APS Honors Marc Landals with Field Naming at Old Forge

May 28, 2025 --AKRON, OH — The Akron Board of Education has unanimously passed a resolution to rename the baseball field at Old Forge as the Marc Landals Field @ Old Forge, in honor of a community member whose lifelong dedication to baseball, service and youth athletics left a lasting mark on the region.

Marc Landals, a respected umpire and 2019 inductee into the Greater Akron Baseball Hall of Fame, was deeply involved in local sports throughout his life. After graduating from Wadsworth High School in 1987 and attending The University of Akron, Marc became a fixture in the Summit County Umpires Association and was widely known for his expertise and integrity on the field.

In the early 2000s, when the Old Forge field had fallen into disrepair, Northeast Ohio Roy Hobbs Baseball partnered with Akron Public Schools to restore the site. Marc played a key role in these efforts—donating his time, labor and leadership to revitalize the field for future generations of athletes.

Marc passed away on February 2, 2025, at the age of 57, following a five-year battle with cancer. “Marc Landals Field @ Old Forge” will now stand as a tribute to a man whose passion for baseball and service to others helped shape opportunities for countless student-athletes and community players across Akron.

A copy of the resolution has been entered into the permanent records of the Akron Board of Education and presented to the Landals family.