One of Huntsville’s baseball diamonds will be renamed after a local living legend.
Ball Diamond A at McCulley-Robertson Recreation Park will be renamed “Rimmington Diamond” to honour Stan Rimmington, a Huntsville Hall of Famer who was instrumental in building the town’s baseball scene.
According to Colleen MacDonald, Manager of Parks and Cemeteries, that’s with the blessing of the McCulley and Robertson families, who were consulted ahead of the discussion and noted Rimmington’s “significant enough contribution to local sport and specifically the ball diamonds at this location.”
However, a curveball was thrown into efforts to rename Ball Diamond F after Huntsville-born New York Yankees right-fielder George Selkirk, a member of both the Huntsville Hall of Fame and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Muskoka Hornets had asked council for both renamings in June, and were consulted alongside the Huntsville Slo-Pitch leagues as the main user groups of the diamonds.
MacDonald says the McCulley and Robertson families “clearly stated” they were not in support of the Selkirk renaming, as adding other names would “diminish the honour originally bestowed to their fathers” by the park’s naming.
“If we do wait, his name will come back for the [fourth or] fifth time to this table, and eventually it’s going to happen,” said Councillor Scott Morrison of Selkirk.
Morrison proposed renaming both diamonds while also creating an even more prominent commemoration of the two founding families.
“Where George Selkirk comes in is, in the baseball community he has put Huntsville a little on the map,” said Morrison. “And the fact that if you talk to the hardball people, they know who this guy is. He brought members of the New York Yankees to our town.”
He noted that Rimmington, who is still involved in Huntsville’s baseball scene, is also in favour of the Selkirk renaming.
“Keep in mind as well that Stan Rimmington wants the diamond named after George Selkirk,” said Morrison. “So that’s something to be said. Stan himself, who has put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that diamond. Including all the user groups, the people who are currently there every day.”
In the end, council compromised to rename only the Rimmington diamond. However, plaques will be installed at the park’s concession stand to honour Selkirk, as well as the McCulley and Robertson families. Staff will also review other ways to honour Selkirk once the town’s new Dedication and Naming Policies are finalized.
Morrison added the Selkirk family is interested in coming up from Pennsylvania for the eventual dedication ceremony.
