‘A great honor’: Willy Walker celebrated with Franklin Twp. ballfield
Even after decades of playing and groundskeeping, Willy Walker was surprised to learn a field would be named after him.
“It was a great honor,” he said. “I really appreciate that they did that for me, and it turned out nice. Beautiful park up there.”
The Willy Walker Field was dedicated at Crawford Park in Franklin Township on Sept. 13.
A baseball player in high school, Walker has been playing softball locally since 1975, two years after he graduated. It’s a Walker family tradition, he said; all his brothers played, too.
He was a mainstay at third base.
“Wherever I could get in a game, that’s where I’d play,” he said. “If they need me on second base, first base, wherever.”
Back in those days — “when softball was big,” he said — they’d go to weekend tournaments anywhere from Bobtown to Marianna.
Or just anywhere there was a field.
“You could get a game of ball, play at any field we could play,” he said. “Just get the gloves and the bats and go play ball.”
All of Walker’s surviving siblings, aside from one who was in the hospital, came out to the dedication to cheer him on.
“I didn’t know they was coming, but they all showed up,” he said. “That went really well.”
The field dedication coincided with a girls’ softball tournament.
Walker threw out the ceremonial first pitch. His granddaughter, who played softball in high school, was the catcher.
As a township employee, Walker’s mowed the ballfields, and even helped grade the field that would one day bear his name.
Renovations at Crawford Park have added another field — Humble Field, dedicated earlier this year along with a pickleball court and a batting cage. Revamping the park has also elevated the concession stand, creating a deck with walking paths out to the playground.
There’s not much room left at the park for expansion, said township Chairman Corbly Orndorff, though the township is investigating putting permanent lights up.
“It turned out perfect,” Walker said. “I don’t think we could have changed anything to make it any better.”
Walker hopes someone can be out at the field every night playing ball.
“I was driving by and saw a game last night they was playing there,'” he said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, playing ball.’ It makes you feel good that they’re using the park.”