Dear Editor,
Monday evening (June 13) I attended my third game of the Great Bend BOOM Semi-Pro Baseball Team. They played the Topeka Train Robbers, tied the game in the bottom of the 9th, and scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th. What an enjoyable experience to see semi-pro baseball in Great Bend. We need more fan support for this team if we want to keep them in Great Bend. I don’t think there were more than 40-45 fans there, and probably only 10 paid attendees, as host families get in free. These players come from all over the United States, Calif., Conn., Fla., Ore., Ohio, Colo., N.Y., Ind. and more. There are many different license plates in the parking lot. Some of their opponent players are even from other countries. These players play in the hopes of getting picked up by one of the minor or major league teams. It is their dream to play baseball.
As a former co-owner of a Class A California Angel minor league team, I understand their passion, and hope they will make it. During my ownership years, I also knew that only a few will advance and some will get dropped, but they still dream, and that is a very, very good dream.
These young players are paid very little (I have been told they only get around $50 per week), which is why they needed host families. They have to provide their own bats and other equipment. They certainly have no spare change.
There are also some evenings when the visiting and sometimes even our own home team do not have water of gaterade unless they pay for it themselves. That is a health issue in itself, especially now that it is getting hotter.
I also believe that there has not been very good publicity or marketing of this team. I only found out when the city council approved a malt beverage license. (By the way, one beer is only a dollar on Friday nites.)
We need more fans, support and sponsorship from Great Bend and surrounding areas. Come out, see some good baseball, get on a host list, help them by providing amenities like water, meal tickets, giveaways for fans, etc. Maybe sponsorship banners could be attached to the outfield fences?
The Great Bend BOOM does have a web page and more information about the team and their opponents can be found there.
greatbendboom.com
Carol Danielson
Great Bend