Baseball seized Greenville’s attention in the summer of 1998. Morning conversation at local eateries was dominated by discussion of the game, and many a worker stole glances at games in progress during the business day, seeking the latest scores. For two weeks, baseball was the talk of the town.

That was the case in communities across America. The home run race between Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs’ Sammy Sosa enthralled the country. The contest to best the home run total of 61 set by the New York Yankees’ Roger Maris in 1961 unfolded in historic fashion, with each at-bat getting live coverage on ESPN as the two sluggers neared the magical plateau.

In Greenville, however, local residents were fascinated by ballplayers at a different level. That summer saw the Tar Heel All-Stars’ pursuit of the Little League World Series championship. The squad won the South Regional to earn a trip to Williamsport, Pa., and a shot at the United States title before elimination.

Baseball and softball, are the sports of choice among most of this community’s youth. From the earliest ages, Pitt County children are swinging bats and shagging flies, hoping for an experience to match that magical summer of 1998. At parks across the county, these kids hone their skills, moving from the youth programs to middle and high schools, with a remarkable record of success.

Consider the dates on local calendars — the start of high school practice, the first game at East Carolina University’s Clark-LeClair Stadium, opening day at the Sara Law softball complex, the city championship at Elm Street Park — around which families know to plan. Recall the excitement surrounding the Pirates’ first turn as host of an NCAA Baseball Regional Tournament last year, or witness the anticipation for the Little League Tournament of State Champions this summer.

This is a community that circulates around the diamond. Both baseball and softball offer a rare opportunity to local children, to instill in them reliable and timeless values like commitment, dedication and teamwork that will last a lifetime.

Those qualities seem lost on Major League Baseball, a sport rife with cheating players and owners who purposefully looked the other way as superstars used performance-enhancing drugs.

McGwire, Sosa and the rest failed to remember their place as role models, for better or worse, to children across the country.

That includes children in this community. That McGwire and Sosa’s steroid-fueled race for home run glory coincided with a turn in the spotlight for local ballplayers makes that all the more apparent. They forgot that innocent eyes watch every corner cut and every easy way taken.

In a week that East Carolina saw its head football coach depart for warmer climes and larger paychecks, some have questioned the emphasis placed on sports, in this community and beyond. That point deserves consideration, particularly in light of the tragedy in Haiti. We can wish that the men and women now rushing to that island nation enjoyed the seven-figure resources of a Mark McGwire or a Skip Holtz.

Yet it is because of our idealistic interest, our love of these games in the purest sense, that they continue to hold a place of importance in our society.

That was the case in 1998, when baseball captured this community’s imagination. It just depended on where you looked to find it.

Brian Colligan is the editorial page editor of The Daily Reflector. Contact him at 329-9507 or bcolligan@reflector.com.