26 OCT 06: DIGGING FOR GOLD

Major League Baseball's post-season continues tonight, with the rain-delayed fourth game of the World Series. I think the Columbus baseball post-season is still underway as well. The Northern Little League All-Stars had their own "off day" Wednesday, from public appearances.

But at Golden Park, Wednesday was day 51 of the off-season. And Columbus city workers are finally getting down to business on some needed repairs. Normally you'd think about rebuilding the baseball TEAM - not the stadium....

Since I live on the other side of the highway from Golden Park, I can watch developments there - and Wednesday afternoon marked the first time I'd noticed city crews busy there. Apparently they waited for the fair to end, as well as last weekend's "Help the Hooch" celebration there. Great fence repairs must require absolute silence.

But our check of Golden Park found the rebuilding work is NOT beginning with the storm-damaged center field fence. A large area of the outfield warning track has been ripped up, along with a bit of center field. If you didn't know better, you'd think they're going to tear down more of the wall -- and move in the fence to have more home runs.

The warning track work apparently is being done to fix outfield drainage problems at Golden Park. This problem has occurred on and off for years -- leading me to wonder why baseball teams don't put a lookalike of the AFLAC duck out there on rainy days.

Between the left-center field wall at Golden Park and Fourth Street, there's a big pile of "warning track." It's a pile of crushed red rocks, ready to be spread once the outfield work is finished -- or ready to be shipped to Detroit, if Kenny Rogers needs it on his hands to pitch.

Once the outfield drainage is repaired, there's the center field fence to fix - the section ripped down by rough weather in August. No bricks have been brought to Golden Park yet for the rebuilding. Maybe the crew is saving city money, and waiting for leftovers from the Columbus State construction downtown.

It's not clear how much time there is, for repairs to be made at Golden Park High school baseball teams won't use the field again until March. But pro players like to use the field for winter workouts. And Tim Hudson could help the city budget, by renting the bullpen for daily throwing between now and spring training.

A different sort of post-season arrives at the other end of South Commons today. The Georgia state high school softball championships begin -- and the teenage guys who feel overwhelmed at the cheerleading championship really should give these young ladies a try.

(But mind your manners, gentlemen. Some of these softball players can swing a bat very well -- and the rest can throw a fastball right down your middle, if you know what I mean.)

But wouldn't you know it? The forecast for opening day of the Georgia high school softball championship calls for rain. It's nice to see traditions carry over from the Leadoff Classic in February, but this is something else....

BLOG UPDATE: The Phenix City Council was going to vote Wednesday on revoking the liquor license of Club Roc -- but the owner of the business decided to withdraw her original application. If at first your customers get arrested, try, try again....

The attorney for the owner of Club Roc said the club will close, while she applies a second time for a liquor license. Thomas Worthy explained Misha Simmons wants to "start all over." OK, how about in Hurtsboro?

Phenix City Police Chief Brian McGarr says several alcohol and weapon arrests were made, after Club Roc was opened several weeks ago. But attorney Thomas Worthy told WRBL the police watch there has been a bit too strong. Why, they didn't even wait for videotapes to surface of street fights - the way they do it on Broadway.

Phenix City Mayor Jeff Hardin isn't thrilled about the Club Roc application process starting all over again. He says he'll vote against a liquor license, the next time it comes up. Maybe the mayor is afraid rooftop signs will pop up across East Alabama - saying "See Roc City."

Now for other things which rolled past us, on an October Wednesday which felt more like late December:

+ Georgia state officials announced funding has been found to keep West Central Georgia Regional Hospital open. To which some of the mental patients said, "I told you they were conspiring against us...."

(So how many e-mails pleading for West Central Georgia Regional Hospital were sent to Governor Sonny Perdue? This somehow reached the top of his "Sonny-Do list" even ahead of tax changes.)

+ The Columbus Airport Commission discussed selling or leasing some property near the airport. One option is building a "business hotel." Business?! Does that mean no shuttle bus service down the street to Sam's Club?

+ The Columbus Chamber of Commerce held a "mortgage-burning" ceremony, on its office at the old Sixth Avenue Train Depot. In a way, this disappointed me - because I figured they'd get a driver from The Waggoners to run over the mortgage with a truck instead.

+ Chattahoochee County Police Chief Ken Suddeth told WRBL five squad cars he'd bought were vandalized, just before shipment. The vandalism occurred in North Carolina. Why, I never knew the county sheriff had relatives there....

+ Remember the big fish we mentioned here last Sunday - what appeared to be an eight-pound bream, caught at an area pond? Fish and game experts determined it's really a pacu fish. And the family which caught it may have dumped it in the pond a year ago! This is one strange way to teach about the cycle of life.

(My apologies for spelling it originally as a "brim," and not a bream. I don't claim to be an expert in fishing. For years, I thought a "ten-pound test" was a weightlifting exercise.)

+ Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue attended a Veteran's Day ceremony at the state capitol. Huh?! Is he trying to outdo the late Lonnie Jackson, and celebrate holidays earlier than anyone else?

+ Instant Message to University of Georgia President Michael Adams: I have a better idea for this weekend's game against Florida. Have Libby's sponsor it - and declare it the "world's largest outdoor FRUIT cocktail party."

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