Darryl Harding loved baseball so much that he was always at the diamond. A longtime volunteer, coach and president, “Coach D†was the heart and soul of Wexford Agincourt Baseball League, creating a family atmosphere that touched so many people in the sport in Scarborough.
Harding died suddenly in his sleep last August but now his name will be enshrined in Scarborough baseball.
On Thursday during a city council meeting, Councillor Nick Mantas (Ward 22- Scarborough-Agincourt), while wearing a Wexford Twins jersey, put forward a motion to rename Baseball Diamond No. 1 at Wishing Well Park in his honour. Seconded by Mayor Olivia Chow, it’s a fitting tribute to a man who did everything for the league, from helping maintaining diamonds, organizing leagues and of course, mentoring generations of players.
“It’s something that we all joked about our whole lives. Like, he’s going to do something and get his name on something, but to actually have it be happening, it’s crazy, I love it,†said his daughter Mackenzie Harding, 23.
She said that when she was growing up, everything revolved around baseball.
“To say he was dedicated would be an understatement,†said his son Dawson, 27. “He spent more time at the park than he did at home for the most part. I couldn’t really tell you what it was that he loved about it most. I think it was just the fact that he would be able to give all the kids a chance to get out there and do something that was safe and fun.â€
Darryl Harding was a longtime volunteer coach and president of the Wexford Baseball League. He died suddenly last August, but now a diamond at Wishing Well Park will be named in his honour. His children, Mackenzie, 23 and Dawson, 27, are thrilled their dad is going to be honoured.Â
Raju Mudhar/ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ StarCoach D was all about making sure kids could play.
“Every player was important. Like I remember my first year coaching, I was coaching against his team, it was just house league. A player showed up late. My assistant coach was like, ‘he can’t play, it’s too late.’ Darryl went up and said, ‘if he’s not allowed to play, then I’m going to pull my team and we’re just going to call it,’†said Marc Astill, president of Wexford Agincourt Baseball League.
“Just that caring, and making sure everyone played, that’s what he was all about it.â€
He was known to waive or pay fees out of his pocket if there were kids who couldn’t afford it. He volunteered over 1,200 hours each year and championed the creation of a girls-only baseball division in partnership with the Jays Care Foundation Rookie League. In recognition of his dedication, Harding was awarded the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Blue Jays “Seat 21†honour in 2016.
“Darryl was a passionate supporter of Jays Care and a dedicated leader in youth baseball. His commitment made a profound impact on the lives of kids in Jays Care programs, and he is incredibly deserving of this tribute,”  the Jays Care Foundation said in a statement.
About 25 people came to the city hall gallery to celebrate the name change and his legacy on Thursday, including former and current players, members of the association’s executive and other coaches.
Coach D also always pushed for more safety measures at parks, a lesson that he learned all too well.
Jerry Miller was the former president of the Wexford Baseball Association before Harding and credits him with saving the league and building it up with his energy and enthusiasm.
“A few years back, he was so busy talking, he got bopped in the head by a fly ball that he hadn’t noticed. He was a very chatty guy. And then a couple of weeks later he got bopped again,” said Miller.
Miller said he started to wear a catcher’s helmet around the diamond, just in case and because he always wanted to be there for his players.
“No matter how little you tried or how little you cared he would never give up on you. I didn’t used to like baseball for the longest time and no matter what, he would always push me to do better and that helped me be better,†said Jacob Jasper-Fayer, 17, one of his players. “I never got to thank him for that, and I’ll always regret that.â€
For Scarborough residents, Darryl Harding Memorial Diamond will be a tribute to how one person’s passion and effort can build a field of dreams for their local community.
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