVIE STARS ARE JUST LIKE US. TOM HANKS WAS -- WE PLAYED CATCH
AT NIGHT.
AT NIGHT. HE JUST -- WEE COME AND TALK TO
HIM.
HIM. DIDN'T PUT ON ANY AIRS.
JUST A NORMAL GUY THAT HAPPENS
TO BE A BIG MOVIE STAR.
WE HAVE TOURISTS EVERY DAY
DURING THE SUMMERTIME COME IN
JUST WANT TO SEE THE SIGNS, GET
THEIR PICTURE TAKEN.
>> HE THEY ALSO SHOT ON LOCATION
IN EVANSVILLE WHERE PART OF THE
MOVIE SET PAINTINGS ARE STILL
THERE.
THERE. BUT IT'S THE INTIMACY OF THE
GAME THAT KEEPS FANS IN THE
SEATS.
SEATS. THE PLAYERS DON'T TAKE THAT FOR
GRANTED, EITHER.
GRANTED, EITHER. >> WE'RE RUNNING AROUND WORKING
HARD.
HARD. THAT'S WHY -- YEAH, IT'S -- AS
REDUNDANT AS IT GETS OVER AND
OVER AND OVER AGAIN, MY DAD'S IN
AN OFFICE BUILDING RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN WHAT
I GET TO DO EVERY DAY.
>> SEAN THOMPSON IS IN HIS FIRST
YEAR PITCHING FOR THE OTTERS.
HE WAS DRAFTED BY THE SAN DIEGO
PADRES IN 2002 AND SPENT TIME
WITH THE ROYALS AND ROCKIES
BEFORE SIGNING TO PLAY IN
EVANSVILLE.
EVANSVILLE. >> I LIKE TO WIN.
THERE'S TOO MANY GUYS, I HAVE'
MADE SO MANY LIFELONG FRIENDS
BEING HERE, AND I MET THESE GUYS
TWO WEEKS AGO.
THAT'S HOW EASY IT CAN BE ON A
BASEBALL FIELD.
BASEBALL FIELD. TO SEE KIDS THAT EXCITED ABOUT A
BASEBALL GAME, IT HELPS ME WAKE
UP EVERY MORNING.
THAT'S WHY I LIKE SUNDAYS,
BECAUSE THOSE ARE DAY GAMES,
KIDS DAY.
KIDS DAY. THEY COME OUT SCREAMING,