5 Alternate Uses for Dehler Park
Baseball will be played this summer at Dehler Park, but none of those games will involve the Billings Mustangs.
An annual American Legion baseball tournament will play multiple games at the park beginning Thursday, June 25, with teams from Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, and North Dakota participating through the weekend, according to 406MtSports.
That will keep some activity at the downtown Billings baseball park for four days. If the Mustangs season is officially canceled, what will the city-owned field be used for the rest of the summer?
According to the Billings Gazette, City Administrator Chris Kukulski is looking for other ways the community can use the facility.
We discussed several alternate activities the baseball field could be used for, with some of these ideas already being done around the country at other ballparks of similar size. For example, while we're waiting for the new dog park to open up, how about a play day with your dog in the Dehler Park outfield. Leftfield big dogs, rightfield little dogs. Of course with mandatory face masks and poop bags.
Here are five event possibilities that could be held at Dehler Park:
- 1
Set up Montana's largest slip-and-slide across the outfield
Instead of water, I guess we would have to use hand sanitizer gel to slide across. It's fun, and it's antibacterial.
- 2
Kickball league for all ages.
There's already a plan for a league at the ballpark in Great Falls where the Voyagers play, according to the Tribune. And why not some outdoor dodgeball in the outfield. While we're talking about the outfield, that would be a perfect spot for the Professional Cornhole League to host a tournament in Billings.
- 3
Rent out the park on AirBNB for overnight parties.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos currently rents out their baseball park for just over $1500 a night, and includes "full access to the newly-renovated and fully-furnished clubhouse, a large bedroom with 10 beds, the batting cage, and the field itself!"
- 4
Disc Golf Course Competition.
Masters champion Bubba Watson is a co-owner of the Double-A baseball team in Pensacola, and he set up what is believed to be the first nine-hole championship disc golf course in a professional baseball stadium. Dehler Park could be the second.
- 5
Home Run Derby tournament with superballs and corked bats.
After watching the Sammy Sosa / Mark McGwire documentary on ESPN, it reminded me of the time Sosa got caught using a baseball bat that was filled with cork. Growing up, we filled a wooden bat with cork, and would try to see who could hit superballs the farthest with it. Why not make that into a league or weekend tournament.
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