When the Butler County Area Baseball League folded its tent this summer, a portion of local baseball folded with it.

The better players in the county still have places to play. They can join travel teams. If they’re headed to a college team or already playing for one, they can join one of the local teams in the Tri-State Collegiate League, whether it’s the Butler BlueSox, Iron Bucks, Freeport Vikings or East Butler Bulldogs.

But if you’re just a kid who enjoys playing organized baseball with his buddies on a team representing their school district or neighborhood ... That’s gone.

And that’s sad.

It wasn’t hard to see the demise of the BCABL coming. From a thriving 11-team league only a few years ago, teams began dropping off as either players couldn’t be found or coaches weren’t available.

The Eagle County Baseball semi-pro league added three teams as a result of the BCABL disappearing, but that’s for older players.

If a moderately-skilled kid just wants to play summer baseball, he’s going to have trouble finding a place to do so.

You rarely see any neighborhood pick-up games forming on any fields around here. It’s been that way for years. Kids don’t take the time to organize their buddies to go out and do such a thing anymore. That’s why local summer leagues like the BCABL are so important.

The marginal high school-age player is likely to keep the bat and love in the garage over the summer. When you’re not playing, you’re not getting better. And these kids are missing out on playing baseball in true baseball weather.

Going back still further, when the Butler County American Legion league existed, there were five teams in the Butler area alone: Butler City, Butler Township, Center Township, Meridian and East Butler. The league had long-time legendary coaches in Dess Schnur at East Butler, Gene Zawrotuk at Butler Township, Bob Steiner at Mars and Tom Schneider at Zelienople.

The postseason double-elimination tournament was a big deal. The championship game drew a huge crowd. Kids loved playing for and representing their neighborhoods, even against guys who were their high school teammates in the spring.

Once the league dropped legion affiliation and was renamed the BCABL, it began a scholarship essay program in which three winners would be awarded $1,000 scholarships for their essays on “what local summer baseball means to me.”

They wrote about the fun of playing ball with their buddies, the competition, the rivalries, being able to extend their baseball season by donning their hometown uniform.

All of that is gone now.

Most people won’t notice it.

A lot of kids will miss it.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle