News and Events
Athey Park Supporters Hit A Home Run
No sport is more closely associated with the month of April than baseball, and no name is more closely associated with Washington College baseball than that of Ed Athey '47. It was only fitting, then, that on April 18, under balmy blue skies, the College dedicated its new first-class baseball facility, Athey Park.
Hundreds of former student-athletes, other alumni, students and friends turned out that day for the formal opening and ribbon-cutting of the facility, a tribute to its namesake who has meant so much to Washington College over the past six-plus decades.
What began as a small project with a goal of $200,000 turned into an outpouring of support for Coach Athey, as more than $420,000 was raised in just ten months' time.
Thanks to the generosity of donors demonstrating their respect and admiration for Coach Athey, Washington College now boasts a baseball facility on par with any in Division III. The new brick architecture surrounding the grandstand and both dugouts makes Athey Park a perfect addition to the north end of campus and as equally as pleasing as neighboring Roy Kirby, Jr. Stadium. A new press box was also constructed as part of the project; the Class of 2009 funded the purchase and installation of permanent barbeque grills beyond the outfield walls near the Western Shore dorms as its class gift.
"The Athey Park project is a great example as to why people give," remarked George Buckless '69, a former baseball and soccer player for Athey who helped spearhead the project. "Not only in athletics, but throughout the greater community, Coach Athey is synonymous with Washington College. Many who gave had no athletic connection to Coach. Their connection was with the man."
Coach Athey spent many years as the Director of Athletics at Washington College and decades as both head baseball and head soccer coach. Along the way, he also spent time coaching basketball, track, tennis and cross country. Before becoming "Coach Athey," Ed Athey was a fine student and outstanding athlete at Washington College during the 1940s. To this day, Coach Athey remains involved with Washington College as he serves on the committee for the Athletic Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in 1982.
Coach Athey's humility and love for the College shone through at the dedication as he expressed his gratitude to those who supported the project. Later, along with his wife Margaret, Coach Athey cut the ribbon to officially open the grandstands for the Shoremen's Centennial Conference double-header against Dickinson that afternoon. "Those who were fortunate to be there the day of the dedication saw on Coach's face the love, the appreciation and the memories of many people over many years," added Buckless. "That's what it's all about—relationships."
The weather was beautiful. The crowd was large and supportive. The project was a success. One might say the entire day was a "home run." It was only appropriate that the Shoremen completed a double-header sweep of Dickinson that afternoon when Ben Keaton '12 hit a two-run walk-off home run over the left field fence with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of game two to give the Shoremen a 12-11 win. The baseball gods were smiling on Washington College that day, just as they were those many years ago when they brought Ed Athey to campus for the first time.