The chair under the beech tree at the top of the hill behind Community Field was empty. It overlooked the baseball field facing the sign above the scoreboard that read “Stan Ziomek Diamond.”
For decades Stan Ziomek sat in that chair and watched baseball, the sport he cultivated in Amherst much like the farms his family cultivated in the early 20th century.
But Ziomek’s path took him to different fields and Amherst is better because of it. When Ziomek died at the age of 92 in July, hundreds turned out to pay respects to the father of Amherst Little League and Amherst Babe Ruth baseball.
His continued selfless work to provide for the children of Amherst went unmatched. He made sure others had what he didn’t, an opportunity to play.
Rewards followed, but Ziomek was less interested in being honored.
“You don’t need awards to do good things for kids,” Ziomek said in 2015 prior to his induction into the Western Mass Baseball Hall of Fame. “My focus was that the kids were active and doing things the right way. I always did what I felt was the right thing for them, and a lot learned the game because of the work of the people in Amherst baseball.”
Looking back at 2016, it’s only right to look back at the distinguished 60-plus year career of Ziomek. While his chair might be empty, the legacy he left lives on the baseball fields.