When you’re as mediocre as this team has been over the past five years, fans don’t show on a regular basis. Why? Mediocrity is boring.

Oh, they’d come when there was a fireworks presentation after the game. They once booed the Weevils for tying the score in the ninth. After all, they had sat through nine lethargic innings waiting on fireworks and this simply prolonged their stay.

They might come for a Rugrats promotion. Or maybe when Nick Maddox showed to sign autographs.

But the bottom line is, they’ve never wanted to watch .500 baseball.

They complained about concessions. They complained about paying a measly dollar for parking. They complained about local politicians thrusting a stadium and team on them without asking.

So many claim they haven’t come to watch Philadelphia’s Class A farm club out of spite. As a matter of principle.

But during a long homestand over the past week, Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium actually looked like a real ballpark. On Friday night, there were 4,118 people packed in there. On Saturday, there were 3,056. And the best part of all was that the fans actually cheered. Loudly. They were into the game. The place was jumping with emotion.

Really.

And there is a reason. This edition of the Piedmont Boll Weevils may be the team we’ve been waiting on.

General manager Todd Parnell has worked his rear end off promoting this club, and finally, his efforts may come to fruition.

This is an exciting club that is making the plays. In Tuesday’ 3-1 win over the Charleston RiverDogs, the Weevils proved why they’re worth watching.

There were two outs in the eighth and starting pitcher Ryan Madson, all 19 years of age, was pulled with a 3-0 lead. There were two runners on.

Josh Hamilton sauntered up to the plate. Hamilton is the South Atlantic League’s leading hitter and the well-documented first pick of the 1999 draft. He was only 2-for-15 in this four-game series with Piedmont. This was the perfect scenario for a three-run shot to tie the score.

Manager Greg Legg brought in lefty reliever Mark Outlaw.

In other years, a Josh Hamilton would have hit the homer, the Weevils would have lost in extra innings and another fantastic pitching performance would have gone down the drain.

Not this year. Outlaw eyed Charleston’s $3.9 million bonus baby and struck him out. Outlaw would say later, “I just treated him like any other hitter.”

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Confidence.

We haven’t heard quotes like that very often.

But confidence is the key to this team. Madson, who just arrived from extended spring training the day before, was asked if he was nervous starting his first game of the year with new teammates backing him up.

“Once I got through that first inning, I said, `Hey, I’ve got the stuff, just go with it.’” Madson said. “My offspeed stuff was working and when I’m throwing that for strikes, I can spot my fastball. And then, they don’t have a chance, really.”

Confidence.

Big Nate Espy, the Weevils first baseman, was second to Hamilton in the batting race coming into the four-game series. After hitting two homers Tuesday and three in two days, he was asked about his one-on-one duel, which he won decidedly.

“I don’t look at any of that,” said Espy, who speaks very softly for someone so Bunyanesque. “I don’t look at the stats or read the papers. You know if you’re swinging well.”

Confidence.

Marlon Byrd, one of nine Boll Weevils hitting over .290, said “I expect to have a good at-bat every time I go up there.”

Confidence.

Brett Myers, Philly’s No. 1 pick last year, asks a reporter to tell the fans to “come watch me.” Adam Walker, the leading winner, says he feels like he’s supposed to win every single game. Brian Hitchcox has talked about the chemistry Lefty Frankie Brooks, in his strong Brooklyn accent, mentions how everyone hangs out together.

Together, they expect to win every single game.

It leaves Legg ecstatic. He is usually found bouncing around the clubhouse, the most upbeat manager in Weevil history. To a man, the players say he is the best they’ve ever played for.

And that confidence thing?

“They believe they can win and that’s half the battle,” he said.

The Boll Weevils left for Hagerstown Tuesday afternoon with a 22-9 record. They are leading the Northern Division by 21

But the best part, they all say, is seeing those fans yelling their names, cheering their plays, packing their stadium.

Piedmont returns Saturday to play eight home games in nine days. Now is the time to discover the Piedmont Boll Weevils.

It’s the team we’ve been waiting for.

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