Youth field dedication means much to Lovullo

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Torey Lovullo looked out across the Little League field at the scoreboard that read "Torey Lovullo Field," and all kinds of memories came flooding back to the Diamondbacks manager.

"You play this game as a child, you start on a Little League field, you migrate all the way through to the level that we're at right now, and then all of a sudden, you come crashing back down to being 10 years old again," Lovullo said.

Torey Lovullo Field, which is located in Snowflake, Ariz., was dedicated on Nov. 1 as the 45th field to be built or refurbished as part of the Mike Kennedy Diamonds Back Fields program.

“To have Torey Lovullo’s name on it is even more special,” Diamondbacks team president/CEO/general partner Derrick Hall said of the field. “His character, his passion for this game, his love for Little League and youth sports … now he’s going to have a legacy out here and he will represent them well forever, like he does us now.”

The field is home to Silver Creek Little League and young fans from Snowflake and Taylor, Ariz.

Torey Lovullo Field represents the D-backs skipper’s love and passion for the game, traits he hopes to pass down to youth baseball and softball players for years to come.

“It’s on fields like this where dreams are born," Lovullo said in a ceremony held at the field. "My own baseball journey began on a field like this, learning the game in Encino, California. To those who play here, my hope is that you start to pave your own journey on this field. I hope you learn to love the game alongside your family and friends. I hope you come back with fond memories when you bring back your own kids here someday.”

Lovullo played baseball collegiately at UCLA before being selected by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 1987 Draft. He went on to play in the big leagues for parts of eight seasons for seven teams.

Baseball was always Lovullo's passion, and when he was done playing, he went into coaching, eventually becoming interim manager of the Red Sox in 2015. The Diamondbacks hired him following the 2016 season, and he's managed Arizona to the postseason twice, including leading an 84-win club all the way to the World Series in 2023.

Even with the accolades he's earned during his career, such as the 2017 NL Manager of the Year Award, Lovullo ranked the field dedication at or near the top of his list.

"It is easily one of the highlights of my career," Lovullo said. "It felt so good to be there with my family, some very close friends and some amazing front-office members to celebrate that day. It's one that I'll never forget."

Lovullo and his wife, Kristen, talked after the ceremony about their desire to spend some time in Snowflake, which is located 174 miles northeast of Phoenix, to get a better feel for the community.

"There's going to be a lot of baseball played on that field," Lovullo said. "There's going to be people in the community that say, 'We're going to go over to Torey Lovullo Field.' I just have to pinch myself when I see that scoreboard with my name on it. I was definitely overwhelmed that day. I will never forget that town. I'm going to stay connected to it."