Branson hopes baseball will bring an economic boost.
Ballparks of America opened to the public for the first time on Thursday afternoon with three innings of exhibition baseball and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 12-and-under Hollister Tigers played the 11-and-under Springfield Mavericks.
Ballparks of America CEO Hamilton Chang was happy to take in the first three innings of play on a field inspired by Chicago's Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs.
“We took a heck of a leap to come to this community, to invest this much time, effort and money into this project. To be able to see the kids playing today is an unbelievable feeling,” Chang said.