Carlsbad Baseball Coach Honored For Building 'Field Of Dreams'

CARLSBAD, CA — A longtime Carlsbad volunteer was celebrated for creating, building and maintaining a "field of dreams" at Carlsbad High School.

Ralph Cripe was honored May 8 with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" during the school's pregame ceremony for the varsity baseball game.

"Ralph is such a great guy and is driven and passionate about giving our local baseball players a place to play that is top notch," said Craig Johns, the freshman head baseball coach at Carlsbad High School. "It is truly a field of dreams."

In the past 50 years, Cripe has played baseball and served as a teacher, coach, umpire, tournament director and field maintenance director at the aptly named Ralph Cripe Field. Today, he continues to volunteer at the field named after him several hours a day, six to seven days a week, Johns said.

"Ralph played on fields that had terrible conditions to the point of being dangerous when he grew up," Johns told Patch. "So it has been his vision and mission to have this field of dreams to enjoy for generations to come."

Over five decades, Cripe, also known as "Field Whisperer," helped raise more than $2 million to build his field of dreams. He helped raise money through family and company donations, banner sales, snack bar concessions, fundraising events, and even by recycling bottles and cans from the dugouts and stands.

The money raised helped build the stadium, pour concrete and purchase used seats from the original Anaheim Angels Stadium. It went toward batting cages, dugouts, equipment, fencing, fertilizer, tools, tractors, turf and more.

The immaculate field has been recognized. Ralph Cripe Field was selected as the 2022 Field of the Year for Region 8, which covers eight western states. The field was chosen from over 2,500 high school baseball fields in the region, Johns said.

"He's a true example of a Great American and patriot," Johns said. "He's hard working and literally puts one foot in front of the other and stays on task until things are done."

On Ralph Cripe Day, Cripe was given an etched traditional wooden Louisville Slugger bat. School administrators, staff, coaches, players, booster club members and parents were in the crowd to congratulate and thank Cripe for his decades of hard work.

"This field is a living and breathing sustainable legacy just like Ralph Cripe," Johns said in his speech.

"(He) has incredible skills, an unmatched work ethic, resources, a knowledgeable network and a sense and knack for growing grass and keeping this place beautified," he added. "We love you and appreciate all that you have done and continue to do for our program and this community."