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When minor league baseball came back to Pulaski, officials had a couple of choices about how to handle opening night.

One way would have been with a bit of pomp and circumstance. You know: national pastime, historic baseball stadium, a new beginning.

The announcement that contestants were needed for "toilet seat horseshoes," however, suggested a different tack. And it was probably the right one.

History and tradition are one thing, but the Pulaski Mariners want to keep Calfee Park full this season.

They sure did it on opening night. The place was packed. The parking lot overflowed. The snack bar lines overflowed. And the line for burgers right off the grill over-overflowed.

And why not? After a year without a team, people have had a lot of time to think about how good those hamburgers were. And how awesome Calfee Park is.

It blows Salem's ballpark out of the water -- partly because it lacks a jumbo screen that plays commercials -- and because it's small enough to let you get a good look at the action or even chat with the visiting team's bullpen as I saw one guy doing.

Sure, there's a bottleneck in front of the press box that's just barely big enough for two people to pass. Sure, there are metal posts that block your view. Sure the bleachers in the family section are just big concrete steps. Sure the foul balls often head for the parking lot or even U.S. 11, which must be a bit of a surprise to drivers who are headed somewhere other than the baseball game.

But, man, what a place to set up a lawn chair and watch the show, which, in addition to the toilet seat horseshoes, featured some exciting baseball action. The Mariners led off with a monster hit for a triple and the good times rolled.

Bottom line: Cozy Calfee Park is back in business this year and if you don't go root for the home team, it's a shame.