With oral and visual presentations, memorabilia displays and collections, and ballpark visits, the conference has had plenty to offer. But that's not all.
As enjoyable as the conferences have been, even better has been the friendships that have been made that have lasted from those times. Regular emails, phone calls, and continued ballpark visits together have resulted in continued research and memorabilia finds, unreluctantly shared among the baseball bunch.
And now and then, someone opens their home and baseball den to anyone who wants to see.
Rallying around a the common interest of the old Southern Association has helped to keep the memories alive, too. The opportunity to get together is always shorter than anyone likes, but it is always great to rub elbows with each other, tell a story or two, or consult over the latest 'find'.
So, here is my tribute (knowing that I am going to leave someone out): Thanks Clarence, Lamar, Joe, David, Bill, Randall, Derby, David (another one), Tony, Ben, Dave, Ken, Mark, Bill (another one of those, too), Phil, Kevin, Johny, Larry, and Dan, and any others whose names I just can't recall.
I am grateful for being able to call you "baseball friends".
Enjoy the Game!
