Baseball Field Named for Stan Smith

Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth Baseball has renamed Bambino Field to Stan Smith Field in recognition of Stanley “Stan” Smith, United States Marine staff sergeant and Pleasant Hill, Oregon baseball legend who passed away on May 8, 2011 at the age of 82.

Stan was born Jan. 4, 1929, in Grey’s Harbor, Washington, graduating from Montesano High School in Washington in 1946. At 21 Stan Smith served honorably in the Marine Corp serving with Company G, 3rd Battalion, 7th Regiment, 1st Marine Division. In December of 1950 during the Korean War, Stan was in the Battle of the Chosin Few in which an estimated 60,000 Chinese troops surrounded 30,000 United Nations troops. While suffering heavy losses the UN forces broke from the encirclement to inflict great loss on the Chinese forces. A victory won that came with the loss of life for many of our troops, pride, pain and sorrow for Stan and his fellow Marines.

Stan coached baseball for Spokane High School in 1961, South Eugene High School from 1971 to 1973, and for Sheldon, Willamette, Thurston and Pleasant Hill high schools. For 29 years he worked as a printer at The Register-Guard, retiring in 1992.

Stan was the #1 Billies baseball fan and assisted the Pleasant Hill high school sports program in any way he could. Up until the time of Stan’s passing you would find him in regular attendance at Billies baseball games.

In 2006 Stan suffered a stroke and while this may have slowed his speech down it did not stop this Marine from continuing to help out with the Billies baseball team. Stan especially liked assisting with batting and when the players were at the batting cages you would find Stan at the cages sitting in his lawn chair coaching the players.

Stan received disability from the Marines and from this he contributed to batting cages for the Pleasant Hill high school baseball team. In 2006 Stan contributed the scoreboard at Pleasant Hill high school that bares the name of this great man.

For many years, not only would you find Stan supporting the Pleasant Hill baseball team, you would also find him supporting other Billies sports in many ways such as sweeping the basketball court floor at halftime during home games.

In honor of this fine man Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth has renamed Bambino baseball field and it will now be called Stan Smith Field.

OoRah Stan Smith and while we will all miss you dearly your name and the love you have shown to Pleasant Hill sports will go on for generations to come!