BELLEFONTE — On a picture-perfect day for baseball, the Bellefonte Area High School team christened the new and improved John Montgomery Ward Baseball Field at Governors Park.
The improvements were on display on Tuesday, April 11. There is a state-of-the-art turf infield, a drainage system, new signage throughout, two new dugouts, stadium-style seats, new bleacher seating, a sparkling new press box and even a shiny flagpole in right field.
And while the result was not what the Red Raider faithful wanted — a 10-8 loss to Mifflin County — there were plenty of highlights and memorable moments to go around.
The field improvements and renovations were the brainchild of Bellefonte Mayor Gene “Buddy” Johnson. The significance of the day was not lost on him.
“Having the field done and having the Crunick Family, Coach Denny Leathers and Coach Don Robinson here and a lot of the Corman family, it was very, very special to get the field and get this first game in at John Montgomery Ward (Baseball) Field,” Johnson said.
The field’s moniker is in honor John “Monty” Ward, a Bellefonte native who pitched for Penn State University before moving on to the professional ranks. His progressive work to help support professional players and promote the game of baseball resulted in the first sports labor union.
During pregame ceremonies, Johnson unveiled significant signage at the field. Bellefonte’s home dugout is named after Dylan Crunick, a former Bellefonte Area High School baseball player who passed away from cancer at just 15 in 2014. The visitors’ dugout is named for former Bellefonte coaches Denny Leathers and Don Robinson, who were on hand and posed for photos.
The improvements and renovations took place thanks in part to a $1.1 million state grant. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Jake Corman helped secure the grant. He was on hand on Tuesday afternoon to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Corman calmly walked to the pitching rubber and delivered a strike to his son, Jake.
“I’ve done it a few times. The key is that first, you’ve got to warm up,” Corman said with a laugh. “And second, you have to aim high. It was a great honor. It was very nice that they asked me and I was thrilled to do it. Even better to have my son catch the ball. It was an exciting moment.”
Following Corman’s first pitch, the teams were introduced, the national anthem played and it was time to play ball.
Corman said that the project has been special to him since its inception.
“It feels fantastic. It’s about the program. Bellefonte baseball has been a historic program. It’s probably been our best athletic program over the decades. It was an unfortunate series of events that led to them being in a very difficult situation without a field. To be able to pull the community together and get a very special field for the kids to play on … is very exciting,” Corman said.
Corman even worked the public address system from the press box, which is named for his late mother, Becky, who passed away earlier this year.
Johnson said it was an emotional day for all those involved.
“Pregame, when I came up to the press box, saw the grass mowed, the lines on (the field) and the guys out there fielding ground balls, the crowd funneling in and the music playing, it was just an amazing feeling. I’m very proud of everyone who had a hand in it — from Weber Murphy Fox to Joe Menna, who is taking care of the grounds — it really has just been a team effort,” Johnson said. “It just goes to show you what a great community we have.”
Bellefonte head coach Jon Clark talked about the significance of the new field.
“It’s fun and it’s great for the community. There are a lot of people who had to chip in to make this happen,” Clark said. “This is something that has been long overdue in this community. With the type of baseball that has been played here … this is something that the kids and the area deserved to have. It’s really nice to finally have it.”
