ARCANUM – The Tenth Annual Tim Todd Memorial All-Star Tournament did its best to dodge the weekend rain storms that passed through the area over the weekend.
“Tim was a board member for years when I was growing up and his son (Jason Todd) is still involved now,” said Shane Rhodehamel, past Commissioner and President of Arcanum baseball. “Tim’s grandchildren are playing in it now.”
The tournament is held each year on Father’s Day weekend beginning with games on Thursday night through Sunday.
“Tim was a board member and our boys baseball president and commissioner for year,” Rhodehamel stated. “He passed away 11 years ago. They donated some money to the junior baseball so we renamed the All-Star Tournament in remembrance of Tim.
“We have a pretty good turnout,” continued Rhodehamel. “We just started a junior high tournament six years ago and it’s continued to grow. We are up to eight teams in that now and that is played at the high school. Games start on Thursday night and run Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
The annual weekend tournament draws teams from a wide area filling all the Arcanum baseball diamonds.
“We have games on every diamond all weekend long,” Rhodehamel note. “It’s a pretty good tournament.”
“We can normally rely on most of the Darke County teams Greenville, Arcanum, Ansonia, Tri-Village, Union City, Franklin Monroe when they have enough,” added Rhodehamel. “We have teams in our junior high traveling from Sidney, Anna and here at the park we have Patterson Park and Monroe so we are getting teams from an hour to an hour and a half away.”
Rhodehamel spent 13 years on the board and continues to assist the new board and its members.
“I’m not on the board anymore but I am up here helping the board,” Rhodehamel said. “They take care of the concession stand they take care of the field. I helped get some of the umpires this year and I am coaching one of our junior high teams that is playing at the high school. I am umpiring – just helping out.”
“It’s a good tournament,” concluded Rhodehamel. “Word has spread around.”