I guess it’s time we did something on baseball. I mean, it’s within weeks if not days, that we open up a brand new high school baseball park here in Brownwood. I said “brand new” and that’s not true, but anyway it will look brand spanking new. If you’ve never been to the Brownwood baseball park, Morris Southall Field, I’m telling you that from last year to this year will be something amazing for you.

No longer will it be on real grass. It’s now on artificial grass. Now the stadium is all new as far as the seating goes and it’s covered! The new lighting will certainly be a huge improvement. It’s all new simply because everything is all new – everything – concession stand and press box as well and it’s a miracle to behold. Also, now you can park safely in the parking lot created between the softball and baseball fields. I know Blake Sanford is some kind of excited about this. Everybody is going to be excited whether they want to be or not. It’s a brand new deal!

Brownwood opened its first baseball season, if you remember, back in, when was it, 1985 I think. I’ll tell you what it was. It was Gordon Wood bound and determined that we were not going to have a baseball team because it conflicted with football apparently, but he was bound and determined not to have it. The year he retired we had baseball and I think, if I’m not badly mistaken, we were one of two schools in Texas – in Texas – that didn’t have a baseball program. I think the other one was Sweetwater, something makes me think that.

Anyway, we got high school baseball in 1985 and I can still remember the first scrimmage we ever had. It was against San Angelo Central – the first scrimmage in Brownwood history. I guess I could have studied up a bit and tell you who got the first hit – Mitch Moore. The first home run was Sammy Burnett, an out of the park home run. Sammy hit one! Anyway, it’s fun to reminisce. I don’t think we had a terribly good season back in ’85 but it’s fun to look back on it now and realize that you don’t get to do that “first time” but one time. First time and that’s it.

Anyway, I wanted to do something on Brownwood’s baseball because I think the combination of the new facility and we’re going to win some ballgames this year. We were going to win some games under Blake Sanford period but with the gold standard being what it is now, I just think this could be something very, very, very special.

I tried to find a way I could put myself in this article but that’s difficult except my wife and I have a son who played back then, Lance Rasch, and I had the great privilege of getting to do the play by play for the teams until I retired in 2021.

So be it, Brownwood Lion baseball will come up before you know it. Fact is the kids are working out at the park. It will be an exciting time and I am exciting for the kids!

Until next time, so long everybody!

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‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at [email protected].