High school baseball fields named after MLB stars, managers

What better way to honor an alum who made it all the way to the Major Leagues than for a high school to name its field in an alum's honor?

We've done some digging nationwide to find schools that have baseball fields named after some well-known professional names. We know we haven't found them all, but we have a solid list of fields all across the country donning the names of current players and managers, plus some Hall of Fame members.

Did we miss a field that you know of? Leave a comment at the bottom of the story or send a tweet (@lelandmaxpreps).


The field at Millville High was named after the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim star during an August, 2013 ceremony. Trout was present during the Mike Trout Field dedication, but the dedication had to happen in New York because his schedule prevented him from getting to his hometown.



"For me, being able to give back is something special and an honor," Trout told MLB.com. "So to give the kids, the coaches and my high school every opportunity to succeed with a better field, better cage, it's very important to me. And then having them all here today for this just makes the whole thing even better."
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The field at Vallejo High bears the name of the big guy, who graduated from the Bay Area establishment in 1998. According to the Times-Herald, the school held a dedication ceremony in January of 2012, on a day that was named "CC Sabathia Day" by the school's principal.

"I came here today, and everyone keeps saying 'thank you' to me. ... But I just want to say thanks to the city of Vallejo for all the love shown me," the New York Yankees pitcher was quoted as saying.
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Derek Jeter Field in Kalamazoo, Michigan (Photo courtesy of Ibraheem Adams)

The captain of the New York Yankees - and a lock for the Hall of Fame - graduated from Central in 1992, the same year he was drafted by the Yankees. Then in November of 2011, the local school board approved naming the school's baseball field after Jeter, according to Mlive.com. The official sign was posted at the stadium in April of 2012.

"I used to live right behind the school and to myself, I always thought it was my field because I spent as much time on that field as at home. And now it actually says it is my field. It's really kind of bizarre. It's an honor and it means an awful lot to me and an awful lot to my family," Jeter said at a dedication ceremony.
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The Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman saw his name given to the field at his alma mater in November of 2011. A former All-Star, Hill expressed his gratitude to the community that helped him get past the tragic death of his mother when he was a sophomore.

"It's so tough to come back from something so devastating, because my mom meant so much to who I am. But whatever road you take, only time truly heals. And I have a long list of people to thank in Visalia that helped me heal, and allowed me to become the best I could possibly be," the 2000 alum told DavidLombardiSports.com.

"This place was a very special place in our hearts and it's fun to come back and be a part of this," he told KGPE-TV, referencing his high school sweetheart Elizabeth.
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The Washington Nationals starting pitcher graduated in 2002 and wanted to give back to his alma mater. His alma mater returned the favor, naming its facility after Fister.   



"One thing my parents taught me is if I'm ever fortunate enough to be in a situation to give back, that's what it's all about, no matter how you do it," Fister said to the Modesto Bee.
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The Hall of Fame outfielder (all-time stolen bases and runs scored king as well) got his start in the city where he played parts of 14 seasons. A 1976 alum of Oakland Tech, Henderson was honored in 2009 with a field bearing his name.

Henderson actually had the last name Henley until he was a junior and his mother remarried. Also, he was an All-American running back but chose baseball instead.


Photo courtesy of Philip G. Williams
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Another player from the Oakland area who starred for the A's, Eckersley's alma mater dedicated its field in his name in 2007. He graduated in 1972.

"I'm really overwhelmed," he said at the ceremony, according to MediaNews Group. "Baseball has always been the central focus of my life and to have a field named after me, it's special.

"I was just an average kid from Fremont, nobody special, who just happened to bring it."
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The City of Pasadena has honored the man who broke baseball's color barrier with a facility named after him, and St. Francis is one school that plays its games there. Robinson graduated from Muir (Pasadena, Calif.) in 1937. The field is located in Arroyo Seco Park in Pasadena and was built as part of the New Deal after the Great Depression.
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The Pittsburgh Pirates' manager, who was the National League Manager of the Year last season, was a first-round draft pick at Merritt Island and the school showed its appreciation in January by naming its baseball field after him.



"Very humbling, very surreal," Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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The current Colorado Rockies skipper, Weiss is a 1982 graduate of Suffern High (on the New Jersey border near New York City), and according to the Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame, there is a Walt Weiss Day in Suffern. He reached the playoffs in eight of his 13 seasons and made it to the World Series four times - not to mention winning the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1988.

According to the local Hall of Fame, he hit .495 his senior year and the town named a day after him. In 1999, the school named its baseball field after him and retired his No. 22 jersey.
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The current first base coach for the New York Mets played for six different franchises (two times with the Dodgers) and was known as a stellar base stealer, racking up 369 steals in 14 years. His career high was 66 steals in 1996 for the Kansas City Royals.

The 1986 Central High alum stayed in his hometown and played three seasons for Fresno State before the Dodgers drafted him in the first round in 1989. His high school chose to name its field after its star alum.
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The all-time strikeout king (5,714) is the namesake of the baseball field at his alma mater, located halfway between Houston and the Gulf of Mexico. He's a 1965 graduate of Alvin High and was voted "most handsome" according to nolanryan.net. He was drafted in the 12th round by the New York Mets.

According to the Society for American Baseball Research, he was 19-3 his senior year. He pitched in 27 of his team's 32 games.
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The man who once threw a perfect game, and made it to the playoffs with six different teams, Wells still plays a big role at his alma mater after winning 239 games in his career. In fact, he was recently named the head coach. Point Loma named its field after "Boomer," who also has the field at Dana Middle School named after him. He's a television personality on TBS, and also was featured by MaxPreps for his role as an assistant coach at Point Loma.
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The Hall of Fame second baseman and current Philadelphia Phillies manager didn't have to wait long to get his alma mater's field named after him. Sandberg, who was a highly touted football player as well, graduated in 1978 and by 1985 his name was on the field - after he won the National League Most Valuable Player award - according to the North Central High School Alumni Association.

"I was a baseball player at North Central High School in Spokane, Washington even though I was all-city in basketball, even when I signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at Washington State," he said during his induction speech.
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You'd be hard-pressed to find an MLB player with more Twitter clout than Phillips. And when it comes to philanthropy he's not bad either.

Phillips donated $32,500 and teamed up with the Reds Community Fund to help give Clark Montessori its own home field, something the school didn't have before the 2009 field dedication. The school's field bears the name of a player who owns three All-Star Game appearances and four Gold Gloves.



"It's nice that the kids will have somewhere to play and enjoy the game the way I enjoyed the game," Phillips told MLB.com back in 2009. "I will come out once in a while and check on the kids and see how my field is doing. I think it's a blessing to have a chance to have a field named after you."
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Long Beach Poly wanted to honor Tony Gwynn with his name on the school's field. Gwynn insisted that his whole family should get the honor. Thus, Gwynn Family Field.

Tony and Chris each made it all the way to the big leagues, and third brother Charles was drafted as well. Tony graduated in 1977 before his Hall of Fame career, and Chris spent 10 years in the big leagues after he graduated in 1982. Charles was drafted in the 31st round in 1976 but never did make it to the Major Leagues. In a way, Tony Gwynn Jr. can also claim some stake here, as the current Philadelphia Phillies outfielder has competed in eight Major League campaigns, though he went to Poway High near San Diego.
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Drysdale, a 1954 graduate of the school located within the city limits of Los Angeles, reached the Hall of Fame in 1984 after eight All-Star Game berths, a Cy Young Award and 209-166 record. His alma mater, meanwhile, had gone 89 years without an on-campus field until a 2004 ceremony to dedicate Don Drysdale Memorial Field.

The former Dodgers star died in 1993 but his family was on hand for the dedication. His widow, Ann Meyers Drysdale, was quoted by the Los Angeles Daily News as saying "I know he'd be very proud coming back here. This school meant an awful lot to him. ... I think he'd look in these young men's eyes and tell them to give their all.''