Summer 2005
Pastimes and Traditions: Baseball
in a Small Town
By Jennifer Thiros
The ballpark. It draws fans from all walks of life—short and tall, girls and boys, young and old. We often gather at the local little league field to watch our little ones, connect with our neighbors, or play the biggest game of our lives. That same park always smells of new-cut grass, its stands are forever covered with the shells of sunflower seeds, and no matter the time of day, it echoes the sounds of laughing children, chanting crowds, and the dreams of little boys and men who hope the magic of the game never ends.
Through world wars, strikes, and the competition of other sports, baseball has survived. In the small town of Lamar, Colorado the game has not only survived, it’s thriving. It’s part of the glue that holds the community of 8,869 people together. They bond over it. It’s part of their own tradition, and they love to both watch and play it.
The boys of Lamar start their baseball careers at an early age. The Parks and Recreation Department in the city provides programs for kids of all ages. The little ones play tee-ball, little league, and Babe Ruth. They even have a girls’ softball program to ensure the girls are getting started young too. All summer long, the residents of Lamar get their fix of baseball by head down to the local city park. They won’t be disappointed.
Young Lamar players have done rather well for themselves in the last couple of years, capturing Babe Ruth state championships in three different age groups and definitely holding their own in some of the most prestigious baseball tournaments in the state of Colorado such as the Triple Crown Tournament in Steamboat Springs.
Lamar players gather at team meeting (courtesy photo) |
These boys also look forward to growing older and attending Lamar High School. There they become “Savages” and get to sport the orange and black colors with pride. This program too is no stranger to the tradition of doing well and winning. In the 1990s, one local player became famous: Scott Elarton. Skipping the college level of baseball, Elarton was drafted by the Houston Astros out of high school and then traded to the Colorado Rockies. He now plays for the Cleveland Indians. According to Dave Fasiotto, who has coached the Savages for twenty-four years, “It was exciting for the whole town when Elarton played. To have all the scouts swarming around and asking this-and-that—It was fun for all of us.” Only 459 students attend the high school, but talent never seems to be lacking. Since 1989, the Savages have won the Division 3A state championship six times and been in the finals three years on top of that. Coach Fasiotto put it best by saying, “[In Lamar] kids just want to play baseball.” |
After the thrill of being a Savage, the cream of the Lamar High School crop has the option to move on to one of the most exciting levels of the game—college baseball. Not surprisingly, Lamar Community College’s team has stepped up their level of play at the junior college level to be one of the best programs in the nation. Headed by Scott Crampton for the last twelve years, the Runnin' Lopes have made winning a habit. In Crampton’s twelve years, the Lopes have never had a losing season.
Last year’s team went 35-1 in league play. Not bad—and the Lopes have won their league (Region 9) since 2001.
Not only does Crampton enjoy watching the boys that he coaches play ball, he also gets the privilege of watching those that he has sent on to upper-division colleges as well as numerous players who now play in professional minor-league ball clubs around the nation. These include Ian Bladergroen, the number-four prospect in the Red Sox organization; Brandon McCarthy, the projected number-three prospect in the White Sox organization and Ryan Meaux, a lefty pitcher, who also is making a name for himself in the White Sox organization. Each of these players has a chance to be in the big leagues within the next couple of years.
Both Coach Fasiotto and Crampton affirm that baseball is indeed a huge part of tradition and life in the town. They both must take a certain pride in knowing that their programs contribute to that tradition each year. In the little town of Lamar, little boys and big boys, for that matter, definitely dream at night of the snap of leather gloves, the crack of Louisville Sluggers, and the crowd cheering them on when they round third and head for home.