Rud Haar was eulogized in these pages a few weeks back, after succumbing to sickness at the end of a career in which he promoted and boosted and made baseball possible in Vancouver for decades. He was the groundskeeper at Nat Bailey Stadium for the AAA Vancouver Canadians, he started the Pacific Metro League, and he was one of the small but steady crew of local folks that were always there for the Stadium, whatever team was playing on it, and the kids, teens and adults that were drawn to it.

It should be no shock to Vancouver baseball nuts that club historian Bud Kerr (seen left, taking in a little batting practice) is at the forefront of a push to honor Rud at The Nat, as Bud is an utter keener – one who doesn’t forget his friends when they pass.

Bud decided it was apt to get a plaque honoring Haar affixed to a bench out front of the stadium, and he’s dragging the Vancouver Canadians Booster Club (and by virtue of that, the team itself) along for the journey. The Vancouver Sun announced this past weekend that the dedication will indeed go ahead, and though that’s to be lauded, it’s a shame to me that a bigger dedication can’t be made.

The Rud Haar memorial scoreboard perhaps?

Oh wait – that can’t happen. If we’re going to put anyone’s name on that scoreboard, it should be Bud Kerr himself.

And here’s hoping he doesn’t give us reason to for many decades to come.

Update: I’ve received word from someone connected with the team that Bud might have been speaking out of turn regarding this tribute, and that the team itself (and the Boosters) have been working on this from the outset. That’s the thing, when it comes to guys who have dedicated their lives to a ball team – sometimes their enthusiasm pushes past their judgment and they just can’t wait around for the story to come out properly.

My apologies to anyone who felt slighted/disregarded/offended by this post – for mine, it doesn’t really matter who set this tribute up, just that it’s happening, and that a great guy will be remembered.