Three of the many Little League Parks in the Tucson area that are more or still in existence.
Friday, September 29, 1950. That’s the day Tucson Lions Club secretary J. Sydney Pearson made a presentation on bringing Little League to Tucson to three other local civic organizations including the Kiwanis Club. Eight board members were selected from those four organizations and the rest, as some say, is history. The first game was played on Aug. 12, 1951 at Santa Rita Park. Tom Hassey was the winning pitcher for Valley National Bank, 6 to 3 over Minarik Realty. Tony Amado recorded the first home run and A. Barraza scored the first run. Play got underway too late for state that summer but the first local Little League tournament started on Sept. 12, 1951 at the Hi Corbett Fields.
LINK: MORE HISTORIC VENUES HERE
MERLE J. TOUMEY PARK
Named after the late Merle J. Toumey, who died on June 6, 1973. Toumey was the director of the old District 6 chapter of Little League that covered the southside of Tucson all the way down to the border. That area is now divided between District 12 and District 8.
Named “Linden Park No. 1” prior to his death, the 4500 E. Eastland St. location was renamed to honor the longtime Little League figure. Teams would also practice at the other Linden Park, located four walking blocks north of Toumey.
This was the home field of the 1973 Cactus Little League team that made it to the Little League World Series, losing to Taiwan in the championship game.
Cactus Little League moved over to Freedom Park in 1979. Freedom Park opened in 1976. Toumey Park is no longer used as a Little League facility.
ROSTER
Mike Banton
Richard Bianco
Tony Bravo
Robert Blum
Bill Brauer
Mike Carreon
Mike Fimbers
Ralph Lanik
Larry Manciet
Mike Martinez
David Mees
Ken Merritt
Gerald Pahissa
Mark Osbourne
Harry Unger
Ed Vosberg
VISTA DEL PRADO PARK
The neighborhood surrounding Vista del Prado Park went up in 1963. Located at 6900 E. Stella Rd., Vista del Prado was home to the International Little League team that made it to the 1986 Little League championship game against Taiwan.
Vista del Prado is in the Cactus Little League boundaries now.
ROSTER
Ricardo Barcelo
Edward DeBaca
Scott Foster
James Fraccaro
Daniel Fregoso
Brian Howdahl
Philip Johnston
Troy Kelly
Robert Ortiz
Mike Owens
Sam Tullous
Eric Unger
Martin Walker
Todd Warren
Chad Wilson
Justin Wood
PALO VERDE PARK
Located at 425 S. Mann Ave., Palo Verde Park was home to The Baseball Bunch from 1981 to 1985. Hosted by Johnny Bench, Tommy Lasorda and the San Diego Chicken, the series included kids from the Tucson area: Danny Santa Cruz from Esperanza Elementary, Erik Lee and Linda Coslett from Booth Elementary and Jared Holland from Harelson Elementary.
Hi Corbett was set to be the site of the series due to Spring Training and ease of players already being there but, at the time, jets from Davis-Monthan flew directly over the City at that point and the noise was too much to overcome.
Palo Verde Park is in the Cactus Little League boundaries.
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