BAY CENTER — Since 1960, the Frank and Lorton families have gathered for their annual Frank/Lorton — or Lorton/Frank, depending on which family you ask — softball game every Fourth of July at Bush Pioneer Park in Bay Center.

On Monday, July 4, 2022, the tradition resumed as over 100 people packed into the park and lined the field to watch the semi-serious, mostly-for-fun game take centerstage over Fourth of July festivities in the native fishing village located in the middle of Willapa Bay.

The game was first started by David “Bug” Frank Sr. and Buck Lorton as a way to keep their kids and family “home” in Bay Center each Fourth of July. Soon after, it morphed into a four-team tournament with the Pine family joining along with a Town Team — consisting of whoever shows up and wants to play.

This year, the Lortons beat the Pines, 32-31, for the 2022 championship.

Long tradition

Since its inception, the rules have basically stayed the same: Players must be at least 12 years old, each team must have at least two females, the Pines and Town Team play the morning game, the Frank and Lortons face off in the afternoon, and the winners meet for an evening championship tilt.

Pull Quote

‘Even though we’ve had many family members who’ve passed, this is a great way to keep traditions alive and strong. Teaching the next generation the importance of family and coming together, doing something healthy and fun, making it about the kids is what we’ve been working to do.’

Chris Frank

Mickey Pine’s earliest memories of the tournament are from the early 1980s, when his dad, Mick Pine, was the park host. Mickey, 42, has played in the tournament every year since 1990.

He remembers an old manual scoreboard made of plywood that used to be nailed to a giant tree behind the backstop.

“I was a little kid before I got to play, and I remember climbing up there and being the kid that got to put the score up,” Mickey said. “Didn’t even come out of the tree the whole game because I didn’t want somebody else to put the score up.”

Home of the Chinook

The tournament has long been a way for families and friends to reconnect once a year. Bay Center is ground zero for the Chinook Indian Nation. The tribal office is at the entrance to Bush Pioneer Park, and the Franks, Lortons and Pines all have Chinooks in their ranks.

Bay Center, with a population of around 200, is about as tight-knit as a small town can get. It’s one large family, and when everyone converges from all over the state every Fourth of July, it turns into a homecoming.

“It’s a big family reunion,” Mickey said. “Pines, Lortons, Franks, everybody’s friendly here. Everybody knows everybody, if not by name, by the smile. Everybody helps everybody out. I wouldn’t miss it for nothing.”

Being such a small town — its only job industries being fishing and oysters — means most of those who grew up there eventually end up moving away to raise their families.

“Everybody is starting to do their own things and families are spread out,” said Mickey, who lives in Adna now.

Chris Frank, 36, is another who has since moved away to raise his family in Vancouver, Washington. Frank’s grandfather, David “Bug” Frank Sr., was one of the founders of the game.

Chris has been coming to the tournament ever since he can remember, and now brings his two boys, Gage, 8, and Jonah, 6, to continue the tradition of their ancestors.

“It means a lot of time with family and friends getting to reconnect, and it’s something our family has done since the beginning of time, for me, and at least a couple generations,” Chris said.

“We are honored to be able to carry it forward.”

Bringing in the youngsters

During the 2021 tournament, the Franks and Lortons came together to start a new tradition: let every kid 12 and under play one inning in the middle of the Frank/Lorton game.

Gage and Jonah, of course, participated, along with dozens of other children who ran the bases with excited smiles on their faces as parents and adults cheered from the sidelines.

Chris said it’s a crucial step to keep the younger generations interested in the games and wanting to come back year after year.

“Even though we’ve had many family members who’ve passed, this is a great way to keep traditions alive and strong,” Chris said. “Teaching the next generation the importance of family and coming together, doing something healthy and fun, making it about the kids is what we’ve been working to do.”

Josh Lorton, 35, is the grandson of Buck Lorton, co-founder of the game. Josh grew up in Bay Center and has been to the tournament basically every year of his life.

“It’s what I look forward to every year,” Lorton said. “Its just fun getting everyone together, and the rivalry. Just fun to keep that going.”

Josh’s son Tate, 7, plays in the little kid’s game, and Josh hopes that will kindle Tate’s love for the game and keep him coming back each year as well.

“I always tell my wife, I don’t want to be the one to break the tradition,” Josh said. “I like to bring my kids out.”

The tournament and get-together had one of its largest turnouts in the past five years — a testament to the current generation encouraging the next to keep returning. One thing all three families can agree on is this is one tradition they hope to never break.

“Very proud,” Chris said of watching his two young sons play on Monday. “And I know my dad and all the family gone before us would be very proud.”