Phillips challenges city to build on World Series event

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the city of Demopolis and West Alabama, as well as the people and the businesses involved in supporting and hosting the 14-year-old Babe Ruth World Series. The time and effort given to make this opportunity possible is to be celebrated!

This tournament is a great example of what can be accomplished with a little bit of vision and much effort. The city of Demopolis shined brightly to those from all over the country during this tournament; and in my opinion, it has set a standard of excellence for the future. With an outstanding venue like the SportsPlex, I believe Demopolis has only scratched the surface regarding the opportunities that lay ahead. My hope is that the community will certainly celebrate this accomplishment, but that it doesn’t settle with this one event as it could become a catalyst for great things to come. Demopolis, like many other communities, has had a lack of growth over the years in the game of baseball, and I think this tournament has reminded us all that it is truly a great game.

A special tip of the hat goes to Art Evans, Rob Pearson, Seth Allgood, Hugh Overmyer, Sean Parker, Cole Basinger, Walker Reynolds, and Mayor Laney for serving on the committee that led the charge in hosting this great event! I also want to say a special thank you to the players of the West Alabama team for the way they represented the area. They practiced and played with much enthusiasm for their home state.

To Mike Randall, Joel Colgrove, and Jim Wells: Thank you for the time you invested in each of these young men. We can be sure that this was an experience that they will never forget. I am an example of someone who was the beneficiary of great parents, great coaches, and great people in the city of Demopolis that gave of their time to invest in me, and for that, I say thank you! My encouragement to the city is that it not be content with this one great event, but see the greatness that lies in the people here and continue to create opportunities for that greatness to flourish! It’s essential upon us to encourage the boys and girls of this community to get involved.

Let’s build on this experience to create more opportunities for the young people of Demopolis and West Alabama to not only thrive in athletics, but also become great citizens who lead with excellence in their community. Again, congratulations to all!

Andy Phillips