Twenty one years ago, an idea conceived from a combination of teenage stupidity and the love of baseball gave birth to an event known simply as All Day Baseball.
A group of friends and close family members seeking to allocate a day of their summer vacation on the diamonds playing as much baseball as possible. The idea was to spend a morning, day and night playing pickup baseball games at the old Spence Field complex.
After a seven year hiatus, the event is back.
The love of baseball is ever present and this year the day has a deeper meaning — a way for a group of friends, families and teammates to honor one of their own who passed away far too young.
The origins of All Day Baseball stretch back to an idea from brothers Joey and Tyler Wood. Both boys spent the summers of their youth playing little league at the Wall School fields. Tyler went on to play in high school and remained active in the Sturgis baseball scene while Joey, 6 years his senior, would return to Sturgis from Western Michigan University each summer to coach his own little league team back at the Wall School little league fields.
Baseball was part of the Wood family and it was a huge part of the Sturgis community. Weeknights at the little league fields were a special place for these young boys of summer.
Looking for a way to recreate that feeling and cram as much baseball as possible into a single day, the brothers and close friends set out to plan a day of nothing but baseball.
“Originally we just wanted to play a game under the lights and we briefly considered playing a night game of whiffle ball in the Walmart parking lot,” Joey Wood recalled. “When renting Spence Field for a night game the Doyle Center said we get it for the full day, and that solidified the idea of All Day Baseball.”
Joey rallied his friends and Tyler rounded up his middle school baseball buddies. A canopy tent and a rudimentary sound system were acquired, coolers of water and Gatorade were packed full of ice and the games commenced.
As the day wore on and muscles grew tired, some players came and went but a committed group remained. The day was capped off with a game under the lights. Sure, they were not the lights of big league park but it was a game between friends and teammates playing a kids game for a 12th straight hour. The first All Day Baseball was a success and it was just getting started.
Over the next few years All Day Baseball grew in numbers and organization. A Generations Classic pitting youth versus experience was held for a couple years before the old-timers graciously bowed out. An All Day Baseball Hall of Fame was created with each inductee receiving a ceremonial plaque, which were in actuality just decorated dinner plates purchased cheaply at a garage sale.
“All Day Baseball was like a family reunion that you actually wanted to attend,” Tyler said. "Stepping into the batter's box you felt like a little leaguer again.”
The regulars returned and new kids and occasionally their parents would drop by to play a few games throughout the day. New rivalries were made with the score to be settled on just that one fateful day each summer.
Eventually the Wood brothers had started lives and families elsewhere in Michigan and after the 10th installation of All Day Baseball, the Wood Family turned over the operations to their neighbors Jason and Tammy Cain and the event continued until 2017.
“As the years went on and we got older, we knew fewer of the participants so there was a natural stopping point for us,” Joey said. “It was a great experience to be part of for all those years.”
That brings us to the present day, briefly. All Day Baseball will take place once again on Saturday at the new Spence Field complex. Games will be played from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The day will include a homerun derby, a return of the Generations Classic featuring the old-timers versus the youngsters and as per tradition, the ceremonial nightcap will be held under the lights.
Now let’s rewind to last fall. In October Peyton Render, the son of Cody and Michelle Render, passed away at the tender age of 9 years old due to a rare form of brain cancer. Peyton loved playing all sports but especially baseball and he was a member of the Junior Trojan baseball team. While this year’s event might look the same it will feel quite a bit different, that’s because it’s being held to honor Peyton Render.
Sturgis High School varsity baseball coach Drew Rutenbar is spearheading this year’s iteration with an assist from varsity football coach Chance Stewart.
This year All Day Baseball is officially being called "Playing for Peyton All Day Baseball." Rutenbar’s son Brecken was close friends with Peyton and the father and son have spent the past few months thinking of ways to honor Brecken’s friend and teammate.
“It’s so poetic that Cody Render participated in All Day Baseball growing up and now we get to use this day to honor his son Peyton," Drew said.
At the Playing for Peyton event donations can be made to the Playing for Peyton Memorial Fund which raises money to donate to local sports and outdoors groups. Coach Rutenbar took part in several of the original All Day Baseball events so it is only fitting that he gets to introduce his own son to the festivities helping to create new memories for the next generation of Trojan baseball players while honoring one of their own.
“Peyton will always be a part of our baseball program, he’s listed on the team roster, we wear patches on our uniforms, we play with him every time we take the field,” Drew said.
Baseball in Sturgis has always been a unifying force. Bonds formed between teammates during those summer little league seasons, a parade through the city to honor the 1999 state championship team, and now once more Sturgis will come together to honor a special boy who always had a smile on his face and a glove on his hand.
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