Players from opposing teams still shake hands after the game, just like in Little League. There aren't any big shots here. But the real winners are the fans. For three bucks, you sit next to the action. Programs cost a quarter.
Hot dogs are a dollar and parking is free.
At the start of one Shenandoah Valley League baseball weekend, we caught a game at New Market's rustic Rebel Park, where the outfield is ringed by green wooden farm fences and mountains provide a glorious backdrop. Some of the home team's veteran fans sit no more than 30 feet away from the field, the better to razz the umpires. That brought silence. The atmosphere at the park is pure county fair. There's a feeling of safety, completeness, and contentment as you sit in the stands.