The World Series is being held where?

That’s what a lot of people where asking Sunday when the 2013 Babe Ruth Baseball 16-18 World Series was moved to the Hammett Holley Sports Complex in Red Level.

Other than a baseball playoff game here or there, there’s never been such a big event held on the same baseball field where Red Level’s varsity Tigers play, a couple of long-time residents said Sunday.

Jimmy Rodgers, who’s lived in Red Level for more than 30 years, said it’s pretty “awesome” to see the tournament being played on his home turf.

“This is pretty neat,” Rodgers said. “There’s nothing like this I’ve seen since I can remember.”

Pool play games were moved to the Hammett Holley Sports Complex’s field because weekend rains wreaked havoc on LBWCC’s Crum Foshee Field and Andalusia High School’s baseball diamond.

Rodgers said he walked on the Tigers’ field and didn’t see much water at all, except for a pool in the batter’s box where players dig for better footing.

“I was thinking if it came to it, they could play right here,” he said. “I didn’t suggest it to anybody.

“We’re just really glad they were able to move it up here and get them in,” he said. “It’s a big deal.”

Later on Sunday morning, Covington County coach Eddie Stacey — who helped organize the World Series to be played here — called RLHS field supervisor Richard Marler and asked him if the field was in good shape to play.

Marler said the decision was made pretty quickly when they arrived at the field.

“We came up here and looked at it and made the decision that it was drier than any where else,” he said. “They said it wouldn’t take much to get it going.”

Marler and an assortment of county volunteers, City of Andalusia crew and others started to lay oil dry to soak up the water at around 10:30 Sunday morning.

A big part of why the field looked in such good shape was the fact that it not only drained well, but the infield was primed for the amount of rain fall the area has seen.

“We did a lot of work on it this last year,” Marler said. “We had about four inches of red sand under it, and we went and put three inches of brick dust all the way around.”

Marler said they put the brick dust on the field about two weeks before baseball season started in February.

After Sunday’s success in having games in Red Level, Babe Ruth officials decided to keep holding pool play games there on Monday.