Love those Scrappers

Professional baseball may no longer be the great American pastime it once was, but in the Mahoning Valley it still makes for great American fun.
As the Mahoning Valley Scrappers launch their sixth season this weekend at Eastwood Field in Niles, it's fitting to single out the minor league Cleveland Indians franchise as a valuable community asset.
First, the Scrappers foster a tangible spirit of regionalism and pride in our five-county area, a refreshing change from the parochial and negative attitudes that too often stymie our progress. Scrappers officials report fans from all parts of the Mahoning and Shenango valleys follow the team with pride. Too, the team cements a positive regional identity for the Valley that gains acclaim throughout the eastern United States.
Economic impact
The team also wields a measurable economic impact in its own back yard through its full-time staff and scores of game-night workers. The Scrappers also offer valuable internships each summer for college students training in marketing, operations and other fields.
Most importantly, the Scrappers provide families and individuals with excitement and fun at affordable prices (ticket prices have never increased), close to home and in one of the most attractive ballparks in the New York-Penn League. The team has filled its 2004 season with special events and promotions, including fireworks Fridays and buck-admission nights Thursdays. The community ought respond by filling seats and topping last season's attendance of 142,000.
What better day than today -- Father's Day and the first day of summer -- to treat dad, any family member or friend to the season's first daytime home game? Game time is 2:05 p.m.