By CHRISTIAN HOVEY
For the Express
On Friday, July 18 at 4 p.m., the Wood River American Legion Baseball is honoring one of Wood River Baseball’s most influential figures.
A ceremony will take place prior to Wood River’s nine-inning non-conference game against the Buhl Tribe at Founders Field in Hailey. It is the final Wrangler home game of a successful 2014 season.
The event will recognize some of Larry “Gooch” Lloyd’s contributions and is meant to be a community thank-you for all he has done for the valley.
“Gooch” has been a supporter of Wood River Baseball ever since his son played in the early 1990s. He helped found the Wood River High School baseball program in 1992.
When Larry’s son Eli first played baseball, there were only a Babe Ruth team and a Legion team in the valley—no high school program during the spring. The Legion team went up to Ketchum and played at Atkinson Park for its home games while practicing at Nelson Field in Hailey.
Not being able to practice on a home field and not having a high school program began to weigh heavily on Lloyd and some of the other parents.
“We went in front of the school board,” recalls Lloyd, “They basically said that we can’t give you guys any money but if you want to make this happen, you’ve got to run with it. So we pushed, pushed and pushed.”
There was a big piece of school district property south of Wood River High School that was originally reserved for an elementary school or middle school. The property was donated by the school district and is where the softball, soccer, and baseball fields are today.
Called the South Valley Sports Complex, the 13-acre park was designed to include the flagship baseball field as well as the valley’s first regulation-sized soccer field and a girls’ softball field.
Lloyd said the received “a couple of really big donations” which helped grade the soccer field and get the ball rolling on the rest of the facilities.
There were many people who helped him make the facility that we have today, Lloyd said.
They included Gregg Sturtevant, who did all the drawings; coordinator Scott Basolo; Architecture Plus helped with the building behind Founders Field; Jon Keller who helped put the bleachers together; Heini Larese who got all the blocks to build the dugouts; Gary McStay who helped grade the soccer area; Ed Sinnott (Clearwater Landscaping) who helped with landscaping, and many more people who all contributed to the facility.
A newspaper article at the time said the projected cost of the facility was over $4 million. Yet, the actual cost of the complex came to about $750,000 because of the way the funding was put together and the contributions of many people.
According, the baseball field was named “Founders Field.”
“It was a community effort,” said Lloyd. “For every dollar we paid, we got five dollars of donations. I had some people tell me that we have a three to four million dollar facility.”
As Lloyd reflected on the community project, he couldn’t help but smile as he thought of how much of an impact his “Field of Dreams” has had on the youth in the community.
“The fun part was seeing the program grow and develop. Seeing the fields become an intricate part of the community… Now it gives me great feelings to see Lars Hovey back in the mix, the field looks fantastic, and watching the new wave of Wood River Baseball do as well as they have been.”
“Naturally in the beginning, I had no idea just how successful this was going to be.
“When I think about it now, I probably have to say that in the 16, 17 years that we have had use of all three fields, there have probably been thousands of people who have used this facility, whether it’s softball, soccer or baseball field. That gives me a really, really good feeling. I think anyone who has spent any time down there feels the same way and that makes me very proud.”
American Legion baseball coach Lars Hovey, who started the Wolverine high school program with Lloyd 22 years ago, conveyed his appreciation for Lloyd’s efforts through the years by saying, “Although it was a community effort, there is only one person without which none of this would have happened.
“That person is Larry Lloyd.”
Editor’s note: Christian Hovey, who wrote this article and is the son of coach Lars Hovey, wasn’t yet born when the first official baseball game was played between the Wood River and Shoshone American Legion baseball teams at Founders Field July 14, 1996. Christian, born in 1999, is now a first-year member of the WoodRiver Legion team and hopes to play at Founders Field for several more years. He has been chosen by his father to catch Larry Lloyd’s ceremonial opening pitch Friday.
A look back at the very first Founders Field game
By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer
It was an exciting afternoon Sunday, July 14, 1996 when the Wood River American Legion baseball team christened the new Wood River Sports Complex field in Hailey.
Wood River hosted Shoshone for a doubleheader that day.
In the first game, Wood River built a 7-1 lead and starting pitcher Will Duval was cruising along with a one-hitter until he suffered a control lapse with four walks in the seventh and final inning.
Shoshone rallied with six runs and tied the game 7-7 before Wood River doused the threat and came up to bat.
Duval, who finished with 12 strikeouts, drove home Hank Doane with a walk-off, game-winning double as Wood River regained its composure and captured the 8-7 victory.
Wood River coach Harold Nelson said, “The boys really wanted the first win on the new field. Maybe they tried too hard in the last inning.”
In the second game, Wood River prevailed 9-4 for its first doubleheader sweep of the season.
Among Founders Field “firsts” at the game 18 years ago this week:
First hit (single), first run scored: Josh Aldinger.
First extra-base hit (triple), first RBI: Zach Upham.
First one-bounce-to-the-fence hit: Josh Aldinger (triple).
First infield hit: Hank Doane.
First sacrifice fly: Dennis McLean.
First triple after a whiff: Kayo Sady.
First base-on-balls, first stolen base: Erik Nilsen.
Most putouts, first game: Dennis McLean, 11.
First strikeout, first 1-2-3 inning and first complete game: Will Duval.
Most strikeouts, first game: Will Duval, 12.
First double and first game-winning hit: Will Duval.
Here was the line-up in the field for the first game:
Pitcher Will Duval; catcher Dennis McLean; first base Ken Hosier; second base Josh Aldinger; third base Erik Nilsen; shortstop Zach Upham; left field Kayo Sady; center field Hank Doane; right field Brandon Hollenbeck. Managers, Harold Nelson and Gary Sady.
Home plate umpire, Scott Basolo. Field umpire, Mike Brunker. Grounds crew, Larry Lloyd.
The Legion finished the 1996 season with a 13-16 record.
Erik Nilsen helped coach the Wood River High School baseball team this past spring.
Founders Field coordinator and former Wood River High School assistant baseball coach Larry Lloyd enjoys another successful Wolverine game at Founders Field in 1998, two years after his “Field of Dreams” opened for local youth baseball players. Lloyd will be honored prior to Friday’s home finale against the Buhl Tribe Photo by Willy Cook
