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Fields of dreams
by Anna Meadows and Suzanne Rook, Wake Weekly Associate Editors
May 29, 2003
David Faircloth doesn't expect these fields of dreams will sprout the next Jason Giambi or Barry Bonds. But without the Greater Wake Forest Area Baseball Commission, Faircloth believes, there'd be a lot fewer opportunities for local kids wanting to swing for the fences.
Opportunities and top-notch facilities -- that's what Ed Austin, the town's athletics program coordinator, wants too. But with a number of rec programs vying for the same few dollars, baseball fields often take a back seat to other, more pressing needs. "When it comes down to making a budget ... there are some things that are mandatory and some things that are luxury items," said Austin. "It doesn't make sense to spend money on a scoreboard when you need something else worse." Now batting for the Town of Wake Forest: the GWFABC. For several years now, Faircloth and five or six of his buddies have longed for immaculate and irrigated fields, bull pens where pitchers can warm up and a scoreboard so spectators didn't need pencil and paper to know who was winning. But those amenities took money. Money the town didn't have. Instead of sitting on their hands and complaining, Faircloth and his friends Kip and Les Abshire, Mark Dowdy, Arnold Blankenship and Tom Shipman sat down with Austin and town officials to determine how they could help the town and accomplish their goals. Begun officially this spring, the commission is a non-profit corporation dedicated to funding and promoting the town's baseball program. Already they've raised nearly $20,000, mostly by selling 4' by 8' signs that hang on the three outfield fences at Flaherty Park. With that money the improvements are already noticeable: a fresh coat of paint on the dugouts and scorer's boxes, bull pens, batting cages and safety caps on fencing at the Flaherty fields. Scoreboards should be hooked up within a week, says Austin, and irrigation systems installed during the park's construction is back in working order. Austin says he's impressed with what the GWFABC has accomplished. "The thought is improved facilities will attract more players, people who've chosen to play somewhere else. Kind of 'you build it and they'll come,'" he said, paraphrasing the famous line from the movie Field of Dreams. Full count More than 680 boys and girls ages 6 to 17 are playing baseball, T-ball and softball in Wake Forest this season. Through the GWFABC, 48 of those boys (ages 9 through 14) are playing on three All-Star or "select" teams. Select teams are common in several sports, baseball included, and use a tryout process to fill their rosters. The teams play a longer season and travel frequently, playing other select-level teams mostly within an hour from home. Select team fees are slightly higher than what the town charges: $75 per player. That money, Faircloth says, pays for umpires, uniforms and supplies, such as bats and balls. Faircloth admits that select teams were a priority for the GWFABC. Teams of that caliber, he believes, raise the level of play, increase players' skill and increase awareness of the town's baseball program. In the near future, Faircloth says, GWFABC wants to add even more select teams and hopes to host tournaments. Those events will fill local hotels and restaurants, he said. And having great-looking fields will make quite an impression on visitors. Grand slam Austin admits he had some initial trepidation about such a partnership. While he's heard of other North Carolina towns with booster organizations which run concession stands, he doesn't know any with an arrangement like this one. Just last week, GWFABC signed an agreement with the town, spelling out exactly what the commission can do and where it needs permission before acting. The document, says Austin, ensures both parties have a clear understanding of the agreement. "We want to be a partner," says Faircloth. But Austin isn't worried that the GWFABC will dissolve its franchise. He believes they're in it for the long haul. "I may have grandkids that live in this town 20 years from now and I can say 'Hey, I started this,'" says Faircloth. "From the most talented (player) to the most inexperienced ... we hope we're giving them the feeling it can be fun." They've started with the Flaherty Park fields on North White Street, but already the commission is looking at other town fields -- like the Ailey Young Park on Juniper Avenue -- they can help improve in the future. "We want the Town of Wake Forest to benefit. We want our kids to benefit," said Faircloth. And they are, says Austin, "While this group wants to offer more opportunities, our focus is (all the) kids who want to play baseball, not the 12 who want to play 10 months a year. And (their work) is improving the facilities for everyone." Editor's Note -- For more information or to get involved with the GWFABC, contact Kip Abshire at 556-4013. Youngsville upgrades its baseball fields Gil Johnson's wife says he has a girlfriend named Luddy. Luddy Park, that is. Johnson has spent so many of his free hours at the Youngsville park trying to get it ready for Dixie Youth baseball, that's the joke his fellow Optimist Club members are telling these days. It's good for a chuckle, but the truth is, lots of club members' wives are telling the joke about their husbands too. Over the last three years Optimists and other members of the Youngsville community have come together to establish a lasting legacy for their kids and grandkids at Luddy Park. "It may be the kind of thing that people from other places take for granted, but we've never had a nice ball field," said Youngsville resident Scott White whose 11-year-old son Matthew plays baseball on a local team. What the community ended up with is not only a nice ball field, but a lighted ball field -- the first ever for the town. It all began more than four years ago when Bob Luddy, developer of Youngsville Park Industrial Center, donated 10 acres for a town park next to the National Guard Armory. There was a catch, however; Luddy said he expected work to begin on the park in five years or he would take the land back. Some grading work was done and soccer fields laid out, but the town and the Optimist Club wanted more. Doug Elmore was the point man from the club working on sports programing, and he suggested the Optimists use the money they'd saved over the years to develop a playing field at Luddy Park. The club's bank account had been set up to buy land for a ball field, but if the town agreed to their plans, they'd have the land in place. It was time to build a field. In the fall of 2001, with the saved money and a $3,000 county parks and recreation grant, the club put their plan into action. Grading work began and a fence was erected. A year ago, the club began selling advertising space to businesses on the outfield fence. Some businesses traded sign space for their services. Everything was in place but the lights. After two years of intensive work, that dream has been realized. Youngsville now has its first ever lighted ball field. "The main drive behind this is that we had to keep driving to Franklinton to use their fields," Johnson said recently as he took a break from mowing right field. With as many as 277 young players signed up on 20 teams, the club thought it was time to get the field on the ground. They got lots of help from businesses and local government. Wake Electric provided a $2,500 grant, and the club secured $1,000 from United Way of Franklin County. The county parks and recreation department ponied up $3,100. A scorekeepers' building donated by Womack Utility Buildings was installed behind home plate, and soon bleachers will be brought in for spectators. "Our first game was played Thursday, April 17," Johnson said with pride. "The club was recently informed that our league was awarded the district tournament for the majors division of Dixie Youth Baseball this year, the first tournament for youth baseball ever to be held in Youngsville." An electronic scoreboard will be installed this month, and a concession stand and storage building will be in place before the tournament in July. In less than three years, the community has come together with local government and businesses to produce a quality ball field for area children, Johnson said, but the club isn't resting on its laurels. Future plans include constructing a softball field at the park which will double as a second coach-pitch division baseball field. "We envision a town park with walkways, trees, ball fields, picnic areas, basketball and tennis courts and a playground," Johnson said. "With the cooperation of all those involved so far and others, we believe the Town of Youngsville will have a park that will rival any other in a town its size."
Last Updated On: May 29, 2003
Copyright 2003 The Wake Weekly