The Baseball That Changed a Life | Lansing News

A retired Army National Guard officer, David Howell, holds a baseball from the very first Lansing Lugnuts game in 1996 — the final out of that historic debut at Oldsmobile Park. More than just a souvenir, it’s a symbol of community, connection, and legacy. Howell brought a young Iraqi boy, Mohammed Alani, to games after the boy’s father was killed — Mohammed became a devoted baseball fan, chasing foul balls like treasure. The stadium, though used by college teams before, marked a new chapter for Lansing. Even though the Lugnuts lost that opener, players like Carlos Beltrán went on to MLB stardom. For Howell, now 72, the ball is a cherished memento of a city embracing its team — and the human stories that unfolded along the way. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3540a1426508f3a0