WELCOME TO ATHENS SANDLOT BASEBALL & SOFTBALL (Last Updated 7/19/2010)   Our 2010 season is done!  Thanks to everyone that made it possible. We hope you had a good season and look forward to seeing you next year!   SANDLOT RECEIVES $2000 DONATION! Brent and Cindy Hayes graciously donated $2000 to Athens Sandlot.  The money will be used to cover the fee the City imposed on Sandlot for the use of the baseball/softball fields.  Since 2003 Athens Sandlot has renovated six of the ten exisiting fields and installed two youth fields. Sandlot has applied for many grants with several grants awarded resulting in improvements at the West End Park adding approximately $500,000 in improvements since 2003. It is only with the help of volunteers, community support, grants and generous donations that we have been able to make those improvements over the years! Thanks to the Hayes' for their generous donation!     OUR LEAGUE   Athens Sandlot Baseball was created with the purpose of involving more kids in the pre-little league level, teaching basics, and having fun. All kids who sign up will be selected for a team and play in every game. One day will be scheduled for evaluation of skills; batting, catching, and throwing. After evaluations balanced teams are chosen to ensure competitive play.   In 2003 the league started with 9/10 year old division and 40 players.  In 2004, a 7/8  and 13 year old divisions were added and we grew to 140 players. In 2005 an 11/12 and 14 year old divisions were added. A 9/10 and 11/12 girls softball divisions were added as well bringing the total up to about 300 players.   In 2008 we were up to about 450 players which is about where we are today.   Today, players are divided into 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, 13, and 14 year old baseball divisions and 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12 year old girls softball divisions.   Team practices are held during April and games are started in late April (weather permitting).  At least two games are played each week into June.  A league tournament is held in June with teams positioned by season record.  Some players go on to play all-stars. The West End Park located at the end of West State Street.  In the spring and summer, youth baseball and softball play. FIELDS OF DREAMS In 2003 the league had played its first season. The Board thought that the kids deserved better fields. What really started as an idea to install dugouts mushroomed into a quest.  "What if we made small major league field for kids?"  "What if" turned in to "we could" and then "we should"   try to give the kids something special. So,  from March 3, 2005 to May 5, 2005  we renovated three of six fields that looked like what you see in the first two pictures below.  WE WENT FROM THIS. . .     TO THIS!!!!           BOSTON'S FENWAY PARK! A 1/2 SCALE RECREATION OF  COMPLETE WITH A GREEN "MINI" MONSTER HOME RUN FENCE (18.5 FEET TALL) AND PESKE'S POLE (157 Feet)! BOSTON'S FENWAY PARK HISTORY         AND . . .    JACOBS FIELD! CLEVELAND'S JACOBS FIELD HISTORY  AND . . . WRIGLEY FIELD! WITH A "BRICK" BACKSTOP  and     CHICAGO'S WRIGLEY FIELD HISTORY       and in 2006 provided Two Girls Softball/8u/T-Ball Fields !!! THREE RIVERS PITTSBURGH'S THREE RIVERS STADIUM HISTORY  RIVERFRONT CINCINATTI'S RIVERFRONT HISTORY         and renovated another baseball field into . . .   CROSLEY FIELD!!! Opening Day -  April 22, 2006!  CINCINATTI'S CROSLEY FIELD HISTORY   and in 2007 renovated another field into. . .. .    THE POLO GROUNDS! NEW YORK CITY'S POLO GROUNDS HISTORY   ON THESE REPLICA FIELDS THE FOUL lINE AND HOME RUN FENCE DIMENSIONS ARE ONE HALF OF THEIR MAJOR LEAGUE COUNTERPARTS!  THEY also include FENCED IN "ON DECK" areas at the end of each dugout FOR ADDED PLAYER SAFETY!   IN 2008 WE RENOVATED DALTON FIELD AND REDID FROM THE HOME PLATE AREA DOWN THE FOUL LINE AREAS IN FRONT OF THE DUGOUTS, ADDING STONE AND FENCING FOR SAFETY.   AND NOW WE HAVE TEAMS THAT COME FROM AS FAR AWAY AS MICHIGAN, WEST VIRGINIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND KENTUCKY TRAVEL TO PLAY ON THESE FIELDS!   KIDS PLAYING BASEBALL/SOFTBALL - WHAT COULD BE BETTER! The fields are referred to as the "Jaycee Fields" as you will see on the Athens Park and Rec sign as you enter the park. In the late 1960's and early 1970's the Athens Jaycees, a civic organization, built two fields (Fields 1 & 2) located on the left as you drive into the park that were used by little league. Prior to that this was a corn field. Years later the City was able to light those fields at a cost of $250,000 in the 1970s when adult softball was popular. In 2007, a plaque purchased by the city was erected on a base built by Athens Sandlot commemorating the Jaycees. Athens Sandlot coaches prepare the fields on the weekends for play including lining the fields (the City does it during the week). They also prepare the fields for tournaments during the summer. This includes dragging, raking and lining the fields. The City requires Sandlot to bag trash during tournaments. The fields only stay as nice as we want them. So coaches & their teams repair their fields themselves. This includes filling any holes and raking the pitchers mounds and batter's box. Teams are responsible for removing their trash from the dugouts after games. Only with your help are the fields in the playing condition you want and expect. During tournaments Sandlot coaches bag trash by the dugouts for the City's convenience. It also helps keep the area nice for our visitors. Athens Sandlot started in 2003 with a 9/10 year old league. The city let us use the fields located in the back of the park. Previously called Fields 7 & 9, these later became the Polo Grounds and Crosley Fields. There were about seven teams (69 players). The ball kept rolling under the broken fence. A ball hit foul would be lost in the brush. A grounder hit the outfield might be a home run because it would roll forever as there was no home run fence. There were no dugouts - just benches. The ground was hard as a rock. Coaches volunteered to umpire each others games. We had no catcher's equipment - kids brought their own. We had nothing to line fields. We didn't even own a rake. WE brought our own rakes and shovels from home to work on the fields. In the summer we'd go to other places to play in tournaments. Places with dugouts. Places with umpires. We couldn't host a tournament because no one would come here and play at fields with no fences, dugouts or concession stand. So we decided to see what we could do about it. So we went to the city with an idea. It went something like this. . . How about adding dugouts and fencing? - we asked. We don't have the money to do that - said the City. Well, what if we raised the money and effort to do it? - we asked. Do it for free? That would be fine - said the City. Well, if we did all that work we would want to be guaranteed to be able to play our season and host some tournaments - so could we do that? - we asked. "That sounds fair considering all the work you will do - sure - just work with our scheduler so we know we know when you will be using the fields" - said the City. So planning started in January 2005. Six sponsors stepped up to support our effort - Diagnostic Hybrids, Hocking Valley Bank, Ohio Realty, Rider Insurance, The Schwarzel Family and Athens Little League each gave $5000 to start the project. On March 3, 2005 we simultaneously broke ground on the old fields that would become Fenway, Wrigley and Jacobs Field. The Sandlot Board and other volunteers worked at a fevered pace every night after work until 1:00 am and all day on the weekends. The goal was to be ready by opening day - May 2, 2005. We even fixed up the concession stand which was then being used to store paper towels and toliet paper. The week before opening day, we were working on the fields that entire week all day and night and up until 3:30 a.m. the morning of opening day. We were actually working on the fields that morning up until the time we had opening ceremonies. Then on May 2, 2005, our opening day, we had three newly renovated fields ready - Fenway Park, Jacobs Field and Wrigley Field! We started the day at 10:00 a.m. with our first parade down Court Street complete with bands and fire trucks. We had ceremonies that introduced the teams, presentation of the American Flag by Ohio University's Color Guard, lined up the teams and played the National Anthem, threw out the first ceremonial pitch, had programs, kids rides, the dunk tank, and opened the concession stand which had been closed for 10+ years. It was a grand sunny day. Sandlot was a success! More and more people came to play. In 2006 we renovated one field, Crosley Field, and added two others - Three Rivers and Riverfront. We made these two fields with younger players in mind. This is now where younger softball, baseball and T-ball players play. In 2007 we added The Polo Grounds with the help of Rotary. In 2008 we renovated Dalton Field with the help of the Dalton Family. In 2009 and 2010 we improved the field surface conditions and drainage on the fields. As a result, there are kids throughout Athens County who played in Sandlot and are now playing in high school. In 2005 we started hosting tournaments. One of the reasons we started the league was to offer local teams the opportunity to play locally and to hopefully increase tourism dollars with people coming to visit and play. People have responded. Teams have come from all over including West Virginia, Michigan, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania to play in addition to our local teams. They stay in hotels, shop, eat, and visit during their stay. They see places like Ohio University and the City itself, and have a good time (unless it rains - we are not responsible for that). That increased tourism directly helps our local economy. Over those years the Athens Foundation awarded us grants to help with these projects. The City of Athens also contributed to the renovation with about $10,000 plus added three water fountains, and the scoreboards that are on the fields as well as labor on various items. Athens Sandlot agreed to renovate the fields as long as City allowed Sandlot to play their season, host tournaments, and run the concession stand to help repay the private loan Sandlot took out to fund the project. The fields were built with the help of the Athens Sandlot Board Members who donated labor and money as well as organized and raised funds for the project. Many people donated their time and expertise to install the fences, dugouts and backstop. Keith and Steve Bolin were with us from beginning to end and layed the first dugout block right up to the last. Three Rivers, Riverfront and The Polo Grounds were possible mostly because of Jay Maiden's help (Maiden & Jenkins). The Polo Grounds and batting cage were only possible with the help of Rotary. Three Rivers and Riverfront with the help of Jay Maiden. And the Athens Foundation was there at the beginning so there is a little of them in everything as well. The Athens County Convention and Bureau of Tourism and the O'Bleness Foundation has helped as well. It is only with their help have we been able to do so much! Thanks to them and all the volunteered effort, kids are able to play and parents, family and friends are able to get together to visit, chat, enjoy some sunshine, and most importantly - enjoy seeing the kids having fun and making some memories. Thanks to everyone for their support!