More Than a Game hosts baseball camp at Meadowlane Park

During the summer, the non-profit baseball organization More Than a Game devoted four days’ worth of time to revamp the ballfields at Meadowlane Park in Phenix City. Those efforts were made for the youth in the community, efforts which made days like Saturday possible.

More Than a Game hosted a baseball camp at the park Saturday. With about 60 kids on hand and more showing up as play began, the afternoon was an opportunity for young baseball players to get involved with the sport.

“Every day we have an opportunity to do something for other people,” said Tim Fanning, co-founder of More Than a Game. “To see a community come together for an extended period of time to make something like this happen (is special).”

As the group of boys broke down into teams for a wiffle ball tournament, they separated among talented baseball players who returned home to show others how much fun their sport can be.

Casey Rasmus, a Russell County alum and former player in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, was on the mound firing pitches to young batters. Rasmus was joined by Central alum Bryan Woodall and Glenwood grads Keaton Aldridge and Coleman Duke, all of whom have played minor league baseball and worked to make the day one to remember.

Russell County alum and former Auburn Tiger Anfernee Grier was out on the field as well. Grier said he grew up playing on the fields at Meadowlane and recalled watching his cousins play on the softball field where one of the wiffleball games was in progress.

Saturday was Grier’s first trip back since the fields were renovated, and surprised wasn’t quite strong enough to describe his reaction to the improvements.

“It means a lot to me, because I kind of grew up playing out here,” said Grier, who is now a minor leaguer in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. “There wasn’t a pitching mound out here. I don’t think we had bases. The dugouts weren’t painted. We didn’t even have trash cans. Just seeing the adjustments they made, I was happy.”

Grier said impacting other people is something he takes great pride in, even more than his baseball career. Grier’s feelings on influencing others was the sentiment of the entire day and is why Fanning and so many others dedicate their time in More Than a Game.

“It’s why we started it — to empower athletes to unite, educate and change communities,” Fanning said. “(Grier) knows there are kids in this community who need this. There’s another Anfernee today sitting on a couch, and we want him to come out. That’s why we do it.”

Fanning said all the work done in the summer was done so the fields could be used like they were Saturday. As special as it was to see the next generation of baseball players making good use of the park, what Fanning and the group of about 30 volunteers saw to start the day meant just as much.

“What’s really cool to me is to roll in here today and see that everything’s been taken care of. One of the hitting mats we’d taken out here had been rolled up and put in the dugout. There were footprints all over home plate because someone was using the park,” Fanning said. “That’s really what it’s all about.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2017 at 6:17 PM with the headline "More Than a Game hosts baseball camp at Meadowlane Park."