Three leagues, one field
Here's an early look at a story that's slated to print soon. The article deals with a pending contract between the city and Cal State San Bernardino to use Fiscalini Field for baseball games.
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The field is currently used by adult and youth leagues and there's some worry among non-collegiate players that they will lose access to the field. The other side of the story is that Cal State has promised to spend its money on field improvements at Fiscalini, which was built in 1934, in exchange for being able to play home games at the field.
By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- A pending contract that would allow Cal State San Bernardino's baseball team to use Fiscalini Field for home games has other ballplayers worried that their teams will be thrown out of the game.
City recreation chief Kevin Hawkins said in an interview Friday that he's committed to making a deal with the university. He says the contract will be a step forward for his cash-strapped department.
"We are moving forward with Cal State. There are no qualms about it," Hawkins said.
He said the city is willing to accommodate other leagues that want to play baseball in San Bernardino, but stressed that the Coyote squad is poised to become the primary team at Fiscalini.
In exchange for letting the Coyote baseball team play home games at Fiscalini for 10 years, the school would pay an annual fee and agree to build improvements at the New Deal-era stadium.
But others are worried that Cal State's arrival could mean big-time scheduling conflicts for their leagues. San Bernardino Adult Baseball and Pony Baseball currently use the field for their games.
"Everyone wants this field of dreams," Hawkins said. "Even though it's in disrepair, people are coming from all over."
Jason Gopperton, who said he's played in San Bernardino Adult Baseball for about 10 years, is one of those people. He said he and other league members are not totally opposed to the city-Cal State deal, but want assurances that the Coyotes will complete promised field improvements and won't chase his league or Pony out of Fiscalini.
"The problem is they don't really specify cooperation with the other two leagues," Gopperton said.
The contract would let Cal State use the field from Oct. 1 through May 15 of each year. Coyote players would be able to take the field from noon to 6 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends when home games are scheduled.
Double-headers, however, could keep the Coyotes on the field until 6 p.m. on weekends.
"If they (Cal State) have three back-to-back weekends, it will kill the league," Gopperton said.
Cal State athletic director Kevin Hatcher could not be reached for comment but, said at Monday's City Council meeting that the school "will definitely work with the city" in terms of scheduling non-conference games.
Fiscalini Field, built in 1934, sits off Highland Avenue at Perris Hill Park. Future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. played at the field during his minor league days with the San Bernardino Spirit in 1988.
But San Bernardino's minor league club -- now called the Inland Empire 66ers -- has changed venues to Arrowhead Credit Union Park near downtown and Fiscalini has had better days.
"I almost fell through the press box," said 2nd Ward City Councilman Dennis Baxter, who represents the area.
Baxter, like Hawkins, said he favors the Cal State contract since the agreement requires the university to pay for stadium improvements.
The deal calls for the university to make annual payments of $17,500 to use the field and to make several capital improvements including the construction of a new 10-foot outfield fence, rebuilding the press box and repairing or replacing Fiscalini's scoreboard.
Burbank-based Major League Softball has a contract with the city to help run the adult league. Hawkins said he's open to suggestions on how to accommodate scheduling differences or move the league to an alternate venue, such as Delmann Heights Park.
It's his plan to have Pony games played at Delmann Heights, which is on the Westside.
"We want to start programming in that area," Hawkins said.
Gopperton said the only other fields besides Fiscalini that would be suitable for adult play would be a high school venue.
A Pony league representative could not be reached for comment Friday, but Gopperton ventured that many in Pony would not want to play at Delmann Heights.
"None of the parents want to drive there. It's not a good neighborhood," Gopperton said.
So far, the City Council has held back on making a decision. Monday, the council decided to delay a vote and on whether to approve the Cal State deal for two weeks to allow more time to work on scheduling problems.
andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
(909) 386-3921
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Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
Great subject. Now Mr. Andrew Edwards since you are on the subject of City owned Baseball fields, Can you take a drive down to the baseball fields on the corner of 14th and Mt.Vernon (kckc field) and Guadulupe field. on the corner of Roberds ave and 8th street and try to get in, and when you find out that they are locked. (The gates) Then ask the park commissioners or the Parks and Recreation Director why!
What's his excuse! for the closure.
They have they been closed to the general public of the cities westside for the past 4 years. I have heard that if your kid is not inrolled in the league he can't play on the field. Even when there are is no league activity going on. The field is closed to the general public. Mr. Andrew Edwards, can you also find out who pays for the maintance and lights of this city owned ballfield. Is it the tax payers of this City or the leagues that play here?
I have made an issue several times with the commissioner of that area. He says that he trys but just gets excuses from parks and recreation staff.
So Mr.Anrew Edwards, tell them guys, that are afraid of losing there ballfield, that after a while you get use to not having one to play in after work with your kids, and it's not that bad after all, you will find other things to do.
This is ridiculous. Last time I checked, Fiscalini was a CITY park. Perhaps it is time for the City of San Bernardino to fix OUR OWN ballpark so that the multitudes who have used it in the past can continue to do so. I will not vote to give exclusive use of the park to any one organization.
This same thing happened when the Spirit took over the park and basically nixed everyone else. That is not going to happen here. Pushing Pony to Delmann Heights is lunacy as well.
pony league has Palm field to play at . Fiscalini isn't Pony league dimensions, they shouldn't be there anyway ...What about Golden Valley ! Wildwood senior league played there ?... Cal State has done more for Fiscalini than any other group .And they don't leave the parking lot littered with beer cans.
Anonymous:
Civitan and Baseline Senior Leagues used the fields previously. The City has an obligation to serve as many of our residents as possible and any severe limitations on recreation use by adult and youth leagues is unnacceptable.
An agreement must be reached that allows as many organizations as possible to use Fiscalini. It is a public resource.
I am glad to see that Neil Derry is standing up for the kids.....youth recreation is what should be important, not helping the university find an exclusive spot for their players to play. PONY baseball is an important method of keeping kids out of trouble.
This city should be supporting proven youth diversion programs like Little League baseball, PONY baseball, AYSO soccer, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, etc. This city created thing called Operation Phoenix is a drain on the taxpayers and the Police Department, and it's an embarrassment to the citizens of San Bernardino.
Kevin Hawkins is looking for an easy way to bail his out his department. If hundreds of volunteers can show up to build two playgrounds in this city, why can't this be done to fix the cosmetic problems at Fiscalini? Maybe because the Mayor is working on another one of his "collaborations".....
STOP the collaborations and save Fiscalini Field for THE KIDS!
I don't know why the decent people of San Bernardino are surprised their city isn't trying to help them find a place for their children to play ball. Haven't you heard?? Your kids don't deserve a place to play ball!
Apparently, you have to live in a low-income part of town and have "at-risk" children for the mayor to notice your family's woes. If you happen to be middle-class or make a little more than minimum wage the mayor and Operation Phoenix isn't concerned about your needs.
If your kids are not getting into trouble with the law, have a drug problem or affiliating with gangs, the the mayor doesn't care about your kids. If your children happen to come from a middle-class, two-parent family where both parents work and are not living in the U.S. illegally or draining the welfare system, then you are not important in the Mayor's eyes. Don't expect your children to benefit from the city's largesse - that's only for the "underpriviledged" whose mothers use their EBT money for manicures instead of milk.
Haven't you heard? Mayor Morris and his son care more about coddling criminals and the people who have absolutely no wish to get off the public dole than they do about the children of hard-working, law-abiding citizens in San Bernardino.
Those kids can eat cake...as long as they buy it themselves. Meanwhile, the spawn of the criminal population can eat hot dogs and pizza - on the city's dime!
Each of those games will be available for 29 at iTunes Store. Not sure of what games, but it sure does sound like a lot of money for a game. I guess if you own the iPhone it is well worth it.