Gulfport Sportsplex Baseball Man nationally honored

The Gulfport Sportsplex’s iconic Baseball Man structure is hitting it big time with a national honor.
The 12 foot structure stood at the entrance to the Gulfport Sportsplex for several years, welcoming athletes and visiting teams to the fields. Covered and stuffed in moss, Baseball Man’s stainless steel structure was built in 2003 by Ship Island Excursions’ Steve Skrmetta.
Baseball Man was honored with the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Galvanizers Association. The structure’s owner, Ken Edwards, tells News 25 Baseball Man earned the honor because his steel has survived tragedies like Hurricane Katrina. “This achievement award means a lot because Baseball Man has been through a lot. He’s been through a couple of hurricanes, some drought periods, he’s been through the freezes a couple of times. We’ve had to re-stuff him on several occasions, but through it all he’s made it. He’s still not rusty so everything works out in the galvanizing world.”
With help from contributions from the community, the sportsplex staff has helped restore and take care of Baseball Man.