After roughly two decades of use, the infield playing surfaces of the baseball and softball fields at Bridgeport City Park are in need of some major work. And thanks to a recent decision by Bridgeport City Council to approve a Parks and Recreation request, the work will be coming this fall.

 

On June 8, Council approved a capital reserve fund budget revision that appropriated more than $440,000 in hotel/motel tax dollars that were available. One of the items Parks and Recreation officials included in the revision request was the laser grading of the fields at Bridgeport City Park. Also included and approved is laser grading for the fields at the Bridgeport Recreation Complex.

 

“It’s time for this to take place, particularly at City Park,” said P&R Deputy Director Joe Shuttleworth. “We’ve had a long-standing agreement with Little League and the softball group that once we built the fields that we would cut the grass and they would maintain things such as the infield, which is a daily task during the spring and summer months.”

 

While the arrangement has worked, after years of maintenance by adults and volunteers with both organizations, the conditions have slipped. And Shuttleworth said it has nothing to do with anyone dropping the ball.

 

“You have a couple of issues there. First, you have groups that do the maintenance that have other commitments with their families or jobs that prevent them from spending hours each day maintaining the fields,” said Shuttleworth. “The other issue is that you have individuals that are well-intended in helping to get the fields in playing shape, but have ended up doing damage that this laser grading will correct. The fields are at a point now where they just don’t drain well.”

 

The main issue involves the creation of “lips” at both City Park fields. Year after year of individuals using brooms to push water off the field into grass has actually made holes deep and created a lip on the edge of the grass leading to the outfield.

 

“You couple that with improper dragging that occurs as the result of that and you get a field that really is tough to drain and has a less the desirable playing surface,” Shuttleworth said.

 

Recently, Shuttleworth said P&R worked with Sonny Pethel of the Softball Association and Paul Paulsen with Little League to haul in infield material and dirt to make the fields more playable.

 

“They were in pretty sad shape. Once we all worked on it with the new dirt and brought in a sod cutter and added a conditioner to the material on the field that helps soak up water when it rains it at least made the fields decent,” said Shuttleworth. “The problem is that it’s like patching potholes on a road. Eventually, they’re going to come lose again.”

 

The laser grading, Shuttleworth said, should curtail the problems greatly. Although the project still has to be put out to bid, once that’s done he said the winning contractor will likely bring in new material and what he called a “laser guided box drag.” That, he said, will return the fields to their original state.

 

“It will make the surface is perfect. It will have a little bit of a crown to it sloping toward the grass and rain will sheet right off during a hard water event,” Shuttleworth said. “In the meantime before and after that we’ve provided specialized sponges to soak the water up so there will be no more brooming of the field. We’re actually going to regularly provide training of the volunteers so when they show up they’ll know the proper thing to do in order to keep the fields healthy for as long as possible.”

 

Although still new, the Recreation Complex will also have the same process done. Shuttleworth said it’s more a situation of tremendous use that has led to the need there.

 

“On a big tournament, you have may have 80 games in a week.  If you have 12 to 14 tournaments along with Little League, Babe Ruth, Patriot League, softball leagues and practices up there as then you know it is being utilized to the max,” said Shuttleworth. “We drag it every day, which has led to it becoming flat and causing some issues.”

 

The laser grading at City Park has $15,000 set aside for it. However, there is also $35,000 set aside to replace the backstops at the fields and $3,000 set aside for a concession/press box shed at the facility. The total investment for improvements is at $53,000.

 

Laser grading the four fields at the Recreation Complex is set at $40,000. The laser grading at both facilities will soon be done on a regular rotation.

 

“We’re going to look at a program probably every four to five years after we review each facility to see if it’s needed,” said Shuttleworth. “This first one will be done in the fall where it won’t interrupt any activities.”

 

Editor's Note: Joe Shuttleworth shows how the fields "pond up" after any signficant rain, while P&R staff is trained in the bottom photo on how to properly rake the fields as opposed to using a broom on them.