Costa Mesa’s longtime ‘Mr. Pop Warner’ sees his dream come alive

There’s a reason why people call Ed Baume “Mr. Pop Warner” in Costa Mesa.

For almost half a century, whenever there has been a youth football event in Costa Mesa, Baume has been there as a volunteer. He has held numerous positions, from weighing in the kids to running the show.

If there were one last football game Baume looked forward to in his lifetime, it was to see his only great grandson, 4-year-old Daniel, play.

Baume is 88 and he’s only been home a week since he suffered a stroke about a month ago. His condition didn’t deter him from seeing his wish come true.

The community came together on Thursday night at Jim Scott Stadium, where Costa Mesa Pop Warner put on a flag football game for Daniel and other kids.

Baume had the best seat. He sat in his wheelchair, on the sideline, near the 50-yard line. He showed up in a green Costa Mesa High jacket, surrounded by his two sons, Steve and Gary, and his two grandchildren, Dan and Sean.

Gary sported his Costa Mesa letterman jacket, and his son, Dan, had his letterman jacket on as well. Gary stayed next to his father, while Dan ran off to the field to coach his son and the rest of the little ones. Baume looked on, following his great grandson, No. 17.

“It’s pretty emotional for everybody,” Gary said. “It’s definitely an opportunity for [my dad] to see the next generation, passing the torch sort of to speak of the Baume legacy, if you want to call it that. He always dreamed of [seeing] his great grandson play football.

“He actually wanted to see him suited up playing tackle. He’s trying to make plays, even though he’s only 4.”

Daniel isn’t old enough to play tackle yet, he’s about 2½ years away. The reason the event took place so soon is that the Baume family isn’t sure how much longer Ed Baume will be around.

Gary said after his father’s stroke an infection set in his brain and it will most likely spread, and there’s nothing doctors can do about it. The only request Baume had for his family is that he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life in a hospital or rehab center.

“He said from the get-go, ‘I just want to go home. I just want to go home,’” said Gary, adding that his father’s spirit has improved since he returned home.

Ed Baume looked like he felt at home at Thursday’s football game. He always used to say that football kept him young. His great grandson was one of the youngest on the field.

Before Gary drove his father to Jim Scott Stadium, he said he gave him a couple of color options to wear to the game, green or red. Of course, Baume went with green, one of Costa Mesa High’s school colors. The red is one of archrival Estancia’s colors.

The rival schools have shared Jim Scott Stadium since 2008. There’s going to be a new facility built at Costa Mesa, and there’s talk about having it named after Ed Baume.

Three years ago, Baume joked to a reporter that the dead grass on the field at Costa Mesa must have been the same one his two kids played on in the 1970s. The field was in that bad of shape.

The new field at Costa Mesa will feature turf. The facility is going to need a name, and if you asked Jeremy Osso, a former Costa Mesa High football coach, or the rest of the 250 or so people who came out on Thursday, Baume Stadium has a good ring to it.

Baume has been keeping stats for Costa Mesa for years. His wife, Noreen, always gave him a hard time about it, yet there was Baume every Friday night, writing every play down. Gary said his mother passed away in June 2014 from complications from a surgery to remove a brain tumor.

“His health has kind of digressed ever since. They were married for 63 years,” Gary said. “He’s been holding on primarily [because] he wanted to see baby Danny play.”

Daniel played for about 20 minutes, and then afterward, the kids gave Baume the game ball. The amount of support for Baume touched his family.

“I think it’s really sweet,” Estancia football coach Mike Bargas said of the turnout. “It’s a credit to who he is that all these people would get together to put this thing together. I think he’s an icon in the city, and you can’t do anything nicer than servicing the little kids and the youth of the city.

“I was too heavy to play Pop Warner [when I was a kid living in Costa Mesa]. [Baume] was probably lurking around there [looking for me]. I was too chubby, too chunky. When [Costa Mesa Pop Warner] first moved in over here [at Jim Scott Stadium eight years ago], he’s always been really nice to me and said, ‘Hello.’ He’s a guy that’s got a presence about him.”