Willie Housel loved baseball more than anyone his former Little League and Babe Ruth coach, Rick Correlli, knew.
"I never saw a kid who gave so much to the game," Correlli said. "You always knew when Willie was near a field. He was always cheering his teammates on. He loved being with his friends. He loved the talk in the dugout. He just loved the game. He probably had the best attitude of any kid I coached."
Housel drowned during an epileptic seizure in Reno on March 16 at age 19. He was a 1998 Carson High School graduate and played varsity baseball for Carson High School. He was attending the University of Nevada, Reno when he died.
Now a baseball field at Governor's Field will be named after the young man who played so many games there.
His family requested that donations be made to the Carson City Little League program in lieu of flowers, and Correlli said $1,600 was donated in Housel's name. While the money will benefit the program, Correlli said he tried to think of a way to honor those who donated in Housel's name and to help future ball players remember a young man who loved the game.
Correlli approached city Parks and Recreation staff and asked about placing a plaque at Governor's Field. The city used to allow plaques to be placed throughout city parks, but found the upkeep of the items created problems. The city has since allowed people to donate things like trees or benches and then place the person's name on a wall at the Pony Express Pavilion.
City parks staff recommended Correlli donate some trees to be planted at Governor's Field, and a plaque with Willie's name be put at the pavilion.
"The problem with that is when people walk around the Pony Express Pavilion, they don't think about baseball," Correlli said. "That was all Willie was about."
The city's Parks and Recreation Commission wrestled with the issue at its Tuesday meeting. Correlli asked them to allow him to put a plaque honoring Willie near the concession stand at Governor's Field. He even offered to maintain it. The issue didn't win the commissioners over, but Supervisor Jon Plank, who serves on the commission, came up with the idea of naming one of the fields after Housel.
"I've always wondered if the fields couldn't have a name designation instead of a number designation," Plank said.
The commissioners unanimously approved that a field at Governor's Field will be named for Willie Housel.
Correlli is hoping city officials will let him name field one or two after Housel.
"This fits it even better," Correlli said. "This is a great way to let the city know who he was. When they walk in and see his name, it will be awesome."