Home Antioch Antioch Baseball League Celebrates Revitalization of Ball Fields

Antioch Baseball League Celebrates Revitalization of Ball Fields

by ECT

On Friday, the L4 Baseball and Softball had their 2016 fall season kickoff and celebrated their efforts for renovating the sports complex in Antioch on Auto Center Drive and W. 10th Street.

During their kickoff BBQ, Tony DeRusso discussed the challenges in revitalizing the storied Babe Ruth fields and announced that the fields were just several weeks away from game shape.

“Our board of Directors and facilities management team have been working tirelessly and the sacrifices these individuals and families have made deserve special recognition,” said DeRusso. “I thank God for the passion and dedication this leadership team brings to the organization. Every one of these individuals believes in the Mission of L4 Baseball and Softball which is Teaching character and life lessons through the game of baseball and softball.”

L4 Baseball was formed in 2013 and have been working for the past year to renovate six fields on the complex grounds which had been Babe Ruth Fields for more than 60 years.

DeRusso further highlighted how L4 Baseball has been built around trying to create a family environment. Where the coaches teach that team is a brotherhood and sisterhood and the other teams are cousins. He explained that they have also tried to create events for the players and families to get together and we will continue to organize these events and gatherings.

L4 Baseball had three major projects with the fields which they had to break into phases.

L4-Baseball-IMG_7058The league is currently in Phase 1 which is to get the front portion of the property including the front 3 fields ready. In Phase 2 they will be focusing our revitalization efforts to the remaining 3 fields in the back of the complex. This includes utilizing the open section of the complex behind the back 3 fields as a practice area for the teams. They plan to build multiple pitching and hitting stations as well as an open area for general warmup and other baseball related activities. Needless to say the magnitude of this project required us to break the job into phases

“Today we are currently approximately 80% complete with phase 1 and I’m pleased to announce that we are on target to host our first L4 Tournament on October 15th 2016 on these fields,” said DeRusso. “Obviously as stated we are not 100% there but with help and the oversight of our grand slam sponsor Delta Blue Grass we should be ready. As you can see Regoli Field 1 Sponsored by Delta Blue Grass is in playing condition and we are looking forward to having some practices in September.”

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Randy Fischback throws ceremonial first pitch

He also noted that Alta Fence will be helping repair the fences around the fields and around the facilities. They also will be replacing all of the fence backstops with 25-foot netting and we will be building a 2-foot concrete wall around the perimeter of the backstop.

With fields close to game shape, DeRusso says the league will move forward to establish an L4 Babe Ruth Charter to continue great baseball in Antioch and East Contra Costa County.

Randy Fischback from Dow Chemical, their main partner and main sponsor of the L4 Babe Ruth Fields was selected to throw out the first pitch on the field.  DeRusso says without Fischback and Dow, this would not be possible.

L4 Baseball has been built on one primary principle; Teaching character and life lessons through the game of baseball. Second to that is to teach the children to compete at the highest level possible. Founded in 2013 on these very principles L4 Baseball has grown to include ages 9u through 13u in our travel baseball division and 10u to 12u for our travel softball division. Our coaching staff is dedicated and committed to the “Mission” of L4 Baseball.

For more on L4 Baseball, visit them at www.l4baseball.org

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