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Local townball legend Shawn Hedrick was terrific in his professional debut for the York Revolution and the 34-year-old certainly impressed York infielder Keoni DeRenne, who spoke moments after hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth in the Revs' 7-6 win over Newark.

"It was awesome. I am real happy for him," DeRenne said. "As a player, I know how nervous it can be, especially without any kind of professional experience. I remember my first game as a positional player.

"He seems to be a mature guy, so I don't think he had as many butterflies as some young 21 or 22-year old. In his hometown he wanted to do well. He was as poised as any normal pitcher."

What really caught DeRenne's attention - as well as many other people - was the fact that despite allowing eight hits in 61/3 innings of work, Hedrick did not walk a batter.

"I thought about that after the sixth inning. He was just throwing strikes," DeRenne added. "As a defensive player, I would rather someone give up 10 hits than allow six walks because those guys don't really do anything to earn it."

For two years, many of the fans and players in the local adult baseball leagues in York kept their distance from Sovereign Bank Stadium. It appears those days are long gone, especially after a preseason scrimmage featuring the Revolution and an All-Star team of locals drew more than 5,000.

The York County All-Stars will play the United States Military All-Stars at 7 p.m. Friday, July 3 at Sovereign Bank Stadium. Fireworks will follow the game.

The roster for York County will once again be split between players from the Susquehanna and Central leagues. But many of the talented college baseball players who could not play in the April 18 scrimmage will appear in the contest.

Less than two years after building a minor league baseball stadium in York, and less than a year after building a ballpark in Waldorf, Md., minor league developer Peter Kirk has submitted plans to build a $40-million stadium in Richmond, Va.

One plan calls for the Atlantic League to plant an expansion franchise in Richmond next season, and play in the city's aging ballpark -- The Diamond -- until construction is completed on a new 8,500-seat stadium. The Diamond is an antiquated stadium built on a 60-acre parcel in the city's Boulevard area near the Interstate 95 corridor. The site has featured a minor league ballpark since 1954, and The Diamond has hosted the Richmond Braves - a Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves since 1985.

The Atlantic League schedule for 2009 has been placed on hold, Kirk said, because the league has several options for next year -- including adding two new teams.

"The league is prepared to bring back (the all-travel Road Warriors), but there are a couple other communities getting close (to building stadiums)," said Kirk, the chairman of the ownership group Opening Day Partners that operates teams in York, Lancaster, Southern Maryland and Camden, N.J. "Another team could play in a temporary location next year."

At the end, Dave Veres still dominated. He just couldn't be 30 again.

After pitching well in the Atlantic League in a setup and closer role for the York Revolution, Veres, 41, left the team and was placed on the inactive list Monday. He went 1-2 with a 2.27 ERA and six saves. He appeared in 35 games. He finished the season by saving three straight games in York's sweep of Camden.

"Do I want to keep pitching or do I realize I'm not going to make it back?" Veres said after Friday's game. "My goal wasn't to pitch in the Atlantic League. I wanted to use it as a stepping stone."

Veres left the team to return to his home in Colorado.