Something special will be missing from Pullman Park next baseball season.

Dess Schnur.

The director of stadium and field operations for the ballpark over the past five years, Schnur is stepping down from that post at the end of the month.

Through his own dedication and money from his own pocket at times, Schnur has saved the city thousands of dollars in terms of operating and maintaining Pullman Park.

He has turned that facility into the most dependable baseball host in the area, if not all of Western Pennsylvania.

The number of games played at Pullman Park has steadily increased during each year of Schnur’s tenure. That figure rose from 100 games to 265 games played annually at the site over the past five years.

The synthetic turf plate and mound areas he installed have stood the test of time. No repairs have been needed around the plate over the past two years, covering 550 games and 33,000 batters.

The mound requires only occasional repair every 60 games — compared to pre-game maintenance of a dirt mound before every contest.

Schnur recently stated that he has been at Pullman Park every day — with three exceptions — since late March.

He has used volunteers and jail release personnel to maintain the ballpark and run it on a daily basis. Other than Schnur himself, there has been no supervising personnel in place to assist him.

Pullman Park has been a major part of Schnur’slife for more than 50 years.

He didn’t accept this job five years ago for a paycheck, saying “I have tried to make a difference each day in respect to all former Pullman boards, players, coaches and staff. I did it for them.”

And he has.

Long after Schnur is gone, Pullman Park will be enjoyed by thousands of players and fans. A lot of athletes call that place home.

Saying Schnur will be missed is a major understatement,.

The man updated the ballpark’s website, added bullpen mounds and batting cages, installed a backstop and netting above the dugouts, developed an art display depicting the history of the facility, even completed an extra office on site that the Butler BlueSox use now.

Almost single-handedly, Schnur reduced cost of field materials and maintenance at Pullman Park to almost nothing.

How do you replace all of that? You can’t.

Pullman Park’s next directopr of stadium and field operations has a tough act to follow.

It will probably take more than one person to come in, take over and even approach what Schnur has done for that place.

Schnur admits he spent a number of years placing baseball ahead of his own family.

This community gained by that decision. Now Schnur’s family is getting him back.

It is their gain. Our loss.