A grand slam for the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance

The baseballs flew in like meteors.

Thud! Boosh! Bang! Other onomatopoeia!

They rattled the wood of LECOM Park’s right field barbecue deck, where I happened to be stationed alongside members of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance on March 22.

The Toronto Blue Jays were taking batting practice and seemingly targeting the deck, with precision. Shouts of “look out!” alerted everyone. Thankfully, the LRBA’s section of the boardwalk was spared much damage, unlike the section directly to the left, which twice saw home runs explode beers all over everybody.

The LRBA was at the park for its first-ever Spring Training Night, and it was a great opportunity for members like Ron Stern, who joined the alliance in mid-January after moving to Lakewood Ranch from Philadelphia. Stern is an outsourced vice president of sales for Sales Xceleration, meaning he helps other companies plan and implement strategies to boost flatlining sales.

He was attending his first-ever spring training game and having so much fun, he said he was considering a return when his Phillies come to town. For Stern, the evening served as both a fun night out and a chance to make acquaintances.

“You give people your elevator speech,” Stern said. “You meet people to find out what people do. You might come across something you can refer to them or vice versa, especially if you’re brand new to an area and don’t know anybody. If you’re looking for a painter or an electrician or someone like that, it’s a great way to find people.”

This is exactly what Dan Sidler, the LRBAs communications director, wanted to hear. Sidler said he’s “not at all” a baseball fan, but couldn’t miss a chance to interact with the members. It’s events like these that bring out members who don’t attend other social events, like one the LRBA recently held at the circus.

It was in the low ‘60s during the barbecue, making the event a bit chillier than anticipated, but that didn’t stop the good times from rolling. The food, provided by the stadium, was on point. The hot dogs had a satisfying snap when you bit them. The chicken sandwiches were fresh and full of flavor. The macaroni and cheese gooped together like it should.

This was baseball food. This was food that brings people together. That may sound dramatic, but I’m always more comfortable talking with strangers over comfort food than shrimp cocktails and caviar.

The Blue Jays won the game 5-4, with heralded prospects, and legacy players, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2-4, one RBI) and Bo Bichette (a two-run home run) leading the way. That was nice for LRBA event coordinator Sherie Becker, an Ontario, Canada native, but otherwise no one really cared.

The point was to bond over food and beer, and in that regard the event was a success. As Stern said, “It couldn’t be better.”