Columbia, South Dakota, the oldest town in Brown County, and a town whose baseball history goes back for more than a century, is back to hosting baseball games again this summer. And at a brand-new ballpark.
This past weekend, the town celebrated Columbia-Fest, and its main attraction was the dedication of a new ballpark – Wahl Memorial Field.
“Because of the baseball field being in a low spot, flooding for the past few years has made it impossible for the city of Columbia to host a baseball game,” explained Ray Larson, committee member for Columbia Parks and Rec. “So, our family reached out to Dean Buntrock, told him of our ballpark.”
Dean Buntrock owns Waste Management in Chicago, but he grew up in Columbia. His father Rudy Buntrock was a former mayor in the community. The Buntrock family decided to fund the project and gift it to the city.
For the past six years Columbia was unable to host a home game. Every game for the various youth leagues, including American Legion baseball for the town had to either be away games, or played at a neutral site.
“We’ve seen the water tables change over the past 20-30 years, and with that change in the water flows and sub-soil moisture, a lot of our ground that we farmed 20-30 years ago is no longer farmable, and it’s the same with the baseball field,” Larson explained. “We had to move it. We’ve been playing baseball in Columbia for over a hundred years, and it first started off as a town team. And then it got into youth baseball. So that’s why it’s needed. The community misses supporting the youth of baseball.
It was decided to name the new field Wahl Memorial Field, one of the most prominent baseball families from Columbia. Roy Wahl played a large role in bringing the game of baseball to the town. Two of his kids, sons Ted and Kermit, also had an impact with the game. Kermit Wahl went on to play in the majors (1944-1951) for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Athletics, and St. Louis Browns.
“Back in 1950, they had a special celebration honoring Kermit Wahl for his achievements playing baseball, and he received the ‘Key to Columbia,’ by (Mayor) Rudy Buntrock, and that’s the father of Dean Buntrock, the man that is giving the [field gift] back to Columbia,” told Larson.
This new complex also includes a new city park.
Another interesting twist is that Kermit Wahl’s final MLB game was played on July 29, 1951. Columbia’s ceremony this past weekend to dedicate ‘Wahl Memorial Field,’ took place on July 29, 2023 – 72 years to the day of Kermit’s final game in the majors. Roy Wahl is in the South Dakota Baseball Hall of Fame, and Kermit Wahl is in the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.
Columbia’s past with baseball will never be forgotten, and now, once again, there’s a future for the sport in the community as well.
