The Butler County Area Baseball League has come up with and executed some bright ideas in recent years.

A league all-star game just before the beginning of the postseason tournament was well attended, with players and coaches having a good time interacting. The league also presented some scholarship money to winners of an annual essay contest describing what community baseball meant to players in their final season.

Now it’s easy to wonder whether this community baseball league is going away.

The BCABL started this season with only five teams. Three of them — Freeport, East Butler and Pine-Richland — could not roster enough players for the postseason tournament.The two remaining teams — Butler Township and Seneca Valley — are playing a best-of-three series to determine the league championship.

Butler Township manager Tyler Friel admitted the night of Game 1 of that series that this is a tough way to end the season and poses a legitimate concern about the league’s future.

To see the BCABL dry up and disappear would be more than a shame. It’d be downright tragic.

When the league was affiliated with American Legion Baseball — and it’s fully understandable why the circuit eventually decided to stand on its own — there were 10 teams or so competing every year. Some of those programs were guided by loyal, dedicated coaches like Dess Schnur, Bob Steiner, Gene Zawrotuk and Tom Schneider.

The Butler area itself was represented by Butler Township, Meridian, East Butler, Center Township and Butler City. Prospect, Karns City, West Sunbury, Cranberry, Zelienople, Saxonburg, Freeport ... All of these communities were represented in the league at one time or another.

Is there that little interest in summer community baseball today? Has it all gone to travel ball or to summer collegiate leagues. There are three summer collegiate squads in Butler now.

Maybe there aren’t enough coaches willing and able to put the time in to organize and coach a team in their areas.

There are always plenty of reasons why leagues in any sport eventually fold.

This league is certainly worth holding on to.

Ethan Trettel is a walk-on wide receiver at Slippery Rock University. C.J. Singleton is a cross country and track standout at Notre Dame. They both played baseball for Butler Township this summer. Why?

They recognize the opportunity to play ball and have fun with their buddies while playing a competitive sport in the summer. Doubtless, other kids feel the same way.

The BCABL does a lot of good for a lot of kids.

I only hope it gets the chance to continue doing so.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle