So many greats have appeared in Asheville within McCormick Field's white lines: Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Ty Cobb, manager Cal Ripken Sr. and batboy Cal Ripken Jr. As player Tom Nevers said, "When you think of all the great people that have played on this field before us, it's kinda neat being a part of history."
Asheville, North Carolina, is not widely recognized as a baseball crazy city. However, for a small town where flat land is hard to find and everything is far removed from the bright lights of the big cities, Asheville's part in professional baseball is remarkable. In these pages you'll find little-known stories of baseball's stars, the ups and downs of the national pastime in the Land of the Sky and a number of local heroes. Meet "Struttin' Bud" Shaney, a pitcher from the 1920s who served as athletic director, umpire and the McCormick Field groundskeeper at various times in the diamond's past. Despite his inexperience, gritty Tourists general manager Ron McKee's efforts revived the flagging franchise in the 1980s. Most recently, fiery skipper Joe "Mik" Mikulik has helped bring record numbers of fans to McCormick to cheer the Tourists to victory.
Asheville resident Bill Ballew is a freelance sports writer and media relations director for the Asheville Tourists baseball team. He also serves as senior writer and assistant editor of At The Yard magazine. He has published more than 2000 feature articles in baseball-related publications such as Baseball America and Baseball Digest. Ballew has authored seven books.