Keeping their dream alive

We knew after the winter edition of “Eastbound & Downtown” went to press that for our spring edition, our baseball preview would, like the “Space Jam” section we put together for basketball, play on a movie that resonates with sports fans across America.

In fact, our illustrator was already sketching a cover for the section. Those many months ago, we thought our take on “Field of Dreams” was appropriate because it stands among the most iconic baseball films ever made.

We thought that people would get a kick out of seeing a depiction of our mascots standing in front of rows of corn in old-timey pinstripe uniforms.

But when, a few weeks before we went to press, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association suspended spring sports until at least early April as panic over COVID-19 set in across the state and nation, our chosen path seemed more personal.

You see, “Field of Dreams” is not really about baseball — at least, not entirely.

At its core, it’s a story about passion and blind faith — about second chances and dreaming bigger than anyone believed possible.

It’s true that Wayne County hasn’t been the same since the NCHSAA pulled the plug on a tradition that is just as much a part of this region’s story as BBQ, agriculture and the military.

So it is, frankly, hard to imagine spring in these parts without cheers coming from bleachers that surround our diamonds and the sight of young men and women sliding into home.

But like the protagonist in “Field of Dreams,” we decided to cling to the hope that the game we love will ultimately be played — that we will overcome adversity and, before the final credits roll, see dozens of young men and women, including the seniors who have worked for years for a shot at closing out their high school careers as champions, take to the field.

That is why we decided against pulling the baseball preview from our latest magazine — because we were reminded of those iconic words.

“If you build it, they will come.”

No, we won’t have to turn a cornfield into a diamond. But maybe, just maybe, we will create a climate of calm and perseverance that will spread across our county lines — one that will convince the powers that be that playing ball this season is still a realistic possibility.

Until then, hold onto the hope.

And remind the young men and women who are currently hanging their heads about the prospect of missing out on their respective opportunities to lace up their cleats and dig into the batter’s box that the game they love will always welcome them back.

No matter where their lives take them.