As a new baseball season gets underway in Holladay, the crack of a bat will soon echo across a ball field dedicated to the memory of Eddie Kimball. 

On Sept. 8, 2022, Eddie was a few weeks shy of his seventh birthday when the vehicle he was traveling in was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. Eddie didn’t survive the accident, leaving his family and community devastated.

“He is love incarnate. He was just the sweetest little boy and told me probably 10 times a day he loved me,” said his mom, Kristi Kimball. “He was everybody’s cheerleader. He loved to just include everybody.”

Eddie attended Driggs Elementary when he signed up with the Mt. Olympus Youth Baseball League, where his father, Quinn Kimball, was his coach, along with Judd Tolman. Eddie was put on a team with his school friends, affectionately called the Wolf Pack for their tight-knit friendship. 

Batting was Eddie’s favorite baseball activity, but he always wanted to follow in his dad’s steps and learn how to play shortstop. Also, like his dad, Eddie was a devoted Chicago Cubs fan. 

Eddie’s passing not only affected his family but the entire community. Tolman’s son was Eddie’s best friend and his death hit him hard. As a way to honor the young boy, Tolman and his wife Becca offered to provide $25,000 to the city to name a Holladay ball field after Eddie. 

“We have had multiple conversations with the Tolmans and with other friends in the neighborhood, where we’ve talked about how our perspectives have been shifted about what’s most important in life,” Quinn said. “Judd felt that this was something important to him, important to us and to the community.”

The southwest baseball field at Holladay City Park (4580 S. 2300 East) will be named the Eddie Kimball Baseball Field and a plaque will be placed to dedicate the park to the little boy’s life and memory. 

To the Kimballs, this is just another example of how the community has helped them heal and move forward over the past years. When Eddie died, neighbors tied hundreds of red ribbons in honor of his life, Driggs Elementary holds a Love Like Eddie event each year on his birthday and during the final game of a baseball tournament, both teams wore an “E” on their hats.

The Eddie Kimball Baseball Field will be the site for the game held each year on his birthday. All of the Kimball kids (except the oldest, Lila, who passed away in 2014) have played ball on the Holladay fields, making it a favorite spot for family and friends. 

“We think the ball fields are an amazing sanctuary,” Kristi said. “I can’t think of a better way to keep Eddie there with us. Baseball season is coming up, and our youngest is going to play baseball again. It’s going to be sweet to see her get up to bat and have Eddie kind of right behind her.”

Although his time on the ball field ended far too soon, the diamond bearing his name will offer kids a place to play, compete and remember the joy he brought to the game.

“All the boys, all of his best buddies, know that they’re part of it, too,” Quinn said. “They all still live all around the park in Holladay and we thought it’d be a phenomenal way to keep them connected to Eddie and the community. No matter how far away they move in the future, they’ll always know that there’s a ball field named after their buddy that has their stamp on it as well.”