Lions Club will host all-star game

Published 1:35 pm Friday, May 7, 2010

West Alabama’s longest-running baseball all-star game will add another chapter to its history Tuesday when the Demopolis Lions Club hosts the George C. Spence Memorial 2010 East-West All-Star Baseball Game.

“We’re actually one of the last states that sill does this,” Lion’s Club member Allen Bishop said of the game, “and we’ve had great participation over the years.”

The game was originally implemented in Demopolis due in large part to the efforts of the late George C. Spence.

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“He’s the one that really got the game started and kept it in Demopolis,” Bishop said of Spence’s contributions to the event.

The game, which pits some of the top players from around region against one another, is one of a handful of Lion’s Club all-star games statewide. After the initial round of games, some players will be selected to participate in a regional game in Clanton. From there, a select few will move on to Birmingham for a third game.

Demopolis head coach Ben Ramer will oversee the West team while Bibb County’s Matt Hughey will manage the East all-stars. Demopolis will send six players to the game, including seniors Cameron Barger, Larry Dunn and Hunter Wells as well as juniors Chase Cameron, Ben Pettus and Jacob Roemen.

At each level, players will get varying degrees of exposure to scouts and college coaches, something Bishop feels is a valuable component of the Lions Club system.

“There are several players that are going to be signed before the game, but there are some still looking for schools,” Bishop said of a contest that will feature both junior and senior standouts. “A lot of scouts want to see the juniors.”

Demopolis’ game will feature approximately 30 players and is planned to be a nine-inning contest.

Rosters will consist of players from Demopolis Sweet Water, Greensboro, Choctaw County, Bibb County, Livingston and West Blocton.

The New Era Cap Company will donate hats to each of the players in the game. The contest is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. with admission set a $2. All proceeds from the game go to benefit the Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Association, a charity Bishop said is in great need under current economic conditions.

“The economy being the way it is, they’ve had a lot of requests,” Bishop said