The right pitch

By The Gazette Editorial Board

Pitching Cedar Rapids for a national organization's most prestigious annual event no doubt took some courage one month after the flood of 2008. But Mary Lee Malmberg and Ralph Palmer, with help from LeRoy Law of Des Moines, won over the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association. And so the NHPA's World Tournament is running through Aug. 7 at the ice arena.

Persistence and a creative approach paid off. Malmberg, director of sports tourism for the Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, donned a snorkel, goggles and flippers for the 20-minute presentation. She and her teammates erased any doubts the national group had that our community could ably host the event two years later. And so more than 1,200 talented competitors are here, with Palmer serving as host tournament director and Law's state horseshoe pitchers group as co-host.

Besides offering a rare up-close opportunity to watch world-class “ringers,” this event is expected to inject more than $1 million into the local economy. And if things go well, it could help attract other big events.

Welcome, horseshoe pitchers, and let us know how we're doing.