LITTLE ROCK — The waiter at Copeland’s asked what the program and hats were about.
Shane Pigue explained they were for the Wally Hall Invitational this weekend in Benton.
“I played baseball my whole life,” the waiter said. “I wish this had been around back then.”
Pique, the tournament director, deserves all the credit for adding youth league baseball to what started as a 10-team men’s slow-pitch softball tournament that was always intended to promote the game and help organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
After a two-year hiatus, Pigue restarted the tournament - he played on a record six Tournament of Champions winners withThomas Oil - with the idea of promoting softball and youth baseball and to help the Christian Community Care Clinic as well as the Saline County Boys and Girls Club.
From the sweltering heat at Lamar Porter Field, the field has grown to more than 200 teams using 25 fields.
One team didn’t make hotel reservations until March, and the closest it could get to Benton was North Little Rock.
The Memorial Day weekend classic has become a community event that involves dozens and dozens of organizations.
Good citizens like the folks at Everett Buick GMC step up with sponsorship and they volunteer at the tournament, taking gate or whatever needs to be done.
It takes a community to put on an event that will generate more than $1 million for central Arkansas’ economy while providing a safe and healthy environment for the children and adults.
To demonstrate how committed Saline County is to youth sports, there is a story in the program about the Benton Panthers baseball program and the impact they are having in Haiti by donating bats, balls, gloves, shoes and uniforms to youths there.
It has been 30 years since Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay came out of the stands and umpired every game on a hot Saturday in June because the umpires who were supposed to be there didn’t show.
A tradition was started that has only gotten better under the watchful eye of Shane Pigue.
What an odd season this has been for Coach Dave Van Horn and the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team.
Depending on the poll, the Razorbacks started the season ranked around No. 5 in the nation, moved up two notches to No. 3. But by the time they made it to the SEC Tournament, it soon became obvious they would not be hosting an NCAA Tournament regional.
They were 3-6 over their last three home series, going 1-2 against Kentucky, South Carolina and Auburn.
After ending the season by sweeping Tennessee, they went into the SEC Tournament with high hopes of getting on a run. Instead they got Mississippi blitzed, losing first to Mississippi State and then to Ole Miss, scoring one run in the two games while giving up 11.
Most likely, they are still a NCAA Tournament team, but it may be as a No. 4 seed, possibly a No. 3.
There was a feel-good moment this week in sports.
Donald Driver won Dancing With The Stars.
Driver is a 37-year-old wide receiver for the GreenBay Packers.
He may have had all the right moves for DWTS, but it was nothing compared to what he has done to make his mark in the NFL. The Houston native played college football at Alcorn State and was drafted by the Packers in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft, the 213th pick overall.
He’s been Mr. Dependable for the Packers ever since. He celebrated his dancing victory for two days with appearances on national television and will report to camp Friday with a new trophy to go with his Super Bowl ring.
Sports, Pages 19 on 05/24/2012