Lockport's Harley Field is a labor of love, and a dream come true

LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) -- As the sun begins to rise over Niagara County, a new day dawns. The first rays of light dance upon the glistening blades of dew-covered grass, signaling the start of another busy day for George Davis.

While some are still asleep, Davis is already hard at work, preparing the ball field for the upcoming game. To him, this field is more than just a place to play baseball, it's an experience.

"It's not just a field," he said. "It's a thing of pure beauty."

According to Davis, tending to the field is no easy task, but one that he takes great pleasure in.

"I enjoy it," Davis said. "This is my hobby. I love doing it."

Nick Trifiletti, one of Davis’s young helpers, shares the enthusiasm for the field. He understands the importance of their work and the impact it has on the community. Together, they ensure that the ball field is not just a place to play a game, but a source of beauty and joy for all who visit.

"It went from amazing to beautiful," said Trifiletti. "Just keeps getting better every year. I don’t know how to explain it but it’s kind of like a baby."

During WIVB News 4's visit to the field on Wisterman Road in the Town of Lockport, we found Davis and Trifiletti carefully edging and weeding the field as their faces glistened with perspiration on a hot and humid July day.

"I’m always trying to figure out what I can do better here, what I can do to make it look better," a smiling Trifiletti remarked.

This is no ordinary field, but rather a cherished part of the hamlet of Rapids, known as Harley Field.

What sets this field apart is that it is privately owned and operated by none other than George Davis, a dedicated individual who has put his heart and soul into maintaining this beloved place.

"I wanted to build a ball diamond because I always liked baseball," said Davis.

Even before the popular 1989 Kevin Costner movie "Field of Dreams," Davis felt a gravitational force pulling him closer to his dream of building a baseball field on his private property.

At the age of 75, Davis is witnessing his lifelong aspiration come to fruition right in front of him. Nothing brings him more joy than seeing the expressions of delight on the faces of young ones as they step onto the baseball field for the very first time.

"Just to say they’ve been here and seen it, and they’ll never forget it," Davis said.

No, there wasn't a cornfield to plow down. And any mysterious whisper to build was his own inner voice.

The ball field, just steps away from the family home, is named after Davis’s son Harley who was 10 years old when George made the decision to build. That was about 25 years ago.

But the idea, his dream, first took hold long before that. He says it came to him while driving by a deteriorating ballpark with his future wife, Maggie. 

"She can confirm the thought when we always went by that ball diamond," Davis said. "I always told her the same thing. I said some day if I ever get the property, have a son, especially, and we did. He came late in life, but he came. And we built the field."

Maggie, who’s been married to George for 50 years, has had a front row seat to the Harley Field experiment.

"Every year it kept getting bigger and bigger," she remarked with a grin.

"Keeps him out of trouble. Keeps him busy. Keeps him out of my hair. No, it’s fun," Maggie laughed. "The kids love it. It’s so much fun to watch."

George Davis got the ball rolling on this backyard creation by using kite string, a stick and cardboard to map out the field.

Built to Little League dimensions, the backyard ballpark has an old-fashioned feel to it. There's even a scoreboard modeled after the iconic Green Monster at Boston’s Fenway Park.

"Scoreboard is definitely good. It shows the team’s name and what inning it is, and the total at the end," said Easton Bukolt, a young ballplayer with the Southline Shamrocks.

And it's not just the players soaking up the experience.

Marty Rastelli, an assistant coach with Grand Island Vikings Baseball, thinks it's "awesome."

"It's like a throwback to the old school days," said Rastelli. "It's better than most any fields out there nowadays that we play in."

"This guy does a great job, an amazing job with it."

While Harley Field brings Davis a lot of joy, it’s not without a financial cost. From insurance to regular maintenance and all the extras, the expenses add up. However, instead of charging for field usage, Davis graciously accepts donations, which go directly to the cost of maintaining the field.

Harley Field wasn’t always a sure thing. Davis admits it was a gamble. If he builds it -- will they come? For the first several years they didn’t. He remembers being teased by some of his buddies about how much time, effort and expense went into the field.

"Then they’d sum it up and say, 'But why? Nobody uses it.' That made me feel like a fool," he recalled.

But Davis would have the last laugh. His hard work paid off when the first sanctioned game was played in 2010. The rest, as they say, is history. He figures about a hundred games have been played over the years.

Harley Field is not just a place for ball games, but also a venue for weddings, family reunions, graduations, and birthdays. However, the core focus is still on baseball, an enduring aspect of American culture that continues to thrive. It is a tradition that persists, and now, a man who dares to dream, is doing his part to help Western New York youngsters do the same.

"They come up to me without a parent being around and thank me for building the field. Those are cool, ya know. I mean, I get emotional over it because it took a lot of work, and it’s satisfying that I know they like it," Davis said.

The Gasz family of Lockport have developed an affinity for Davis and Harley Field.

"This is my favorite place in Western New York after our home. There’s nothing even close for me," said Christopher Gasz, whose three sons are very familiar with the field.

"It’s not just a special place to come but it actually has some sort of magic, or at least some sort of mental edge that you can’t find anywhere else," he explained.

For example, he said the boys use the field for practice, especially when they’re looking to improve at the plate.

"My boys, they're very good hitters, but every hitter has a slump. And every time they have a slump we’d come here and do these specific drills."

Gasz added: "And legitimately, the magic of Harley Field is a real thing. They would always have some titanic blast, or a long extra base hit or some special moment the next day. Like clockwork. And it never failed."

Jackson Gasz, the oldest of the boys, confirms his father's belief that when they started to struggle "we would end up just coming here to practice and then get in the groove, I guess you could say. And just start playing better at our games."

For Nicole Gasz, the boys' mother, Harley Field is not so much about kids playing baseball games as it is the memories created. 

"Because of the place being so special and looking so special. It just, it stands out. And people bring their kids. They’ll play on the swing sets. It’s just about bringing community together. Having families together," she said.

She credits George Davis with creating so many memories for families.

"He just loves to do it because he loves seeing those reactions out of kids and their families."

Despite the resounding approval – Davis isn’t finished, at least dreaming of the next improvement. Someday he'd like to add dugouts, and lights for night games.

"Somebody stopped by, and they said, 'We heard the story you might put lights in. We got poles for you,' " Davis recounted. " 'We’ll bring the poles over and when you’re ready to put the poles up, call us and we’ll put the poles in the ground.' "

The poles were delivered, but the lights never went up. Today, the poles sit in the parking lot near the outfield fence.

"He was through the roof with excitement, and it didn’t pan out," said Christopher Gasz. "So, they sit there as like a reminder of this opportunity that kind of passed by. So, we’re like man, can you imagine if that would ever happen?"

Maybe someday -- but for now, George Davis will keep swinging for the fences.

The fences at Harley Field, of course.

"I guess my goal is people to remember. Someday they can say they played here."