Play Ball! Youth baseball season kicks off with fond remembrance of Bob Smith

Linda Smith was happy to throw out the first pitch to kick off the 2026 Columbia Falls youth baseball season, although she admitted she couldn’t throw the ball all that far.

Smith has fond memories of the baseball fields just north of the Montana Veterans’ Home. Her late husband, Bob “Smitty” Smith just about lived here in the summer months for more than 50 years as both a coach and groundskeeper.

Back in the day the dirt was awful and sliding into base was a challenge, noted Mr. Smith’s son, James.

“You’d get a raspberry,” he said.

Mr. Smith died April 7. He was 80 and an avid Mariners fan. He taught his four sons, James, Robert, David and Joe to play baseball here, as well as countless other Columbia Falls youths.

So it seemed appropriate on this sunny, but cold April morning to have Mrs. Smith throw out the first pitch. It was all part of an opening day ceremony for the program that the fields haven’t seen in a fair number of years, noted Dominic VanDaveer of the baseball association.

“We want to have a positive, joyful environment,” he told the crowd.

Each team was introduced and members of the American Legion post in Columbia Falls presented the colors. Baseball association board member Nate Hoon said a short prayer.

All told, about 185 youth are playing baseball this spring, ranging from T-Ball to Babe Ruth. One of the Babe Ruth Fields is named after Mr. Smith.

With them all lined up in the outfield, it was the sort of scene that most certainly would have made Mr. Smith proud.