SALEM, Va. – It’s Banana Ball time in Salem. The stands at Salem Memorial Ballpark are packed to see the Firefighters take on the Tailgaters.
Of course, everyone loves a hometown connection, someone local to root for. With players coming from all across the country, that’s usually tough to find.
But not this weekend.
Bradford Webb, a Randolph-Henry graduate and Charlotte Court House native, is set to take the mound for the Firefighters.
“It was awesome, and I feel like I get to represent my family and my town as we go across the country and do all these crazy, incredible things,” Webb said. “So, pretty special for a guy from a small town in rural Virginia. I feel pretty blessed.”
After a college career at VCU and a stint in the minor leagues, he got the baseball tryout of a lifetime.
“Banana Ball tryouts are like no other tryout you’ve been to,” he said. “When friends ask me, ‘How could I stick out at a tryout?’ I like to say, ‘You want to be loud, flashy and good.’”
And Webb is all three.
“My specialty is tricks on the mound. I’ve been working on that heavily,” he said. “It’s really new to me, but I’ve been having a ton of fun with it.”
So Friday night, in his home state, it’s a full-circle moment.
“My family has supported me all the way through my career, and they’ve seen me play in front of 52 people, 12 people, and now 6,000 or even more,” Webb said. “That dichotomy is really special, and I love them so much for that.”