Albany Herald

Major League Baseball’s upcoming All-Star game will feature three Lee County superstars: San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey will be playing in the game, Luke Bryan will sing the national anthem and Phillip Phillips will perform.

It's been a pretty impressive stretch for Lee County, one that will have the eyes of many on the county and Southwest Georgia tonight when the 83rd annual Major League Baseball All-Star game gets under way.

When the game gets under way, Buster Posey will be handling the catching chores behind the plate for the National League after setting an NL record for votes with 7.6 million from baseball fans all across America. Posey -- a former NL rookie of the year who has a World Series ring already -- has bounced back from a severe injury last year to set the pace for Senior Circuit catchers with a .289 batting average, 10 homers and 43 RBI in the first half.

Before that, Phillip Phillips, who endured painful kidney stones and surgery in his remarkable run to claim the "American Idol" crown this year, will sing his "Idol" anthem, "Home," during the pregame entertainment.

And Luke Bryan, one of the newest country music superstars with five No. 1 singles, including "Drunk on You," "I Don't Want This Night To End" and "Country Girl (Shake for Me)," and his latest album, "tailgates & tanlines" certified platinum, will perform the national anthem at the Summer Classic.

It's a trifecta of national renown that is unique in Lee County history. If anyone had wagered even two years ago that a county deep in Southwest Georgia with a population of about 28,500 people would have three native sons in high-profile roles at an event like the MLB All-Star Game tonight, he or she would have made out like a bandit at the Vegas casinos.

Our region is fortunate to have these three young men serving as ambassadors of Southwest Georgia. The more positive light shown on our area, the better, and they have proven to be marvelous representatives.

In fact, when you're watching a bit of local history being made, the significance of what is happening before your eyes can easily escape you. Tonight is rare occurrence in which the stars have managed to align up perfectly. We hope Buster, Luke and Phillip will all savor these special moments tonight in Kansas City, as should all of us back home. You've done us proud, guys.

-- The Albany Herald Editorial Board