The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT June 8, 2011

While I've been to a few baseball fields in my time as a sports reporter, there's none that compare to some of those fields in the northwest.

Between the trees and lake around McEuen Field in Coeur d'Alene or the constant traffic on I-90 at Morehouse Field in Osburn, both are unique in their own ways.

FOR EIGHT years, a good portion of my summer was spent covering American Legion baseball games featuring the Silver Valley Miners.

With minimal shade and cover in those years, those games in June were usually accompanied with some rain, while in July, the sun usually left nowhere to hide.

During that time, watching those games was a good indication of just how good some of those Silver Valley players could be, once joined together in the sport of baseball.

Only in the Silver Valley could you find players scrambling from their cars following work one minute to running out on the field the next.

The first time I went to McEuen Field for a game, it was an amazing experience.

Between the lake nearby and the trees for cover in case of rain, it had almost everything you could ask for in a baseball setting.

On a summer night, the park was also a way to relax and just sit back and enjoy a doubleheader.

And while the wins and losses came, the winners usually were those in attendance on those nights.

IN THOSE same travels, I've also been to games in Missoula and just outside of Noxon, Mont., but neither of those can compare.

Lindborg-Cregg Field also serves as the home of the Osprey, a minor league baseball team in Missoula. Seating in some sections is away from the field, which is good for the minor league team, but not quite for a legion game.

Meanwhile the game in Noxon was interesting in all kinds of different ways.

On that particular afternoon, the weather was in the mid-90s, with the field seemingly right in the path of the sun on that particular day.

No concessions, not much shade and the field seemed better suited for a little league baseball game than an American Legion baseball game.

Regardless, both experiences were unforgettable.

Whether attending a game in Coeur d'Alene or Osburn, one thing is for certain - the experience won't disappoint.

Silver Valley will host the class A Area A tournament this year, featuring Moscow, Lewiston, Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and St. Maries from July 21-26.

Coeur d'Alene will host a few more tournaments this season, including the annual Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Firecracker tournament July 1-4.

If you're a fan of baseball, you won't want to be anywhere else than at the park those weekends.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer at the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].