Watsonville Little League Community Honors Volunteer Of 50 Years

WATSONVILLE - Nearly 300 residents showed up Saturday at Franich Park in Watsonville to honor a man who has tirelessly served the Pajaro Valley Little League for 50 years, all of them as a volunteer.

Rick Stubblefield started maintaining little league fields in Watsonville when he was 15, according to information supplied to Patch by reader Steven Bennett.

For the next five decades, Stubblefield would take on roles for the youth baseball organization as a coach, manager, scorekeeper, and board member. He's presently the Pajaro Valley Little League president.

There was no balking when the Kelly Foundation decided it was time to honor Rick Stubblefield.

On Saturday, Stubblefield's name was permanently affixed to one of the baseball fields in Franich Park. What used to be "Field 2" is now officially called Rick Stubblefield Field.

Current and past Pajaro Valley Little League players, coaches, board members, parents, and other volunteers from on and off the field had the chance to witness the ceremony Saturday, which was a surprise for Stubblefield.

The man who mentored many aspiring young baseball players in Watsonville was led out on the field to unveil the new signage. Stubblefield was presented with a glass plaque and a one week trip to Williamsport for the Little League World Series this year.

Says our Patch reader: "Thank you to Rick Stubblefield for volunteering more time then most of us combined!"

-images via Steven Bennett