If you build it, they will come.

By Rosanna Trestman
If you passed the Mountain Road ball field this spring, chances are you witnessed the All American Game in action. If you saw the late afternoon sun skim the bleachers and heard the crack of metal bats; if you heard children and parents cheering the runner home; and, if you are above a certain age, you got that “aw shucks” kind of feeling, then you got a glimpse of Norfolk’s Little League in full swing.
Granted, the likes of Babe Ruth aren’t playing on our little patch of dirt, but they may get their start since this little patch of dirt has undergone a colossal renovation.

Sarah Allyn of the Norfolk Icew Breakers plays in the Cross Town Series tourament.

About three years ago, the Mountain Road field was in such disrepair that it was not only difficult to play on, but a source of embarrassment to the Little Leaguers and their parents.
Bent on rectifying this situation, an ad hoc group of concerned parents rolled up their sleeves and embarked on what they thought would be a simple renovation. After three years of steady work, the complete overhaul is still in progress.
In the first year, a core group of parents succeeded in installing new dugouts and fencing and renovating the fields. Each project demanded enormous amounts of energy, financially and physically. The infield, for example, required stripping the entire area of grass, scraping out clay, removing thousands of pounds of sod, and moving in actual baseball dirt. They completed the infield in two days.
Ed Machowski, father to a then third grader, has been with the team from the start. He itemizes with pride their accomplishments past and future including pouring concrete for foul poles, which will be painted and erected; installing new dugouts and building batting cages. “Even the Brownies and Girl Scouts jumped in and put fresh coats of paint on the garbage cans,” Machowski says with a grin.
Mary Reeve, also of the original crew and mother of two of the ball players, describes how “The field is a labor of love. The teams are proud of it when they are playing, and after the game the kids faithfully rake the field.”
While parents provided the labor gratis, most services and materials were offered free of charge by local contractors and businesses, most of whom are related to the families. The Recreation Committee budgeted funds for bats, uniforms and such, and Town Hall loaned out its massive machinery and Town Crew to do some of the heavy lifting.
The parents confess the uneasiness they used to feel when traveling teams came through. “Our field paled in comparison to other town’s ballfields in the league and we wanted to provide Norfolk’s kids with a field that they could be proud of.” Machowski says, “Now we overhear compliments like “Wow, this field has changed.”” Not to be outdone, one of the visiting leagues has begun resurrecting the other field on Mountain Road. “It’s nice to see both fields bustling with activity on a Saturday afternoon – there’s still something magical about baseball,” Machowski adds.
Keeping a steady work force happens naturally. When kids grow out of Little League, a little of them stays behind. “The uniforms stay the same,”says Machowski, “it’s the kids who cycle through.” The same goes for the parents: when their children graduate school it’s usually time for them to move on, too. And when next year’s class rotates in, so do their parents — who get recruited. And on it goes.
How much is left to be done on the Norfolk field? “Plenty!” declares Machowski. “Our goal is to complete one or two projects a year. We hope to have a full batting cage by the fall, there’s the scoreboard, then spring clean up….”

Photo By Bruce Frisch