Editor,
For more than eight years since the baseball field was reoriented (moving home plate from the southwest corner to the northwest corner), the residents of St. Ann’s Drive and Wilson Street have been continually bombarded by baseballs: not a dozen, but hundreds and hundreds of baseballs hitting our cars and houses, with more than 17 claims for damage totaling $15,000 to $20,000 or more.
Since 2006 we have met numerous times with city councils, school boards, and mayors to impress upon them our dire concern for the community’s safety: yours, mine, school children, and friends. Because the field is elevated above street level, the balls come down “silently” out of the sky without warning. Seems like a very dangerous situation to me.
We who live on St. Ann’s behind left field (A.K.A. power alley) have had a number of claims on our vehicles and numerous close calls from errant baseballs. Three times in our driveway balls have landed within feet of us: in 2013, when getting in my vehicle, a ball hit the roof 12 inches from my head; on Dec. 23, at 11:30 a.m. a ball bounced off the car and within feet of my neighbor and her daughter; and on Jan. 28, at 4:02 p.m. a ball landed on St. Ann’s within feet of the sidewalk and just over the heads of a dozen cross-country runners. These are just a few of the many close encounters.
A group of neighbors met with school officials again on Jan. 29 and we asked the coach, “How many baseballs do you think get hit over the fence in a practice day?” His answer: “I’m not sure, maybe 10 or 15. But we do hear them hitting your houses and cars.” I have been labeled the bad guy just because I’m trying to prevent a tragedy in a situation with an accident just waiting to happen.
If this seems like a public safety issue to you as well, please attend a scheduled school board workshop to study the baseball field issue open to the public at 5 p.m. March 5 at the school board offices.
Also, to be discussed will be the recent planting of 38 trees on the bank around the perimeter of the baseball field, which could grow to 60 feet or more. If you are concerned about your view equity, we strongly recommend you attend.
Michele and David Nelson
