The Best Seat In The House

Aside from actually playing ball in the stadium as a teenager, my fondest memories of Anton are from attending games as a youngster. I vividly recall my older brother's baseball games at Anton Stadium as a young boy. At the time, as a little leaguer enthralled with baseball, Anton was the "big time," like a big-league park to me: covered grand stands, deep fences, stadium lights, and an electronic scoreboard. The latter was controlled by an attendant, usually a young teenage kid, situated in a small box (more like a cage) atop the grand stands. While it was big enough for maybe only a couple people, my friends and I seemed to cram in that box like sardines armed with a red rope and "suicide" (named after the rare play, a concoction of every fountain-drink flavor!); it was the box in the sky...the best seat in the house.

Donald J. McMullen

Ukiah Host Lions

Anton's Dream Team

I grew up there as much as I did in my own front yard. It is where my parents froze though winter football games and steamed under the summer sun during baseball season. I have a picture of it on my refrigerator and my Long Beach friends comment on what a beautiful ball park it is. When I come home to visit, I take walks there and tell my wife and kids exaggerated stories of what went on “back in the day”. If you go there on any evening in the Fall, you might hear an old familiar voice echoing off the hills...”You miss that tackle again, your ass is grass and I’m the mower!” Of course I am talking about the hallowed grounds of Anton Stadium and the voice of Pop Warner Coach Brad Shear. It’s the place where you learned how important it was to shine your cleats, tuck in your jersey, and play hard-nosed football. It was the place that I never lost to Healdsburg in any sporting event.

Anton Stadium is a truly an amazing place. You do not even have to be on the field to be a part of the experience that is Anton. Never have I seen a more picturesque backdrop over a center field fence in my life. Being at a ball game on a warm summer day, watching the sun dip behind the “U”, smelling the freshness of the air, looking for your friends and family in the stands…all of these things are still fresh in my mind after all of these years.

Anton Stadium was a lot of things to a lot of people. Remember when all the Ukiahi graduation ceremonies were there? Remember when there were grandstands in center field that were used for the Pop Warner and Ukiahi football games? I am quite sure many people experienced their first kiss there. How many baseball games did I play there? Pony league, Colt league, High School, Knight of Columbus. I turned double plays with Jimmy Howard. I shagged foul balls for sodas. I umpired games there during summer breaks with the likes of Guy Bishop and Bob Huff. I played in approximately 40 football games there between Pop Warner and High school. In ensuing years, I had college friends admitting they did not like to play Ukiah in football because our players always hit too hard. I played in the very last football game Ukiah High ever played on that field back in November 1982 (I dropped a touchdown pass). It was the last time I ever had a football uniform on. I knew it would be. I shared those experiences with many of my lifelong friends like Harbor Williams, Jeff Meier, Jeff Schueller, Mike Lewis, and Perry Bates.

I think about all the great athletes that have walked through the gates and ran on the field. I am proud to say that my dad, Larry Baldwin, pitched and won the very first baseball game ever to be played in Anton Stadium on July 4, 1952…a fitting tribute since he had also volunteered his time in part of the construction of the stadium. I am sure that I have some degree of Anton Stadium wound into the strands of my DNA.

Can you imagine if Anton Stadium had a baseball DREAM TEAM? I would have Dino Chalfant leading off and playing center field. And the starting pitcher…none other than dear ol’ Dad (RIP). You fill in the rest of the line-up card.

Thanks for the memories.

Kyle Baldwin
UHS Class of 1983
Long Beach, CA