THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 1995 TAG: 9502010434
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Leaders of an effort to land the 1996 Babe Ruth Baseball World Series for 16- to 18-year-old boys for Dare County are upbeat about the chances to host the event.
A news conference is scheduled for 10 this morning to announce the site of the series. Dare County and Concord, N.H., are the finalists for the 10-day tournament.
Officials of the Trenton, N.J.-based youth sports organization would not reveal their choice for the 1996 series. They met last week in Nashville, Tenn., to review tournament bids.
The series will feature 10 North American teams in a double-elimination tournament.
``We're confident and cautiously optimistic that Dare County will be selected for the 1996 series,'' said County Public Information Officer Charles Hartig.
Hartig said the decision on the site probably will be disclosed by phone by Babe Ruth Chief Executive Officer Ronald Tellefsen to Dare County Babe Ruth Commissioner Ray Hollowell before the 10 a.m. press briefing.
Tellefsen was part of a delegation of high-ranking league officials that toured the county in January. Almost 1,000 Dare County residents turned out in welcome at a reception at a local school.
``If we are fortunate enough to be selected, a major factor was the tremendous outpouring of community support during the recent visit by Babe Ruth commissioners,'' Hartig said.
The series will require an up-front investment of $40,000, which organizers say will come from a mix of public and private funds. The projected economic impact for the host site is estimated at $1.5 million.
Dare County's bid for the tournament has the support of high-ranking government officials, like North Carolina Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. and two North Carolinians who are members of Baseball's Hall of Fame.
Hertford native Jim ``Catfish'' Hunter and Williamston native Gaylord Perry have endorsed the effort. Hunter, who pitched in five World Series for the Oakland A's and the New York Yankees, appeared at the Babe Ruth reception in January.
The 1995 World Series will be held in Trail, British Columbia. About 900,000 young people participate in Babe Ruth Baseball annually. by CNB