I think of the impact that baseball has had on Cedar City, Utah, I think of all of the youngsters growing up playing baseball. The skills that they learn carry over into life. Teamwork comes to mind first and foremost, the baseball diamond is the place where you can be as great as you want to be. It also teaches that hard work and dedication pay off with improved ability. It also teaches humility, even the best hitters only hit the ball about 1/3 of the time.
But in Cedar City we have great Little League facilities. With two diamonds dedicated to just Little League Baseball, each summer we host tournaments, all star games, and the Utah Summer Games. The Utah Summer games is an Olympic styled competition that draws competitors from all over not just Utah. We also enjoy great softball leagues for all ages, also a part of the Summer Games. These events bring in revenue by bringing people to stay at the hotels, eating at the restaurants, and shopping at the stores. We also have great Little Leagues, that are well attended and highly competitive.
We are a long way removed from a Professional Baseball Team. The Las Vegas 51's are the Dodgers AAA Team, in Salt Lake City, The Salt Lake Bees are the Angels AAA team. The Orem Owls are nearly as close as the Las Vegas team, they are a Rookie League Team for the Angels. The nearest is Las Vegas which is approximately 175 miles away. So it is a little amazing that our little league is a successful and well supported is it is.
Cedar City has benefitted greatly from baseball, just the values that it teaches young people could honestly fill a book, not to mention the way that a community benefits from those values and skills as these young people grow into adulthood and lead the community. Cedar City also benefits from the financial dollars that baseball and softball bring in. An interesting rumor to me is that Southern Utah University is in the process of building a new baseball stadium!
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