PHILADELPHIA — The Class A South Atlantic League is a historical gem of minor league baseball and an incubator for many great players, though rarely a focal point of the baseball world. But in the spring of 2011, it was the center of the prospect universe.
It was where scouts and hard-core fans could see Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, a pair of teenage sensations, play against each other as professionals — Harper for the Hagerstown Suns, Machado for the Delmarva Shorebirds, in a showcase of Maryland teams.
“It was electric,” recalled Anton Dahbura, who was a minority owner of the Suns and known for shagging balls in batting practice with the players.