Sluggers, fans descend on Libby
By KYLE McCLELLAN The Western News
Some major league improvements to Lee Gehring Field will be on display for a state-wide audience Wednesday as the Libby Loggers host the American Legion Class A state baseball tournament.And some won't.
While the expected 1,000 fans will park their cars on a newly laid chip lot, plop down on freshly-painted grandstand benches ("Ballpark Green", according to team president Scott Foss), snack on new picnic tables and mill about on a fresh hard top, the Loggers themselves will be milling around, at least pre-game, in their new 900-square-foot clubhouse under the grandstands.
The $4,000 clubhouse also features a small umpire room tucked into one end and a more spacious coach's office at the other.Out in the open, more field improvements are glossing over an already high-caliber diamond.The eight finalist teams will face off on a relatively unknown "gem" of a field that looks more like the slugging ground for well-funded Minor League pros than unpaid high-school teenagers. But judging team caliber by field appearance is a faulty technique when the team's coach and president pamper the field on a level comparable to any professional ground crew.
President Foss and head coach Kelly Morford, with the help of volunteers, have spread $3,000 worth of diamond surface on the infield, wrapped the stadium perimeters in $1,500 worth of green screen, topped the fences with $1,600 in yellow capping and slathered 25 gallons of "Ball Park" green over the grandstands."Judging by the support we got, I would expect to fill the place," coach Morford said.
A large home-town crowd mixed with legions of devoted followers from the seven other teams will witness a state tournament that many think is controlled by the two favorites — Dillon and Mission Valley.But, according to Morford, "It's a state tournament. Anything can happen."Anything, meaning the Loggers could take it all in front of a thousand people at their own field. The atmosphere, the crowds, the noise, the competition, the pressure — all reasons for the team to step it up and play the role, at least between the foul lines, of a not-so-hospitable host."Hopefully, we'll play with a little chip on our shoulders," Morford said. "We're the type of team that can beat anybody on any given day. There's added pressure in front of home crowd, but you take that pressure and turn it into something positive."
Morford said he's not altering the line-up or making any big changes before the tournament. But he's focusing on managing the line-up for the longer 9-inning games and keeping the pressure on the opponents, forcing them to make plays throughout the game.
The Loggers kick off the tournament early Wednesday with a 7:30 a.m. game against Dillon.