Butler area baseball fans got an early Christmas present Monday with the announcement that this city has landed a franchise — the Butler BlueSox — in a newly formed 11-team collegiate wooden bat league that will begin play in June.

Dubbed the Prospect League, the 11-team circuit, which will have a schedule under which each team will play 27 home and 27 away games, will give Butler the opportunity to showcase its new Pullman Park, bolster tourism efforts and benefit area businesses.

In anticipation of having the BlueSox in town, city government and business leaders shouldn't delay in starting to map out ways in which the community can reap benefits from having the team here.

It won't be Major League Baseball, but there are ways to capitalize on the team's presence by way of special promotions and other related activities. Community events such as fireworks and theme nights already are being talked about, as well as fundraising opportunities for nonprofit organizations.

Part of that planning process should be thinking of ways to get team members' participation and attendance at community activities during the time that they are in town. One proposal on the planning charts is clinics for young ballplayers given by BlueSox coaches and players.

The league's season will be in June, July and August. In addition to the regular season games, the season will include an all-star game and championship series.

The Prospect League will not be a new organizational concept. According to an article in Monday's Butler Eagle, the Central Illinois Collegiate League, a six-team circuit, has been operating for 45 years. A total of 150 players from that league have gone on to the major leagues.

The Central Illinois League teams will become part of the Prospect League through a consolidation agreement.

It will be of benefit to Butler to play host — and showcase itself — to perhaps thousands of people, including players' families and friends, who are likely to visit the city as the season progresses.

That's one important reason why full-scale planning cannot begin too soon, despite the fact that the season still is about seven months away.

Likewise, it is important that efforts already under way to beautify the area around the new ballpark continue. Some buildings that had shielded the ballpark entrance have been removed, but much more work is needed to fully display the newness of the facility and to better accommodate ballpark patrons.

It can be said that in terms of getting the new ballpark built, opened and in use, 2008 will be remembered as a good year for baseball in Butler.

It's also notable that Butler's potential as a vibrant Prospect League city was recognized by someone with the baseball experience of Dr. Chris Hanners, who founded the Frontier League in 1993.

"Butler should prove to be a perfect market for a collegiate baseball league team," he said.

Depending on the success of the BlueSox, this franchise could eventually be a steppingstone to something greater. At the time that a new Pullman Park was in the planning stages, it was hoped that the city could attract a full-fledged minor league team, possibly of the Class A category.

For now, local fans should feel excited about the baseball venture being planned and should be determined to give the team the strong support that it merits. That Butler, during the course of the upcoming season, might play host to a future Pittsburgh Pirate, New York Yankee, Tampa Bay Ray or Los Angeles Dodger — or any other major league team — should be an incentive for wanting to spend an evening or afternoon at the ballpark.

Next year represents the start of a new baseball tradition for this city. The city, its residents and people of the surrounding areas should join forces to establish that tradition in the most solid way possible.