LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — A new, planned destination could be a game-changer at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Two St. Louis radio hosts and baseball enthusiasts have joined to form Ballparks of the Ozarks, LLC. The business has purchased 239 acres, west of Camdenton along Highway 54, for the purpose of developing a state-of-the-art athletic complex with more than a dozen fields for youth baseball and softball. The goal is to provide a destination attraction, bringing youth baseball teams and tournaments from across the nation, to the Lake.
Bob Ramsey and Jeff Vernetti are heading up the project. Ramsey is an Emmy-award-winning sportscaster, with nearly 30 years of experience announcing baseball for St. Louis University. Vernetti has an extensive background in radio and baseball business. The two host a radio talk show on 920 AM in St. Louis.
Jeff Vernetti, left, and Bob Ramsey sign documents to purchase 239 acres on Highway 54, west of Camdenton, for the purpose of developing a youth baseball complex.
Eric Hooper will work with the business to acquire teams for tournaments. Hooper is the owner of Greater Midwest Baseball, presently organizing tournaments for more than 3,000 teams nationwide every year.
Vernetti praised the Lake of the Ozarks area, saying it was ideally suited for such a venue. He called it “one of the few centrally-located resort destinations” in the country, pointing out that such positioning—and the reasonably close proximity of multiple airports—makes the Lake a perfect place for teams from across the nation to come compete.
Once operations are in full swing, Ramsey and Vernetti expect the venue to draw visitors to the Lake area beyond the normal busy season of May through September. However, Vernetti indicated the project would be developed in phases, and once complete, they expect it would take a few years before the venue reaches its full operational capacity.
Ballparks of the Ozarks LLC is seeking federal grant funding to help build the sports complex, but Vernetti emphasized the project’s fate is not dependent upon those funds.
Architects and surveyors are currently analyzing the property and drawing plans, and Vernetti says more specific details about the venue will be revealed at a groundbreaking ceremony this spring.
The company anticipates the venue will ultimately create between 10 and 15 full-time employment positions and up to 80 part-time, seasonal positions. Additionally, the events hosted at the ballparks are expected to bring millions of dollars of spending into the Lake area, as tournament participants, leagues, and their families seek lodging, dining, and shopping throughout the region.
The positioning of the property was key, Vernetti said, since it needed to be sufficiently large and flat, but close to other amenities at the Lake.
“How do you find something that’s close to the water and drivable to all the key sites?” he said the team asked as they hunted for the perfect spot. This location fit the bill. He noted, “From our site to the outlet mall, it’s less than 20 minutes,” pointing out that comparable tournament venues in other states tend to be very remote.
He also distinguished Ballparks of the Ozarks from other venues by emphasizing this location would not cater to one specific age group, but would be built to host a wide range of teams.
Vernetti’s love is baseball, and he—of course—has plenty of thoughts about how the St. Louis Cardinals look for 2015.
“I think they’re gonna be good if the pitching holds up,” he said, adding, “I like that they’re giving Martinez a shot.”
He noted one of the crucial questions for the Cardinals this year is, “Can Adams hit lefties?”
“It’s gonna be a competitive division,” he acknowledged. “There’s no dominant National League team.”
Certainly important questions for a sports enthusiast, but this year, likely not at the top of the order for Vernetti and Ramsey. As they step up to the plate in 2015, they’ll be swinging for the fences not at Busch Stadium, but at the burgeoning Ballparks of the Ozarks.
