Some memories last a long time and some memories quickly fade. If you write it down then it's not up to those who witnessed, and those that tell the stories, to pass on the events of days gone by. Memories, as plentiful as the beads of sweat dripping on a catcher's face on a hot Sunday afternoon; memories, vivid as the crack of the bat on a line drive through the gap rolling to the fence and the roaring crowd on an autumn day; memories that you keep and share for a lifetime. Where are the tales of the Clash of the Titians; the cat with the blazing fastball versus the slugger who hits balls so hard that they cry for forgiveness for approaching the plate, like it was the last wish to be hit so far that it would not have to be punished again. The border wars, the small towns, back roads, dirt fields, and the cow pastures that are the landmarks of historic events; heroes made and heroes fallen; baseball treasures. Where do we find the chronicles of the Florida-Georgia Baseball League? Country baseball, the Negro League some call it.

I played in the league and have colorful memories of hot Sunday afternoons. At every ball field, the legends would grace the park with a visit. You could hear the clamor in the grandstands; the stories would begin of how the legend that is embodied in the man came to be. The factual and the tall tale of their heroics between the white lines; Mark Twain would be jealous of how those long yarns were spun! The athletic skills may have faded and the legendary stories of their heroics are fading with time. From the days when baseball was truly America's favorite sport until now, baseball has given its admirers room to tell the story from their vantage point, to paint the cloth of time with words that put you right there with them as the events of the game unfold.

Buck O'Neil will be inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year, about 365 days too late to truly celebrate this man. O'Neil's love of baseball kept him part of the game for many decades, but he would have told you that his greatest love of baseball was in telling the stories about the people and events he witnessed. He knew that he could tell it because he witnessed, he knew that he could tell it in a way where the listener could see the laces on the curveball approaching the plate at that pivotal moment of the game. Buck would glance at your eyes to make sure that he had you in the moment. That fixation of anticipation, wanting to know how things turned out, what happened? Buck O'Neil spent much of the last 3 decades of his life trying to bring recognition to the baseball players that were of color. The league of stars forgotten by many as its players and fans faded with time.

Who will tell the stories of the Quincy Dodgers, Jefferson A's, Hawks, Coonbottom Warriors, Itchaway, Camilla, Dry Springs, all the other teams and players? What will be the legend and legacy of all those innings, fans, food, fun, characters and love of baseball down on the border of Florida and Georgia? Capture it before it fades like some of our memories. See the links below for other baseball related stuff:

• Cars on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere
• Dodger - Tallahassee Democrat, July 2
• Scott Dodger hitting the ball since 1947 - Part 1
• Scott Dodger hitting the ball since 1947 - Part 2
• Scott Dodger hitting the ball since 1947 - Part 3
• Cars on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere
• Dodger Photos