(PHOTOS) Hopkins' Maetzold Field: 'The Way the Game is Meant to be Played'

Most Hopkins Little Leaguers won’t make it to the major leagues. Most probably won’t even play beyond high school. But one evening a week through much of the year they can each play on their own field of dreams at Hopkins’ .

In summer, those nights are Thursdays. In fall, it’s Sundays. Whatever the season, the scenes appear ripped straight from a Norman Rockwell painting. Two lit fields stand out in the park. In the twilight beyond, kids play catch, throw grounders to themselves off walls or warm up for a game.

The pings of the aluminum bats are inevitably followed with fans' approving cheers or—in the case of foul balls—hordes of siblings seeking a free piece of candy for retrieving the ball.

“My favorite part of playing here is being with my teammates. And when my game is over there’s always another game going on that I can watch,” said Evan Tungesvick, a 12-year-old American Legion players who’s been playing baseball since first grade.

Before the Minnesota Twins moved into Target Field last year, fields like Maetzold had a monopoly on the outdoor baseball market. And even now there is still an allure to the simplicity of a Little League game.

“The great thing about the atmosphere here is that there are kids moving around all the time and getting the score of both games,” said American Legion Coach Derron Wahlen. “What’s important to me is watching kids grow better, and it’s gratifying when a kid who’s struggling comes up with that big hit.”

Another member of the cheering section is Coach Gary Kemp. Kemp coached for 10 years and now does field prep before the games.

“The mood here is great. There could be a team losing 14-0, and they’ll still hang around after the game and play hotbox with their friends. They don’t want to leave; they just come here and have fun,” he said.

After all the games for the night are over, parents and their kids gradually stream out to the parking lot beneath the lights while a lone concession stand worker closes shop for the night.

In the age of helicopter parents and packed schedules, there is still an oasis of calm and relaxation where anyone with a couple hours to spare can come and watch baseball being played in its purest form by those who love it the most.

“This really is the way the game is meant to be played,” said Sheila Tungesvick, Evan's mother.