‘Baseball is back, baby!’
Nearly 50 years after the Mets left Marion, a new team is feeding the frenzy of town hungry for baseball.
Neither rain nor cold nor gloom of night – nor grand-slamming Disco Turkeys – could dampen the spirits of the hundreds of people gathered at Hurricane Stadium Monday night, May 26.
Why?
Because summer baseball is back in Marion!
Weather-wise, it was nowhere close to the perfect night you’d want for the Memorial Day home opener for the Marion Hungry Mothers, a college wood-bat team that is breathing fresh life back into the town’s historic ballpark this summer.
Yeah, it was cold. The temperature at first pitch was around 56 degrees. It was rainy, which made it feel colder. Fans dressed in hoodies and rain jackets, and many hid under umbrellas and blankets. Oh, and the score didn’t go in favor of the home team, either. The Mothers lost 13-0 to the Carolina Disco Turkeys in seven innings, thanks in part, to a monster grand slam in the sixth inning from Carolina’s Robbie Smith.
This is not hyperbole: I never saw that ball land. It may still be going.
Smith’s homer pushed the Turkeys’ lead to 11-0 in the sixth inning. There were still many fans hanging around, but several others left the bleachers with wet backsides or folded up their camping chairs and headed for the exits.
“I’m hungry; I’m going to Macado’s,” someone in the crowd said as Smith rounded third.
The game ended on the 10-run rule after the Hungry Mothers failed to score in the bottom of the seventh. But it was OK. Most fans were just happy to be watching baseball in Marion again. (As I write this, the Hungry Mothers are 3-2 after a 14-3 loss Thursday night, June 5.)
If you want to read more, check out my story for Cardinal News, which highlights the happy and excited atmosphere at the ballpark on Opening Night and explains how and why baseball made it back to Marion, nearly 50 years after the beloved Mets departed.
Below are few more scenes from the Hungry Mothers’ home opener and first practice.
I’ll be back soon with more stories about the Marion Mets. I’ve talked with tons of people over the past couple of years, and I’m a little backlogged when it comes to writing stories, but I’m always looking for more ideas. If you have something to share, send me a note at chadoz97@gmail.com. Also, if you see something I missed or got wrong, let me know.
And don’t forget to Connect with Marion Mets on Facebook.