People sure have fond memories of Jay Littleton Ball Park. Ontario’s diamond with a 1930s covered wooden grandstand saw thousands of games over the decades, some involving future big league players, and uses by Hollywood in period productions.
As you’ve no doubt heard, the grandstand met its end in an Aug. 22 inferno. The fire made national news due to the ballpark’s appearance in the beloved 1992 film “A League of Their Own.” Tom Hanks’ line “There’s no crying in baseball” was uttered in Ontario.
I lamented the loss in my Aug. 28 column and asked for your stories.
You replied with personal, and often emotional, connections to the field — which was originally named Ontario Ball Park, later was John Galvin Ball Park and, since 1998, was known as Jay Littleton Ball Park.
Let me excerpt as many as I can. Like the park, your stories span decades.
Mark Hayden of Upland, who played there on Upland High and Upland American Legion teams: “What a classic baseball stadium it was. My grandfather took me there to watch Chaffey High School play in the late 1950s. With the stands, dugouts and large field, it was the big time for the thousands of young men who have played there. And yes, as many have stated, it was truly like a smaller version of the classic Wrigley Field. Great memories!”
Pat Proulx of Rancho Cucamonga, who attended Montclair High in the 1970s and went on to pitch in the minors for the St. Louis Cardinals: “The opportunity to play there was considered a privilege as they didn’t allow just any teams to use the field. Pitchers especially loved it. It was so large that it was very hard to hit the ball out of the park.”
Richard Jaquess of Fontana played there in the Colt League in 1963-64: “What I remember most is winning the league in ’64. I was sent up to pinch hit — to win the game I am sure — against Gary Ovitt. He allowed me to foul one off before striking me out on three pitches.”
Dennis Sampson of Pomona, who grew up in Ontario and remembers years when a circus was set up within the ballpark: “We went one time in the mid-1950s. I remember trapeze artists and some bareback horse riding.”
Kenny Sampson, Dennis’ brother, who tried out for the Dodgers at the ballpark in 1966: “We were timed in the 40-yard dash, had our throwing arms tested, took some infield fungo. Next came hitting. I was making a poor showing at the plate. Then I heard, out of the third-base coach’s box, the voice of Jim Bryant, sports editor of the Daily Report, who yelled down the line: ‘Come on, Sampson, keep your eye on the ball.’ I made solid connection thereafter.”
Kevin Hardy of Upland, who watched his brothers play American League ball in 1964-65: “It didn’t feel like a typical ballpark. It had character and you felt it when you walked in.”
Mark Gluba of Norco, who grew up in Ontario: “Sad to read your column about the fire. We were lucky enough to play there in the early 1990s. It was always nice having games at Galvin and feeling like real ball players under the lights in that setting! Just seeing the photos makes me reminisce about putting Icy Hot Extreme Sports Gel on my already-shot 16-year-old elbow.”
Theresa Dufresne, Ontario: “They will never be able to replace the sound of those bleachers. I loved the sound of walking up the stands and hearing them creak. The old stadium was so grand.”
Rob Haerr of Rancho Cucamonga, who played American Legion Post 78 and Claremont High games there in the mid-1970s: “It had a magical feel and sound when the ball cracked off the bat. The echo around the wooden grandstands sounded great. The clubhouse and dugout was a cool historical throwback. What a shame. It always felt great to just drive by and remember the feeling in that park.”
Hollywood productions were witnessed by Susan Radder of Chino, who was cast as an extra in the stands (as a nun!) in the “A League of Their Own” TV series; by Kathleen Smith of Fontana, who was an extra in the nearly forgotten 1991 movie “Talent for the Game” with Edward James Olmos; and by bystander Carol Scott of Upland, who wandered onto the field while “The X-Files” was filming in 1999 and blended in by pretending she belonged — a good life hack.
Sue Assuras of Ontario has one of the most delightful stories. Her daughter, Terrie Greensweight, wanted her wedding to take place at the ballpark. She’d grown up around baseball, as her father, Don “Grumpy” Greensweight, was Little League district administrator and umpired countless games at Galvin.
On July 4, 1992, Terrie married Mark Nipp at home plate.
Says mother Sue: “Her dad walked her down the ‘aisle,’ from third base to home plate, to the accompaniment of the attendees playing ‘The Wedding March’ on kazoos.” She adds: “It was a fun wedding!”
I trust the couple is now safe at home.
Doug Pierce of Rancho Cucamonga has memories going back 50 years.
In the 1970s, watching his older brother pitch, he was thrilled by night play under the lights, the echo of a fastball hitting the catcher’s glove. In the 1980s he pitched for the Montclair American Legion team. Finally, in 2017, in a full-circle moment, he saw his son take the mound.
After the fire, Pierce went to see the devastation for himself. Another man of his age was in the parking lot for the same reason. That man, Tom Martin, shocked Pierce by recognizing him as a pitcher he’d faced 40 years ago.
“We sat on his car and talked for the next 30 minutes,” Pierce says, “reminiscing about our playing days and this great, now-lost stadium.”
Monday’s Ontario Chaffey Community Show Band concert will have three themes, one of them described as “familiar melodies from the circus.” Was that why yours truly was asked to co-narrate? Find out at 7:30 p.m. in Gardiner Spring Auditorium, 1250 N. Euclid Ave. Admission, unlike at the circus, is free. And at 9:15 a.m. Monday on KSPC-FM (88.7), I’ll be the guest on Skip Svoboda‘s old-timey music show to chat about the concert and spin some vintage tunes.
David Allen tips his cap Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on X.
