Can the City Do More to Save Worcester’s Little League Fields?

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Monday, March 30, 2015

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

"Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets and the kids out of the house." - Yogi Berra

Following record snowfalls in Worcester this winter, and this weekend's rain and snow flurries, Worcester's Little League fields won't be ready until mid-April at the earliest. League officials and the Worcester Department of Public Works and Parks are going to have to wait for the snow to melt and the ground to dry before they can begin to get the fields ready for little league action.

Chris Lloyd, Player Agent and coach for Tom Ash Little League, has concerns that go beyond whether or not the fields are playable. 

According to Lloyd, "I see other leagues in the city getting renovations to already decent fields and leagues. Our field is in a rough neighborhood, so the field is in poor shape. The field house has been broken into numerous times. We have low end equipment, and others we provide ourselves (grill, tractor, equipment). Ideally, the public basketball court would be separated from the field, so that the families feel safer when playing."

Sheriff Lew Evangelidis and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office will be reaching out to the Tom Ash & Jesse Burkett Little Leagues this week to avail the inmate work crews once again to help get the baseball fields ready for opening day.  According to Evangelidis, "we are committed to helping our cities & towns as well as non-profits throughout the county with the Inmate Community Service Program and wants to ensure our little league fields are a safe place to play for the county’s youth during the baseball season."

In previous years, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Community Service Program has helped out with routine seasonal maintenance such as landscaping, raking, spreading infield dirt, and painting dugouts.

Is the City Spending Enough on Fields?

Paul Moosey, Commissioner of Worcester DPW&P, told GoLocal "Infrastructure is the DPW&P responsibility, as is maintenance. The leagues know that we have limited manpower to complete every task that may arise and assist us with upkeep of these fields. We are very grateful of the spirit of cooperation that exists between the DPW&P and the leagues that ultimately benefits the users."

"It is the DPW&P responsibility to get all of the parks “ready”. Obviously the Little League Fields will be the priority when they are thawed out and dry enough to work on," Moosey continued.

Former Parks Commission member Gary Vecchio said, "I know that in the past the city parks department and the little leagues had a close working relationship for the most part. I hope that is still the case. However, going back decades, little leagues have always had to rely on volunteers to fix and maintain the fields and the infrastructure. The city has always been most helpful in providing as much material support and manpower as was possible. In these times of tight and shrinking municipal budgets, volunteer help will have to be counted on more than ever."

There are 60 parks and playgrounds, consisting of more than 1,250 acres of land, that Worcester's DPW is responsible for. There are ten little league fields in the city of Worcester. All but two of the fields (Jack Barry and Ted Williams) are littered, fences are rusted, and upkeep is minimal (Joe DiMaggio Little League is on privately owned land and the league is responsible for its own maintenance). With a FY2015 budget of only $1.1 million allocated for all DPW maintenance (including cemeteries, beaches, pools, etc.), the task is a daunting one to keep the fields clean and safe.

"We have volunteer coaches, league officials. We have a 17-year- old kid, who while not in military training, does field maintenance. The field (Tom Ash) needs some TLC, renovations could be made. The neighborhood is bad enough, the field shouldn't have to reflect that," said Lloyd.

"With shrinking budgets, I can tell you that the parks department has always had to be at the end of the line behind police, fire, and education when it comes to budget and personnel.. I understand and accept that fact, therefore, I do not think it is fair to expect the parks department to do more when they have fewer personnel and monetary resources," said Vecchio.

The Role of Little League for Worcester's Kids

"We should all to more as a community for we're all part of the "village," said Worcester School Committee and GoLocal Worcester MINDSETTER ™ John Monfredo. "Let's get a list out as to what needs to get done and request the community and the city work as a team."

More than 60% of Worcester Public Schools students are minorities. According to a study by GetSetSport.org, participation in sports among low-income children of color is already drastically lower than middle-class white children. Among low-income children of color, only 40%-60% participate in sports compared to 75% of the white middle class group. 

The same study reports that "sports provide structured activity during the critical hours of 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM when most juvenile crimes are committed. Without sports, a greater number of students would lack positive adult supervision during these hours. The cost of losing even one child to a life of crime is estimated to be between $1.4 and $1.7 million."

Lloyd said, "I want kids and families to feel safe when down there. We do what we can, but we can only do so much. Little league is very important, especially in the inner city area we play in. Helps kids have a sense of accomplishment, friendship, teamwork. Without Little League, I'm not sure what else some of the kids would have."

"Improvements to the field would give the community and league a sense of pride and belonging," said Lloyd. "We want them to feel good about playing here. And we want to show we matter."

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Related Slideshow: Gallery: Worcester’s Little League Fields After the Brutal Winter

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