Published: May 10, 2008 11:42 pm            

JUSTIN GRAVES: No lack of fan support for Cullman or Hartselle

It was standing room only at Bill Shelton Field Friday night.

Actually, it was standing room only in the areas surrounding Bill Shelton Field, too.

Cullman and Hartselle were playing baseball for a spot in the Class 5A state championship series and everyone in both towns wanted to be there to see it.

The only problem was it looked like everyone in both towns actually showed up and there was barely enough room for everyone to sit — or stand.

There wasn’t an empty seat inside the stadium. And outside the stadium, the seating situation wasn’t much better.

Around the fence surrounding the field, people were lined up three deep, doing everything possible to get a clear view of the playing field.

A few people tried to avoid the crowd by watching the game from blankets that were placed on top of the hill across the street from the field. But that peace didn’t last long, with a crowd forming on the hilltop before the first game was halfway over.

Cullman and Hartselle may have been playing a baseball series Friday, but what showed up was a football-sized crowd. In fact, there’s a few schools in this state that would love to have a crowd that large show up for football games.

There was never an official figure released at the ballpark, but I’m guessing there was over 2,000 fans — possibly 3,000 — in attendance for the semifinal series. That’s probably one of the best baseball gates in the state this year.

The atmosphere at the series was everything you would expect from Cullman-Hartselle. Both programs have fans who have a reputation for supporting their teams.

Friday’s series may not have been the state championship, but it still had a state championship-type atmosphere.

“This was a great atmosphere for a baseball game,” Cullman coach Bryan Bowen said after the game. “I have to hand it to our fans and their fans. They are the ones who make this one of the best rivalries in the state.”

Bowen is exactly right.

Playing baseball is fun, but playing baseball in front of thousands of fans is even better. What player wouldn’t want to experience something like that?

        

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