MYRTLE BEACH, SC -- With a crack of the bat and the smell of cotton candy in the air, major league baseball has come to Myrtle Beach.
The Texas Rangers, the 2010 American League champions, faced off Tuesday night against the Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers at BB&T Coastal Field in an exhibition game.
The Rangers came to the Grand Strand because the Myrtle Beach Pelicans are their class A farm team.
Local Atlanta Braves fans were heartbroken last fall, when the Pelicans' new owners changed the team's major league affiliation from the Braves to the Rangers.
Now, the Pelicans have to win over skeptical Braves fans, like Jenny Batchelder. For 11 years, Batchelder was a Pelicans Booster, taking players into her home and loyally following their careers, as future Atlanta major leaguers.
But as she told NewsChannel 15, that devotion ended when the team became affiliated with the Rangers.
"We know these kids and we love these kids and I would feel totally disloyal if I went with Texas," she said last September.
Batchelder told us Tuesday her mind has not changed since then. She will only attend Pelicans games when the Braves farm team, the Lynchburg, Virginia Hillcats, are in town. For those games, she'll sit on the visitor's side.
She is especially incensed that the man who brought about the affiliation change in Myrtle Beach, Pelicans' principal owner Chuck Greenberg, is no longer with the Rangers' management. Greenberg resigned as chief executive officer and managing partner of the Rangers earlier this month.
"The whole thing was a waste," Batchelder says, since Greenberg is not a part of the Rangers.
But Pelicans general manager Scott Brown says it was Greenberg who arranged the Rangers' exhibition game at BB&T field.
"Look, we've got major league baseball in Myrtle Beach and the reason why we have that is Chuck's efforts at bringing this affiliation together with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans."
Brooke Pond, a Surfside Beach chiropractor and the Pelicans Booster Club president, remains loyal to the team and players, who she says still need local support.
"I hope to get to know the players and cheer them on no matter what major league team they go with."
Pond and her husband remain season ticket holders and still plan to invite Pelicans players into their homes, though she says it will be harder to keep in contact with them as they move up in their careers now.
Brown admits the team has lost some season ticket holders, but he believes eventually those Braves fans will come back.
"We just think that time and some of those Lynchburg road trips, hopefully those people will come out and cheer on whichever team they want to cheer on."
Brown says it doesn't matter who you cheer for on the major league level, it's all baseball.
"Hopefully, ultimately you'll overcome your allegiance to one team and still be able to root on the hometown pelicans."
Brown did not provide exact numbers, but says season ticket sales are about even with last year.
He says some Braves fans who used to be season ticket holders are buying other ticket packages now, and will still come to BB&T Field for a few games.
If you attend the game Tuesday night, share your experience here by posting a comment.
