(Hudson, WY) – There is something about baseball that can really bring a town together. A close call at third base, a slide into home, or an out at first. It all makes spectators sit on the edge of their seats and possibly yell a little (or a lot). Maybe it’s the smell of freshly cut grass or seeing a team play their heart out on the field. Whatever it may be, it can create a sense of community.
The Town of Hudson hopes to bring this back. They held a community meeting on Jan. 10 to discuss the baseball field, which has fallen into disarray over the years. The meeting was meant for community members to bring their thoughts and ideas for a direction they would like to see the town go with the field.
Representatives from the Lander Lobos also joined the meeting to share how they could help revitalize the field and use it once finished.
The consensus of the meeting was to look into grants that could help the town fund getting it back into shape. It needs a fresh coat of paint on the dugouts, new soil, the unsafe bleachers removed, new bases, and a fence adjustment, just to name a few things.
The field hasn’t been viable since the early 2000s, they estimated that evening, and won’t be tournament-ready for a few years. Projects like these take time.
“If we’re going to do this, we want it to be nice,” said Maralyne Middour, of the Town of Hudson. “We want it to be something that the town can be proud of.”
The cost of maintenance kept coming up that evening.
“One thing we have to convince is the town to pay for it,” said Bub Parker, former town worker and Hudson resident. “It’s a pretty big expense, whether you believe it or not, to maintain, water and mow.”
An option to offset the costs associated with maintaining the field was to find sponsors, which is something they plan to do.
Hudson Daze is happening on June 15 this year, and they would like to see the old-time baseball games played on the field like they do during South Pass City Days.
For 2024, their goals include bringing the grass back and getting a sprinkler system up and running. They’re also going to plan a field cleanup day once the weather allows.
For more information or to get involved, call/text (307) 349-4914 or email [email protected].