RON SEIBEL: Albany should look at Coastal Plain League

Albany has gone through some less-than-successful dances with organized baseball thr0ugh the years.

Build it and they will come? That didn’t work. The stadium at Paul Eames Sports Complex was built for the South Atlantic League’s Polecats in the early 1990s, but the Polecats lasted just four seasons before departing for Maryland.

Albany got a second shot in the early 2000s when the Wilmington Waves moved in from North Carolina. But that shot lasted just one year, as the team moved to Columbus just before the 2003 season started.

Independent leagues haven’t fared much better. The All-American League and the South Coast League both lasted one season, with the latter’s Albany entry better known for manager Wally Backman’s antics than for its gameplay.

So why should Albany try again? Is it worth it to have something resembling minor-league baseball in southwest Georgia?

Well, Albany still has a playable stadium at Paul Eames. As one person with baseball knowledge told me earlier this year, the stadium’s “bones,” or structure, is still good. The place just needs a good clean-up and touch-up. A little bit of work was done just before the SIAC baseball tournament, just to get the place in playing shape for that level of competition, but more needs to be done.

What could bring a team back to Paul Eames in the near future, however, would be further expansion of a summer collegiate league that has already enjoyed tremendous success with two in-state entries, a league that is standing on much more solid ground than the All-American League or the South Coast League ever did.

The Coastal Plain League is wrapping up a second strong season in Savannah following the departure of the South Atlantic League’s Sand Gnats, and the CPL’s first season in Macon has brought some of the biggest crowds to former South Atlantic League home Luther Williams Field in decades.

Why has the Coastal Plain League worked in both of those cities, places organized baseball abandoned in part because of antiquated stadiums and a perceived lack of community backing?

First off, both the Savannah Bananas and Macon Bacon are backed by excellent marketing teams. Simply put, they are there to put on a show. They do their best to make an evening at the ballpark a fun occasion, and they make the most of their nicknames and mascots.

Bananas? Bacon? What can’t you do with that?

Secondly, the teams make baseball a community affair. Since the players still have collegiate eligibility, they aren’t paid. Host families put the players up during the season, which lasts not quite three months. A lot of outreach takes place. The teams try to make themselves a part of everyday life in their respective communities.

The players and coaching staffs are encouraged to have fun while playing, as well.

Last weekend, I had the chance to attend a Bacon game in Macon. It was Star Wars night, complete with special uniforms and character appearances.

Unfortunately, the skies opened up right before the game, and the game was rained out. But the players took the opportunity, once the rainout was called, to turn the tarp into a big ol’ slip-and-slide and put on a show for the fans waiting for the rain to stop. It was hilarious and highly entertaining.

How much would it take to bring a Coastal Plain League franchise to Albany and make the league’s Georgia rivalry a three-team affair? Or maybe also add a team in Columbus and make it a four-team divisional rivalry?

Affiliated ball doesn’t have much love for southern Georgia these days. With the Augusta Greenjackets moving across the river into South Carolina earlier this year, there aren’t any teams in organized baseball in Georgia south of Interstate 20.

The Coastal Plain League, however, is doing quite well below I-20. Maybe it’s time for Albany’s leaders to take a look at getting in on some of that success.

Contact sports editor Ron Seibel at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RonSeibel.