Renovations nearing completion

Gabe Whisnant
gabewhisnant@shelbystar.com
The plan was to revamp Veterans Field and Keeter Stadium into a venue fit to host the American Legion Southeast Regional and World Series.

That end result is within site as the finishing touches are being put on the stadium at the Shelby High campus.Southeast Regional and World Series planning committee co-chairman, Eddie Holbrook, said the massive renovations should be nearing completion this week. The canopy construction has been under way for two weeks and is essentially one of the last -and most important - parts of the process.

Netting for the new batting cage and the backstop, installing the new sound system, landscaping and dugout work should also be wrapping up in the near future. The restrooms, concessions center and pressbox - all brand new - are essentially finished.

Holbrook said it has taken longer than expected with a few snags along the way. But, the final outcome will be a jewel of a stadium to benefit baseball in Cleveland County for many years.
Approximately 40,000 fans and 1,280 players are expected to be in Shelby in August for the two tournaments.

"We want it to be a truly integral part of what will be a very historic two weeks (during the regional and World Series)," Holbrook said. "I think people are starting to get excited, but it will more start registering more around the first of August.

"It's very difficult to remodel an old stadium. It's a lot simpler to start from the ground up with something new. You have to tear it down, and that's not as simple as it sounds."
With the stadium almost ready for action, Holbrook said the committee will shift its emphasis to the extensive planning for the two events.

"You like to thing you're about there and ready, but we're not," he said. "It's just changing gears. The pressure goes from the stadium to committee work."