At La Roche College, the new home of the Redhawks baseball team pays tribute to a man who spent part of his life teaching young people the value of sportsmanship and teamwork. The new John Arnold, Sr. Memorial Field is named for the late husband of Dorothy Arnold, one of La Roche's switchboard operators. The College hosted dedication ceremonies for the new field on April 26.

"John's was a spirit that hovered over and continues to hover over La Roche," said Monsignor William Kerr, College president. "A college is blessed when people like him are with us."

On hand to dedicate the field were Jack Wilson, shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Mr. Arnold's sons, Mike and John, Jr. The Arnold brothers established the memorial fund that made con-struction of the base- ball diamond possible. They wanted to create a permanent tribute to their late father, who coached baseball for various community and athletic associations prior to his death in 1995.

"What my father really loved about the game of baseball was that it was a thinking man's game with a sense of comraderie," said Mike Arnold. "His goal was much more than just coach-ing. It was teaching young people im-portant lessons.

"The baseball field is such a nice tribute to John," added Dorothy Arnold, who also attended the dedication ceremony. "John would love it. He would be so happy about this."

Jack Wilson and Mr. Arnold's sons threw the commemorative first pitches at the dedication ceremony. Other members of the Arnold family, La Roche administrators, faculty, staff, students and the Redhawk baseball team attended the event. The new field replaces one that was decades old. Improvements include new dug- outs, a new press box, a brick backstop, and additional drainage under the playing surface. The field was also shifted so that it would comply with NCAA regulations for line distance on home runs.