In a heartfelt tribute, a neighborhood park in Austin has been renamed to honor the late Don Baylor, a distinguished Hall of Famer in Major League Baseball. Located just west of downtown Austin in the historic freedmen’s community of Clarksville, this park serves as a significant reminder of Baylor’s roots, where he spent his childhood playing baseball on the streets.
“There were no parks in Clarksville,” shared Baylor’s son, Don Baylor Jr. “They played in the street, they played in vacant lots. Sometimes they would go to Butler Park in South Austin to play. Clarksville had few amenities, but a lot of love.”
During his formative years, Baylor faced the harsh realities of segregation in Texas. While Westenfield Neighborhood Park was accessible to others, it was off-limits to Baylor and his friends, forcing them to seek out alternative places to enjoy their favorite sport. “Every time we would drive on Winstead, he would point out that park as being really a symbol of Jim Crow. That was where the water fountains were segregated, that’s where the bathrooms were segregated, but that’s also where he couldn’t go and play,” Baylor Jr. reflected. “That park has really deep significance not just for him, but for the whole family that grew up in Clarksville when that park was really off-limits.”
With the renaming of Westenfield Park to Don Baylor Neighborhood Park, a historical marker has been installed to commemorate Baylor’s contributions to the sport and the community.
Baylor, who was awarded the American League MVP in 1979 and named the National League Manager of the Year in 1995, is celebrated as one of the most influential players of the late 20th century. His remarkable career includes being the first player to participate in three consecutive World Series with three different teams. In 1986, he faced defeat with the Boston Red Sox against the New York Mets, but he celebrated victory in 1987 with the Minnesota Twins, contributing a pivotal fifth-inning home run in Game Six that helped the team secure the championship. He encountered another loss in the 1988 World Series with the Oakland Athletics.
<p“Watching baseball, I probably thought that was the best team I’d ever seen up until that point,” Baylor Jr. reminisced about the 1987 Twins.
Don Baylor’s journey was marked by the challenges of racism and adversity. He was among the first group to integrate O. Henry Middle School, later attending Austin High School during a tumultuous period of desegregation in the city. Despite these obstacles, he achieved remarkable success, being inducted into both the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Angels Hall of Fame.
Baseball is defined by moments—periods of anticipation occasionally interrupted by thrilling excitement and the roar of fans. Baylor’s career was filled with such moments, and his legacy continues to resonate long after his passing. He was also an early advocate for those impacted by cystic fibrosis, championing a cause that has become closely associated with sports and athleticism.
<p“He’s had the most accomplished sports career of anyone that ever was born or raised in Austin, so I think it was only a matter of time before we found the right moment and forum to recognize his accomplishments,” stated Baylor Jr.
