Getting Fields In Shape

[SouthPawDad]

With school out today and probably tomorrow, it'd be a great time to call the team together and start whipping the fields into shape...if you could find the field!

[NCBBallFan]

You don't have to paint the lines, but you might want to use some on the "grass" areas to look a little greener.....:xyzwave:

[SabreFan]

Coach Bagwell at South Meck had volunteer baseball supporters working on the South Meck baseball field last Saturday and had another work day on Saturday, 1/25, planned but, due to inclement weather, the 1/25 work day at the South Meck baseball field had to be canceled. You can bet that there will be work days probably about every Saturday until the high school baseball season starts at South Meck. South Meck is one of the premier high school baseball fields in the area at this time due to Coach Bagwell's relentless efforts along with his baseball supporters!

[SouthPawDad]

Ashbrook also had a work day last weekend and cancelled today's. We'll have a consession stand and restrooms completed at the field and for the first time in 30 years won't use porta johns! The new concession stand/press box is great! It sits between the baseball and softball fields, with press box windows overlooking each. Speaker systems will be in place for both so that games can be announced simultaneously. This project, when totally complete with landscaping, etc., will be nearly $150,000. All raised by the Ashbrook Athletic Booster Club! Nothing from the city of Gastonia or county school system. If any of you "old hardballers" want to make a contribution, just contact me. Yes, I'm shameless!! SPD

[Papabear]

I heard Myers Park spent a few dollars last fall reworking their field. What was done, and are there plans for more renovation?

[Braves]

Originally posted by SouthPawDad
Ashbrook also had a work day last weekend and cancelled today's. We'll have a consession stand and restrooms completed at the field and for the first time in 30 years won't use porta johns! The new concession stand/press box is great! It sits between the baseball and softball fields, with press box windows overlooking each. Speaker systems will be in place for both so that games can be announced simultaneously. This project, when totally complete with landscaping, etc., will be nearly $150,000. All raised by the Ashbrook Athletic Booster Club! Nothing from the city of Gastonia or county school system. If any of you "old hardballers" want to make a contribution, just contact me. Yes, I'm shameless!! SPD

Do donations count by attending some of your games :D

I'll tell ya what though SPD. Just post me over to that house behind HP with all those birds and I'll throw back all the foul balls...that'll save you some money :)


Oh Yeah...CONGRATULATIONS. You guys did a great job over there. :applause:

[SabreFan]

Papabear: I think that you must have Myers Park mixed up with South Meck. I cannot think of a single upgrade that Myers Park had done to their baseball field in quite a while. However, the South Meck Baseball Booster Club ONLY in 2002 (not the South Meck Athletic Booster Club nor any donations from the Char-Meck School System) raised approximately $100,000 spear headed by Coach Hal Bagwell to put up new state of the art light system around the baseball field to light up the complex for excellent night baseball games and also installed a first rate brick backstop with new poles and netting as well. Who would have ever thought that just lights and a new backstop would have cost so much but the baseball parents at South Meck rose to the occasion for a great cause which was very important to their baseball coach. But again, like I said before, the project would have never been completed if not for the dedication from Hal Bagwell and the baseball staff at South Meck. This year already in 2003 a second batting cage has been added to the South Meck baseball complex again raised ONLY from funds raised by Coach Hal Bagwell.

[gonzo]

Papabear, Myers Park had the infield redone (sorry Sabre, you guys are not the only ones raising money). The infield was lazer graded, all new sod put done, and mound was redone. Also had concrete pads put under batting cages. There is more in the works, including foul line fencing.

Sabrefan, has Bagwell done anything about putting pads on that brick backstop? Someone is going to get hurt on that thing. Has anyone besides me seen a good fastball come off that thing? First time in my life I have seen a pitcher field a passed ball.

[Prepster]

Hats off to Coach Chet Greeson and his parents at East Meck; who, on a budget that I suspect is tens of thousnds shy of $100 thousand, have worked their facility into one of the nicest playing fields in the region. My sense from talking with them is that a tremendous amount of time and sweat...much of it Coach Greeson's..have gone into it, and it shows!

What I'd bet he'd give for some of the affluence that has fueled South Meck's impressive transformation (Although, that has taken a lot of hard work, too.). Who knows, with some of those dollars he might be able to afford some lights that would enable the batter to see the approaching ball after dark!

[Braves]

You know, that's a good point Prepster...the lights are too low! Outfielders complain of not seeing the ball off the bat very well.

Gonzo, Bagwell likes his backstop with no padding. It does make for an interesting passed ball, but I tend to agree with you.

Chet Greeson and the supporters at East Meck...:applause:

I like MP's field...I liked it even more before they tore all the trees and hill down. It lost some of it's ambience

[SabreFan]

Another work day at South Meck is planned for this Saturday, 2/1, starting at 9:00 am, weather permitting, for any South Meck baseball supporter that wishes to participate and assist the Sabre coaching staff. The backstop horizontal rails will be resanded and repainted and a batting cage net will be hung for the newest batting cage just resently installed which will make a total of 2 batting cages now on site at the baseball field. Hope to see some Sabre playerpower and fatherpower in full swing!

[Papabear]

Sabre, you guys have a great field. Now why doesn't SM spend a few dollars to pave or at least grade and level that pothole filled drive from the school parking lot back to the baseball field? I don't think anything has been done to it since I went to school there.

[gonzo]

Braves, I would like to make a comment for the record. We loved those trees too. The original plans for the gym renovations at MP called for an auxilary gym to be built extending from the newly finished box office of the current gym. That being the case, all of the trees would have been cut down. When the budget was cut and the aux gym axed, the new plans left the trees. Best as we can tell, based on conversations with Clewis and Wimberly, the site guys were working off old plans that still showed aux gym. So they showed up at 6:00 am one morning and started grading. Before anyone knew it, the trees were gone. I figure those trees were planted in 1951, so when our grandkids are playing there, they might have something similar to look at. But the good news is the contractor is going to put in some new trees (read saplings) to make up for their mistake.

[SouthLoop]

Papabear: The “pothole filled drive” issue at South Meck was taken care of back in the summer of 2002. The South Meck drive, starting at the gym, was smoothed out with dirt and paved down to the baseball field. You can no longer drive up on the hillside to park above the baseball field (or sit in your car to watch the games) but have to park in the lower parking lot beside the batting cages and walk into the SM baseball field from this area. SM, however, lost a lot of parking spaces up on the hillside due to this remodeling but was highly advised to do so for liability purposes. This year when there are SM baseball and softball games going on at the same time, parking is going to be a problem and many supports may have to park up at the SM gym and walk down to the baseball and softball field areas.

[Papabear]

Hey Loop, glad to hear that the drive is now paved. It must have happened after Legion season ended last spring. That's the last time I was there and it wasn't paved then.

[Braves]

Edit: Southloop, I moved this post over here, since we already had one of the same topic....great information. It looks as if they are putting a lot of time and money in the softball field.


By Southloop:

Papabear: The “pothole filled drive” issue at South Meck was taken care of back in the summer of 2002. The South Meck drive, starting at the gym, was smoothed out with dirt and paved down to the baseball field. You can no longer drive up on the hillside to park above the baseball field (or sit in your car to watch the games) but have to park in the lower parking lot beside the batting cages and walk into the SM baseball field from this area. SM, however, lost a lot of parking spaces up on the hillside due to this remodeling but was highly advised to do so for liability purposes. This year when there are SM baseball and softball games going on at the same time, parking is going to be a problem and many supports may have to park up at the SM gym and walk down to the baseball and softball field areas.

[SabreFan]

Hal Bagwell, his coaching staff, his players, and his father parent supports had a great work day at South Meck today and accomplished a lot!

The backstop poles were resanded and repainted, a new batting cage net was hung for the new batting cage, redid the old batting cage, added a second pitcher's warm-up mound by 1st base so that 2 pitchers can warm up at one time for the home team, redid the pitcher's warm-up mound on the visitor's team's side, added crushed brick gravel around both dugouts facing out to the field and around the inside field back stop area, and spread some sand and planted some grass out on the road path outside of the 1st base fence.

Coach Bagwell is still fighting to get the parking area back up on the hillside behind the baseball field but at no avail as yet.

[SabreFan]

South Meck concession workday scheduled for Saturday, 2/8, starting at 10:00 am. Be there or be square!

[Baseball Manager 02]

Sabrefan, when i came home for break i did notice they locked that parking up there, but i did not know why. do you know why they are not letting people park there?

[Braves]

I heard they are converting it into a parking garage or a length wise pressbox to hold their oompas:) Those lil' people multiply like rabbits

I haven't heard why, but I'm pretty sure that Southloop can clue us in.

[Prepster]

Phantom's "reliable sources" say that parking is prohibited back there so that the Sabres Baseball Booster Club can move the entire concession stand/press box back 15 feet. As a result, spectators in the home stands will be able to see first base and right field.

[Braves]

Actually there has been some talk of moving it to the visitors side. They tend to selectively watch the games anyway..like when a batter leans into a pitch:)

[Baseball Manager 02]

well where ever its moved it will be nice. though all the SM games ive been to im in the dougout, the legond games in the stands are a killer. i aggree that the view is a problem