With 108th NABF World Series coming to town, Battle Creek is making history
If you want to win a World Series championship, then you have to come to Battle Creek.
That has been the case for the best amateur baseball teams in the country for almost 90 years.
Since Battle Creek first hosted a World Series in 1937, this baseball town has crowned a national champ in the adult amateur division for 70 of those 85 years.
And this is the 10th time in the past 11 years (minus one season due to COVID) that the NABF will have its World Series in Battle Creek.
All of which makes this a historic summer as Bailey Park will host the 108th annual NABF Charlie Blackburn Major Division World Series from Wednesday-Sunday.
"I think Battle Creek should be extremely proud," said NABF World Series Tournament director Terry Newton. "It is the 10th time in a row the NABF has had its World Series and it is the 70th year overall that an open major division world series has been here. That says something about what baseball means to Battle Creek's history. It shows that Battle Creek is still a baseball destination."
Prior to the NABF World Series being here, the AABC Stan Musial World Series called Battle Creek home for over 60 years.
The Battle Creek Merchants will serve as the host team for the tournament and will be the highlighted game on opening night at 7:15 on Wednesday at MCCU Field at C.O. Brown Stadium. The tournament will start earlier in the day with a game between the Hattiesburg (Mississippi) Black Sox and the regional winner from the Fort Wayne (Indiana) area.
The Merchants earned the spot as the host team after beating the Battle Creek Shamrocks in the best-of-3 City Major Division League playoff last week.
16-Team Field
For the second year in a row, the field has been expanded to 16 teams with pool play on three diamonds Wednesday through Friday — including games at Morrison Field, Nichols Field and C.O. Brown Stadium.
"We expanded to 16 teams last year and we were happy with that," Newton said. "It was a little trial-and-error last year to see how it would work and we will be trying it again. It was kind of geared toward getting more teams back playing following COVID and to get more people to Battle Creek to help the local economy."
Following pool play, elimination games will begin Saturday with quarterfinals in the morning at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and semifinal play at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The championship game is scheduled for noon on Sunday.
Friday will be "Pack The Park Night" to raise money for ALS in the name of Barb Newton.
Three-peat?
The defending champion Berea (Ohio) Blue Sox will be looking to make history.
Berea has won two straight NABF World Series Major Division titles, taking the crown in 2019 and winning last year, with the 2020 tournament called off due to COVID.
If Berea wins a third straight, it will become only the third team in 100-plus years to accomplish that in the NABF tournament. The last time it occurred was in 1955.
"Three times in 108 years and not since the 1950s? We might be looking at some history here," Newton said.
Wall of Fame
The Battle Creek Area Amateur Sports Association will honor the Class of 2022 for the Wall of Fame at Nichols Field at Bailey Park on Wednesday. It is the 22nd year for the Wall of Fame.
The festivities will be in conjunction with the start of the World Series.
The following volunteers and workers in amateur sports over the past years have set them apart from all others. This year, the BCAASA is expanding the criteria for nominations to the Wall to reach beyond baseball.
2022 inductees include Louis and Sheila Guerra, Art Frith, Vicky Groat, Steve Higgs, Joan Larson, Michael McGinnis and Roy LaFountain.
Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter:@billbroderick.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: With 108th NABF World Series in town, Battle Creek is making history
