Painted Tradition: How Red, White, and Blue Bases Became Wichita’s Baseball Signature

The Story of a Simple Idea That Became the Heart of the NBC World Series

In the summer of 1975, groundskeepers at Lawrence Stadium tried something new. Instead of painting the bases their usual white, they grabbed cans of red and blue spray paint. It was a simple change that would become one of amateur baseball’s most recognizable traditions, turning an ordinary Kansas diamond into something uniquely NBC.

But this wasn’t just about making the field look different. The idea, coined by then National Baseball Congress tournament director Paul Deese, was the continuation of a vision that Raymond “Hap” Dumont had been building since 1935: that Wichita could become the center of amateur baseball, where the sport’s best traditions would thrive in America’s heartland.

A Sporting Goods Man’s Big Dream

When Hap Dumont first pitched the idea of a national baseball tournament in Wichita, plenty of people thought he was reaching too high. He owned a sporting goods store in town and had a knack for promotion, but convincing the country that Kansas was the right place for a premier baseball tournament? That took vision.

The newspaper headlines from 1934 show how the idea gained momentum: “Officials Begin to Draft Plans for ’35 Tourney” declared that “Wichita is the logical place to stage the tournament.” The reasoning was solid—central location, good railroad connections, and a city that understood baseball. The Sporting News agreed, writing that Wichita deserved the national championship because it had earned it.

Dumont understood something that others were just beginning to see: geography matters. Wichita sits in the middle of everything, making it accessible to teams from every corner of the country. More importantly, it sits in the middle of baseball country, where the sport isn’t just entertainment—it’s part of life.

More Than Fresh Paint

Today, those red, white, and blue bases require constant attention. The grounds crew maintains three sets, rotating them throughout the tournament to keep them looking sharp. Between games, volunteers spray fresh coats of paint, ensuring that every slide into third happens on bases that look as good as Opening Day.

Behind those freshly painted bases lies a massive operation that most fans never see. Coordinating a tournament that brings 16 teams from across the country requires scheduling dozens of games – with scorekeepers, umpires, video crews and grounds crew, managing hundreds of volunteers and dozens of scouts, and welcoming Hall of Famers back for ceremonies. The NBC balances serious baseball for college players hoping to catch a scout’s eye with family-friendly promotions that keep fans entertained between innings. It’s the kind of logistical puzzle that requires both honoring long-standing traditions and embracing modern tournament management—from enhanced analytics and baseball technology to social media partnerships and content creation, all while keeping Gertie the Goose and red, white, and blue bases as central to the experience as they were decades ago.

“The paint changed over the years, we used an oil based paint, and once that dried it wasn’t going to come off. I remember Santa Barbara and Prairie Gravel playing their championship game [in 2005] on those red, white and blue bases in the rain,” said former tournament director Jerry Taylor, “We had two sets of them and we’d paint one and then paint the other set between games, we’d bring them in between games to touch the paint up, or wash them if they got scuffed up or muddy.”

The Day the Tradition Nearly Died

The importance of those colored bases became clear during the 1986 tournament when they almost didn’t happen. A newspaper account tells the story: “Saturday night saw the temporary suspension of an NBC tradition. For the first time since 1975, an NBC game was played without the trademark red, white and blue bases.”

The reporter didn’t hold back: “Hap Dumont, the colorful and imaginative founder of the NBC, must have rotated at least once in his grave.” Tournament director Larry Davis explained the practical reality: “It was mainly because of the weather, and the fact that it’s hard to get ’em painted on weekends.”

The bases were back by the second game that night, but their brief absence reminded everyone how much these details matter to the NBC experience.

Baseball ‘Round the Clock

The painted bases fit perfectly with another Dumont innovation that became NBC tradition—games at all hours. Originally designed to accommodate Wichita’s aircraft plant workers who might be coming off late shifts or heading to early ones, “Baseball ‘Round the Clock” meant that anyone could find a game that fit their schedule.

This wasn’t just about convenience. It was about inclusion, about making sure that baseball belonged to everyone, not just those who could attend traditional game times. The red, white, and blue bases looked just as good under the lights at 2 AM as they did in the afternoon Kansas sun.

A Wichita Welcome

Dr. Hugh D. Riordan captured what many visitors experience when they first encounter the NBC. Writing to the Wichita Eagle after the 1975 tournament, he described his impression: “Perhaps the innovative red, white and blue bases, umpires who were actually wearing red shirts and the ‘gator aid’ girls who served them drinks just made it seem that the time passed quickly… it felt good to be an involved spectator at the NBC playoffs and to see first hand how new life and excitement at the NBC have really brought to Wichita a ‘whole new ballgame.'”

International visitors often express surprise at details like the painted bases. Swedish fans quoted during a mid-1970s tournament were impressed by the entire experience, with one noting, “I’ve been to Miami three times and I like Wichita better.” That’s the kind of reaction that happens when a community puts care into the details that most places overlook.

Keeping Traditions Alive

Today, the NBC Baseball Foundation’s “Step Up to the Plate” campaign ensures that traditions like the painted bases continue. Amongst other impacts, a $19.35 “Leadoff Hitter” donation covers the cost of spray paint—two cans of red and blue that keep the bases looking fresh throughout the tournament.

It’s a small contribution that maintains something bigger: the attention to detail that makes the NBC special. The Foundation’s other donation levels support the volunteers who do the painting, the infrastructure that makes the games possible, and the broader mission that connects back to Hap Dumont’s original vision of Wichita as amateur baseball’s home.

Kansas Values, Baseball Tradition

The red, white, and blue bases represent something distinctly Midwestern: the idea that if you’re going to do something, you do it right. They’re painted fresh by volunteers who understand that small details create memorable experiences. They’re maintained by people who know that traditions survive only when someone cares enough to keep them going.

Like Gertie the Goose, who once dropped eggs instead of zeros on the Lawrence Stadium scoreboard, the painted bases reflect Hap Dumont’s understanding that baseball should be fun, memorable, and just a little bit different from what people expect. They’re a reminder that in Wichita, baseball gets the extra attention that turns good into special.

Sliding into History

Every summer, players from across the country and around the world slide into those red, white, and blue bases. They might not think much about the paint as they’re rounding second or diving back to first, but they’re part of a tradition that connects them to nearly 50 years of NBC history and to one man’s belief that Wichita deserved something extraordinary.

The bases aren’t just field markers—they’re evidence of a community’s commitment to doing things the right way. They show that in Kansas, when you host the nation’s premier amateur baseball tournament, you pay attention to details that other places might skip.

“Those red, white, and blue bases represent what we’re working to preserve and build upon,” says Katie Woods, NBC Tournament Director. “When a player from Alaska or Texas slides into second base, they’re touching the same tradition that players experienced in 1975. But they’re also part of something that’s constantly evolving—new technology, expanded media coverage, enhanced player development opportunities. The bases remind us that our job isn’t just to run a tournament; it’s to steward a piece of baseball history while creating new memories for the next generation of players and fans.”

From Hap Dumont’s sporting goods store to today’s NBC World Series, those painted bases tell a story about what happens when a community embraces something bigger than itself. They’re proof that sometimes the smallest changes—like grabbing different colored paint—can become the symbols that define a tradition.

Every fresh coat represents the ongoing partnership between the NBC and Wichita, built on shared values of hard work, attention to detail, and the belief that when you do something, you do it right. In a world where many things change, those red, white, and blue bases remain constant—a colorful reminder that some traditions are worth preserving, one paint can at a time.

Supporting the NBC Baseball Foundation’s Step Up to the Plate campaign helps ensure that traditions like the red, white, and blue bases continue to define the tournament experience. From $19.35 paint donations to larger contributions supporting tournament operations, every gift helps preserve the traditions that make the NBC World Series special. Donate now.

Newspaper Clipping from the 1997 Wichita Eagle