It is surprising to us that so many people in Easley have allowed the Big League World Series to be played just minutes away from their homes without taking advantage of the tremendous opportunity the eight-day event presents.

We won’t bother to point out that the quality of play is unmatched for that age level. This year’s College World Series Champions — the South Carolina Gamecocks — featured a former member of the BLWS host team on its roster.

With so many talented young players present in one spot, it is no wonder that college and professional scouts regularly attend Big League World Series games.

Nor will we bother to point out that the tournament provides an excellent chance to truly appreciate the magnificence of Easley’s J.B. “Red” Owens Recreation Complex. When ESPN officials — who spend their year touring sporting facilities around the world — make positive comments about the complex, it shows just how much care city officials have put into creating a complex that compares with the facilities provided usually by much larger cities.

We won’t even bother to mention the fact that the telecast on ESPN during primetime will be similar to a three-hour infomercial about how wonderful the city of Easley is.

What you’re missing if you skip the Big League World Series is the people.

To classify the Big League World Series as simply a sporting event is selling it short. It is an event that brings together some of the most interesting people in the world.

People like the players from the European representatives several years ago whose team did not have enough funding to afford proper baseball cleats. Or, people like to local merchants who responded immediately to the team’s needs, donating not only enough cleats for the team, but sending cleats back home with the team so that other players can also benefit.

People like the various team hosts who volunteer yearly for the series. These hosts — generally a local family works together for the efforts — open their doors to total strangers for a week, making the visitors feel at home, leaving the players and the managers with few worries other than their next ballgames.

People like the Canadian coach who gives tirelessly to his team through a tough season, only to see the team respond poorly to the warmer weather in South Carolina. Rather than complain, he thanks local officials for providing his team the opportunity to be part of the tournament.

Come experience the Big League World Series later this month in Easley. You’ll find some of the best people — both visitors and home folks — on the planet.