Lions Field brings back memories

Little League baseball is a big deal. Whether you live in Havre, Montana, or New York City, baseball is a sport that is popular, particularly among young people.

There are a lot of reasons why baseball is popular, but one of them is that you can play it anywhere. It takes a stick, a ball, some friends and enough room to make bases. That's it, if you have those things, you can play baseball. And while pick up or sandlot baseball is fun, organized baseball is fun, too, especially when the kids get to play at parks like Lions Field.

I know a thing or two about playing at Lions Field because that's where I played when I was growing up. I played through what is called majors now, stopping short of Babe Ruth and so some of my best and last memories playing the game came at Lions.

Lions is a quaint field on the east end of Havre and it's been a staple of the Havre Youth Baseball Association for years. Like all baseball fields, it has its own fun and unique atmosphere. And after spending a few minutes watches the Majors championship game, I realized how much I enjoyed getting to play at Lions so long ago.

At first, I thought watching kids play baseball would be kind of boring. But I was wrong. Those kids played their hearts out like it was the seventh-game of the World Series. They wanted to win and win badly, they even reminded me of myself. Not because of my skills on the field but because of how much I cared about winning.

I can distinctly remember playing in the Majors tournament at Lions Field and falling short of the team title and being crushed. It's one thing to play against kids from other towns, ones you may not see again. But when you are playing in Little League, you are playing against your friends and classmates, too, and that means you are going to want bragging rights. And even though it's been a long time, I still remember those days and I'm positive I'm not alone.

If you grew up in Havre and played youth baseball, then you have to know Lions Field. I know I will always remember it. I remember warming up in the bullpen right across the street from the car wash, getting snacks and drinks from the concessions stands, listening to parents cheer from either the stands or their lawn chairs.

Of course, things have changed over time and while Lions Field is basically the same place it was 20 years ago, there are some differences. The biggest is the construction of a fence in the outfield. Back in the day, you literally had to hit the ball out of the park for it to be a home run, but now the fence in the middle of the outfield stands as the marker for four-baggers.

Overall, I think it's a good change. After all, I don't ever remember anyone I played with or against hitting it over the fence. However, if that fence had been constructed during my days on the diamond, the greatest catch of my life would've never happened.

The funny thing is that while I call it the greatest catch of my life, a more accurate title would be the luckiest. The catch came during a Majors tournament game, I was playing right field and well, I wasn't very good. So when a hard-hit ball was flying my way, I became slightly concerned.

Upon seeing the ball in the air, I turned around and ran as fast as I could to try and catch up. Running hard with nothing but the ball on my mind, I didn't bother to look at the ground, which is why I didn't see the sprinkler head I eventually tripped over.

Yet, as my foot collided with that sprinkler and my body went hurtling toward the ground, a funny thing happened, my glove hit the ground and somehow, someway the ball landed in it. The parents of our team roared thinking I had made a great catch, but in truth, it was just an accident. I guess sometimes it really is better to be lucky than good.

It's been years since I have thought about that catch or the time I spent playing ball as a kid. But, going to Lions Field brought it back, which just made me realize how much I loved playing the game and how much those memories meant to me.