Congratulations to all for an exciting Babe Ruth World Series

You don’t have to be a baseball fan to appreciate the drama of a team winning a championship in a 1-0 game behind a stellar one-hit pitching performance.

But that’s what fans got at this year’s 18-and-Under Babe Ruth World Series at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau.

The Alabama Rawdogs beat the Kelso, Washington, squad to secure the title. This, after the team barely missed winning last year’s championship on the same field. Will Thomas earned the win for the Alabama team, striking out seven in 6.1 innings. Center fielder Nolan Phillips drove in the only run of the game with a second-inning double. Remember those names. If you follow baseball, you’re likely to hear them again.

The World Series brought together teams from around the world, and two Missouri teams — Charleston’s Fighting Squirrels and the Southeast Tropics — came in third and fourth.

The Tropics won last year’s title, and had a good run this year, their last, as the program is shuttering.

The Squirrels are also a perennial power, led by manager Michael Minner, and we expect to hear from them in big tournaments year after year.

Minner was the driving force behind bringing the World Series to Cape Girardeau for the past two years. His vision and dedication resulted in two exciting and well-orchestrated tournaments that came off without a hitch. Thanks, Coach Minner!

We look forward to the tournament possibly returning to the city down the road.

Beyond a week’s worth of great baseball, the event brings together dozens of young people and their families in a great spirit of competition while allowing the city to showcase itself as a fun place capable of hosting a major gathering with top-notch facilities and plenty of off-the-field amenities to make for a great “working” vacation.

Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri are baseball country. It’s only natural for the area to host big tournaments such as the Babe Ruth World Series. But these events would not be possible without lots of hard work. Congratulations to all who participated, and thank you to everyone who helped Cape Girardeau embrace this great event.