The Ozark Patriots was a short-lived baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 team based in Ozark, Alabama

Ozark, Alabama

Ozark is a city in and the county seat of Dale County, Alabama, United States. In 1990 the city population was 12,922. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 15,119....

. In 2002 they were members of the Southeastern League of Professional Baseball

Southeastern League

The Southeastern League was the name of three baseball circuits in minor league baseball league which operated in the Southeastern and South Central United States...

. They played their home games in Ozark, Alabama, at historic Eagle Stadium, which was constructed in 1946. A few Patriot standouts were Sergio Cairo, Junior Braddy, Cortney Jenkins, Steve Crampton, and Ty Ryburn. Ryburn, a pitcher, has the distinction of leading all Minor Leagues with a .141 opponents batting average during 2002. Patriot ownership had financial problems and the team folded at the all-star break. Coincidentally, Celebrity Entertainer Jonathan Aldridge was called in to play outfield, but ended up playing 2 games at SS, thus, never receiving a paycheck or reimbursement for his travel expenses.

History

Eagle Stadium is a baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 stadium where the Ozark Patriots played here before folding midway through the 2002 season. Professional baseball was also played here in the 1940s and 1950s as part of the Alabama-Florida League. The park features a small, covered grandstand that contains all bench seating and seats about 1,200. The dimensions of the field are huge here as center field is 440 feet from home plate. It is currently used for high school, American Legion

American Legion

The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...

, and special event baseball games.