Twenty-five years have passed since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States of America. Thousands of lives were lost as a pair of hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City, another hit the Pentagon in Washington DC, and another crashed into a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought hijackers.
Many Americans remember 9/11 vividly. Wendy Davis was serving at that time on the Rome Baseball Committee, a group campaigning to bring minor league baseball to Rome, GA. She had to pause her work when she heard the news of the terrorist attacks because, as she says, baseball suddenly seemed insignificant in light of what was happening to this country.
Then came September 12th, says Davis, who recalls that people came together in the days after 9/11. Perhaps that unity and a renewed sense of patriotism led to an uptick in voter interest in the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (or SPLOST) referendum to build a professional baseball stadium in this community, she speculates.
The referendum was narrowly passed by Floyd County voters on November 6th of 2001, exactly eight weeks after 9/11. The Rome Braves played their inaugural season in 2003. The team, now known as the Emperors, hold the distinction of being the oldest currently active affiliate in the Atlanta Braves’ minor league system.
The 2001 campaign to bring minor league baseball to Rome, Georgia was spearheaded in part by Wendy Davis, as well as the late Randy Davis and the late Bill Byington. Their mission was boosted by many other volunteers that were part of the Rome Baseball Committee.
Photo from the March 30, 2003 issue of the Rome News-Tribune, used with permission
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