The El Paso Diablo That Scored a Home Run & an Engagement Ring
We've seen fans propose a sporting events before; & every time it's a unique experience. One that fans won't forget seeing; but in one case, one baseball player was actually able to AFFORD a proposal. And it all was thanks to a home run during an El Paso Diablos game at the old El Paso Dudley Field.
Where is Dudley Field in El Paso?
Before the El Paso Chihuahuas baseball team was founded in 2014 & had their home games at Southwest University Park, the El Paso Diablos was our local baseball team that would play at Cohen Stadium & Dudley Field behind the El Paso Zoo. You knew it was Dudley Field (aka Dudley Dome) with the fold up seats on the box seats & the light posts were wooden.
Which El Paso Diablo player scored a home run to get a wedding ring?
The man this story is focused on is former Diablos player, Bob Skube; who later went to play for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982 & 1983. Tim Hagerty, the voice of the El Paso Chihuahuas baseball games, met Bob in 2014 while he was the hitting coach for the Nashville Sounds (the Brewers Triple A team). You can even see him with his old El Paso uniform on this vintage baseball card.
Bob shared his retelling to Tim about the old tradition of fans throwing dollar bills onto the field through the fence after a player would get a home run. In 1981, at Dudley Field, Bob would indeed score a home run. The fans would throw some money on the field & Bob was able to use most of the money throw onto the field to buy an engagement ring for his wife. Decades later, they're still happily married.
I'm not sure how many stories like this have happened in the world of baseball, but this is just one of the most heartwarming stories I've heard that occurred in the sport.