Fields named at sports complex
Wm. "Gus" Moorhead; Roscoe "Lefty" Sutherlin honored on Saturday

Wanda English Burnett
Editor

Two men were memorialized as their names were attached to ball fields at the Tyson Memorial Sports Complex at Versailles on Saturday, May 14.

Emceeing the ceremony, Denise Fields said both Wm. “Gus” Moorhead and Roscoe “Lefty” Sutherlin were good sportsmen and leaders in the community.

Larry Sutherlin, son of Roscoe Sutherlin, threw out the first pitch on field #1, the field named after his father.

The crowd moved to field #2, where Brady Byrdwell, great-grandson of Wm. “Gus” Moorhead, threw out the first pitch on that field. Also on the field assisting with the pitch effort was great-grandson, Aiden Byrdwell.

Despite looming clouds and threats of rain, a crowd gathered as Fields paid tribute to the two men who shaped the ball program for the community. For generations to come the efforts of these two along with many others, will make it possible for area children to come together and play ball on the fields that opened for action just last year.

The Versailles Lions Club was also thanked for their contributions of two picnic tables that are now in place at the shelter houses that were built thanks to the efforts of Jerry Gilpin. Sponsors who made the shelter houses possible are: Holman Ready Mix, Bender Lumber Co., The Friendship State Bank, Halcomb Home Center and Gilpin Monuments. Jerry Gilpin thanked all those involved and noted, “We couldn’t do it without all their help.”

Mary Margaret Moorhead, widow of Gus Moorhead, was overwhelmed as her late husband was honored. “It made me want to cry,” she said of when she first saw the sign on ball field #2. “It’s so nice,” she noted.

Joyce Sutherlin Samples noted that her dad, Roscoe “Lefty” Sutherlin, would have considered the field being named after him “quite an honor”. She said he probably would have been very surprised.

The Moorhead and Sutherlin families came together at the opening day ceremony both with thankful hearts and remembrances of loved ones.

Rev. Mike Cantrell of the Versailles First Baptist Church and also a Versailles Lions Club member offered prayer before the ceremony that only took about 20 minutes Saturday morning. Team players were starting to come into the area as the ceremony took place, giving it the feeling that some serious ballgames were about to be played.

For the 2011 season there are 31 teams signed up, according to Fields. She said the program now includes softball as well as baseball.

For generations to come the efforts of Moorhead and Sutherlin will be evidenced as boys and girls alike enjoy sports at the complex in Versailles.

WANDA ENGLISH BURNETT PHOTOS Pictured above, Larry Sutherlin threw out the first pitch of the 2011 season as a field at the Tyson Memorial Sports Complex was dedicated in his father's memory, Roscoe "Lefty" Sutherlin. Below, Mary Margaret Moorhead holds the authentic Cincinnati Reds baseball that had just been thrown on field #2, by her great grandson, Brady Byrdwell. The field is named after her late husband, Wm. "Gus" Moorhead.