Field named for Mr. Leon Baxstrum
The ball field at Westside Park was officially renamed Leon Baxstrum Field on Sunday, May 18, in memory of one of the city’s most beloved community leaders.
The ceremony celebrated the life and legacy of the late Leon Baxstrum, who served as Westside Park Director from 1971 to 2001.
Current Westside Park Director Greg Fulton said it was a visibly emotional moment during the renaming ceremony, seeing Baxstrum’s family in attendance, touched by the tribute and the legacy their loved one left behind.
Fulton said that while working to rejuvenate the park earlier this year, he noticed the letters “L.B.” embedded in the concrete—an unexpected reminder of Baxstrum’s lasting influence.
“He kept a standard up here,” Fulton said. “It seemed like he would reach out and touch me on some of these days. It just came from the heart to show respect for his dedication.”
“If there’s one thing you knew about Mr. Leon, his famous words were, ‘Stay the course,’” Fulton said. “You could see him discipline a child in a manner of love and character, and at the same time, their parent would tell Mr. Leon, ‘Thank you for that.’”
Fulton said the park thrived under Baxstrum’s direction, bringing together people of all races and backgrounds to participate in baseball and softball—at a time when racial tensions were high.
“There was never a race barrier in the park system with Mr. Leon,” Fulton said. “He did such a great job of bringing people together in unity.”
According to Fulton, what made Baxstrum such a respected leader was his ability to get along with others, find common ground in any situation, and always strive to do the right thing.
“Mr. Leon was the kind of gentleman who would always go back and make the right decisions and reconcile with an individual he had a difference with, so they could come together and be as one,” he said. “That’s why his impact is so big in this community after all these years.”
He added, “He was respected by this community so much that he already had Leon Baxstrum Drive, so it was just appropriate to walk to Leon Baxstrum Field from Leon Baxstrum Drive.”
Fulton said plans are underway to host annual tournaments each year on May 18 in Baxstrum’s honor. He also said that children at the park have been playfully suggesting naming the hot dogs at the concession stand the “Leon Dog.”
Fulton also hopes the new field name sparks curiosity and storytelling from one generation to the next.
“I hope the meaning of renaming the field is that anybody who does anything should be respected,” he said. “This gentleman should be respected, thought of, and thanked—I hope in my time here that I can follow in a gigantic footstep and just put one toe in.”
This summer, 268 children have registered to take part in Westside Park’s newly revitalized baseball and softball programs.
Twenty teams across various age groups in t-ball, coach pitch, and kid pitch leagues will kick off the season on Monday, June 2.