PINE BLUFF, Ark — It was once known as Arkansas' capitol of baseball, even hosting the prestigious Babe Ruth World Series.
Over the years though, the sport has dwindled in Pine Bluff. However, the community is hoping to bring it back to life.
For as long as he can remember, Jeff Gross has lived and breathed baseball.
“I’ve lived here all my life and grew up in Pine Bluff and played baseball here,” said Jeff Gross.
The longtime Pine Bluff resident started playing tee-ball when he was 7 years old and continued to play ball through college.
“I was blessed to play with a lot of good coaches. Even my brother was my first baseball coach,” said Gross.
However, things have changed since Gross last took the mound. Youth baseball has diminished over the years in the city of Pine Bluff. In fact, more than a dozen baseball fields have sat empty in Pine Bluff for years. However, that’s all about to change.
“Can you imagine it? Kids over there yelling?The smell of grass and hot dogs and popcorn? Come on man! It will be awesome!” said Matt Mosler.
Matt Mosler is the pastor at New Life Church in Pine Bluff. A few months ago, he pitched the idea of the Pine Bluff Baseball League.
“As a church we are interested in bringing revival. Not just spiritual revival, but economic and community revival and getting people together around a common love is part of that,” said Mosler.
Mosler said the first step in doing that is bringing the baseball fields across the city back to life.
“When you see a dilapidated field it just leads to something else being dilapidated and something else being forgotten. When you see the fields start being rehabilitated and mowed and kids playing, this energy feeds off itself and the next thing you know you’ve got businesses involved, parents getting more involved and families coming back together,” said Mosler.
On Saturday, March 14, tryouts will take place at the Seabrook facility at 6808 S. Hazel Street. The fields were offered to the league by SEArk Community College.
“As a community college one of the things that is deeply engrained is supporting our community. So when this idea first came to us, we thought what a great opportunity to not only bring youth baseball back to Pine Bluff, but more importantly, continuing that commitment we made to our community of helping out any way we can,” said Steven Bloomberg, President of SEArk Community College.
Mosler said the league will start out with tee ball and coach pitch. Next year, more leagues will be added as kids get involved and more fields are cleaned up around the city.
Gross said the idea is a homerun. He said it revives the community and offers kids in Pine Bluff a future.
“There are so many kids in the last ten years that have played other sports, but haven't played baseball and don't realize how good they are. They are good athletes, but they've never played baseball. You just never know who will be the next Torii Hunter who came through Pine Bluff.
Registration and tryouts have been move to Saturday, April 4. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and tryouts begin at 11 a.m. at 6808 S. Hazel Street in Pine Bluff.
If it rains on Saturday, tryouts will be held inside the Seabrook Gym.