FOR LOVE OF THE GAME
I am a life-long resident of Helper, a baseball oriented town, and I have a long memory of our baseball park and the activity that took place there over the last 85 years. As a 12-year old youngster I can remember playing on the historic field in the American Legion junior baseball program. We were always thankful for the facility, the finest field in all of Eastern Utah. The field and original grandstand were initially built in 1929.
I can remember the first sod that was planted on the outfield area, a significant event in the community. A couple of years later, when the infield was sodded, the proud word was: “The only completely grass field in this part of the state.” We had a wooden covered grandstand immediately behind home plate which Sunday crowds filled to capacity for home games, first in the amateur Central Utah League and beginning in 1938, the semi-pro Utah Industrial League. Helper was truly proud of its baseball field and team. Helper teams competed in the Central Utah League for many years, amateur baseball at its finest in Utah. A Helper team won the Utah State Amateur Championship in 1936. In 1938 a decision was made to seek involvement in the semi-pro Utah industrial League, a league involving Provo, American Fork, Salt Lake City, Bingham Canyon, Magna, Ogden, and Brigham City. The first year of activity in the Utah Industrial League, 1938, involved Helper and Price, the team called Carbon. Home games were alternated between Price and Helper. The next year, 1939, Price was dropped from the team for lack of a good playing field and poor interest in the county seat. From that point on the team was called the Helper Merchants and continued play in the Utah Industrial League.
Immediately following World War II the Utah Industrial League, the semi-pro league with teams throughout the state, took the spotlight. Helper Merchants, Provo Timps, American Fork Steelmen, Pinney Beverage of Salt Lake City, Magna-Garfield, Brigham City Peaches and Gemmell Club of Bingham were among the teams participating with rosters of very talented players. The Helper team augmented local talent by importing players, often college baseball players who were offered summertime jobs. The games drew large crowds in Helper and interest throughout Eastern Utah was intense. These games were often broadcast over the local radio station. This was done by telegraph, an operator at the press box ticked in the progress of the game to an announcer at the radio station in Carbonville who recreated the game from the telegraphic reports. This process meant the radio reports on the game would be almost two innings later than the actual occurrence. One could leave when the game ended and listen to the final innings on a car radio during the drive home.
After World War II, a fund raising event allowed for the installation of a lighting system at the field for night games. Soon after, the large wooden grandstand behind home plate was torn down and replaced with a steel structure accommodating box seats and grandstand seats for the convenience of fans who supported local teams, be it the semi-pro team or the local American Legion team. Each winter following World War II, local residents and service clubs staged what was known as the “Days of `49” celebration, a fund raising activity for community projects. The big money raiser of the event was the casino operated on the ground floor of the civic auditorium for three nights. Local law enforcement officers turned their backs during the three days, knowing it was all for a good cause. Slot machines, black jack tables, dice tables, all the games of chance existing in legal casinos of Nevada were in full operation. This provided the bulk of funds derived that through the years facilitated the construction of a swimming pool, ball park improvements, the construction of a new little league field, gym facilities in the auditorium, a new fire engine and numerous other civic endeavors.
The largest crowd I can remember filling the historic ball park involved a best-of-three playoff in 1949 involving the local Helper Merchants, semi-pro champions of Utah and the Coors Beer team of Denver, the semi-pro champions of Colorado. The crowded stands were filled with spectators, the overflow crowd standing along the left and right field fences to watch the games. The Coors team, loaded with several former major league players, won two straight and the right to enter the national semi-pro tournament in Wichita, Kansas. Another significant game drawing a similar crowd was an exhibition game matching the traveling House of David and Kansas City Monarch teams in 1948.
I can remember two Utah state American Legion baseball tournaments being played on the Helper field. The most vivid was the 1940 tournament involving eight Legion teams from throughout Utah. The Helper team won this tournament with a thrilling 12-inning victory over Brigham City in the championship game. Also state Babe Ruth tournaments for 14-15 players have taken place a the field. Through the years the field has been the scene of action in Coal League, Pony League, Babe Ruth League, Central Utah and Industrial League action and was the home field for the College of Eastern Utah and Carbon High School baseball teams for many years.
In the mid-`90s the Helper City council designated the field as the “Gardner Field” in recognition and tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Gardner. The Gardners resided in a house adjacent to the field’s parking lot for more than 50 years. They regarded the field as much of their yard as the one at their home. Ernest Gardner was extensively involved in Helper baseball activity over the years in an administrative role. The couple kept a close eye on what went on at the field and if anyone was involved in vandalism at the field, they had Ernest to answer to.
The last several years an energetic group of young players, American Legion managers and team members, under the direction of their coaches, instituted a renovation of the field that has meant so much to the community of Helper. The playing field itself has been returned to excellent condition, a complete new fence enclosing the outfield was installed and new dugouts constructed. A new chain link back stop fence in front of the bleachers was installed with funds derived from the final Days of `49 celebration.
In this renovation process there remained two essential items for the ball park, renovated grandstands and restroom facilities. The present grandstands date back to 1949 and the nearest bathrooms were located 200 yards away at the city swimming pool. Very inconvenient to say the least. Along with the restrooms there was a need for a storage room for equipment, something not available. Finally in 2004 funds were secured to construct men and women restrooms adjacent to the field along with a central storage area. This came about as a result of the popular American Legion baseball program of the time. The grandstand areas were completely renovated, the seats covered with a fiber glass material and railings installed to facilitate the seating in the higher areas.
As one who grew up here in Helper and have played or watched baseball in the historic park, it has warmed my heart to see what has been accomplished in recent years. I had served as the official scorer and public address announcer at the games for more years than I care to remember and I looked forward to the day when our baseball fans have the convenience of new seating arrangement and accessible restrooms along with other improvements. In 2006 this became a reality.