Baseball field in Ammon dedicated to honor the legacy of Tyce John

AMMON, Idaho (KIFI) — Ammon dedicated a baseball field in memory of Tyce John who lost his battle with heart disease in February. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, the field was renamed in Tyce's honor. It's where he once played little league baseball and was an umpire for many years. His family and friends were there and got to play ball on the Tyce John Field for the first time.

The ceremony began with the national anthem followed by speeches given by several people, including Ammon Mayor Sean Coletti.

"Every young man, young woman who comes to play on this ball diamond will see his name, will learn about him and will see him as a role model," Mayor Coletti said.

Tyce's family members threw the first pitches. Afterwards, kids were invited onto the field to play baseball, and there was cake for everyone to enjoy.

Despite the sadness of losing a brother, Brandon John said it was a happy day for his family.

"Obviously, we miss Tyce and we wish he was still around, but this is a very happy day," Brandon said. "We feel the love. There's so many people that turned out."

Tyce's mom says she played softball on that field when she was younger. His dad Tristan hopes the field is a place where kids can have fun and families can be happy.

"This is such a great honor," he said. "We really, really appreciate the community and little league and all of the people that care about baseball, and care about Tyce, and care about keeping things happy." 

Brett Stauffer coached Tyce for 4 years in little league. He became visibly emotional when recalling Tyce's impact on the Angels team, even referencing his mission in heaven.

"If you wanted to be the best, you had to beat the Angels," said Coach Stauffer. "That was mostly because of Tyce. I know that Tyce has been drafted on a different Angels team, and I know that that message is the same there. He's teaching them to smile and have fun."