MOOSE JAW — The house that veterans built.
In all apologies to the late Babe Ruth, it’s an analogy for the 1946 construction of Memorial Field.
There won’t be any World Series games or even practices ever held there. Not even close.
But for the users’ groups who now play on Memorial Field’s Lyle Helland Diamond the decision by executive committee is as good as one of the Bambino’s crushing home runs.
“It’s the decision we wanted, I guess. We knew the grandstands needed to go as they were in dire straights,” Crystal Kober-McCubbing president of Moose Jaw Ladies’ Slo-Pitch said.
“We were just looking at preserving the ball field itself and maintaining it so all of the leagues that play there can still play there,” Kober-McCubbing told MJ Independent just after exiting the council chambers on Monday.
Executive committee voted to demolish the present grandstand, rebuild the entryway and do major upgrades at a cost of $258,220.
Although it was one of four options in a report from administration the option to demolish the 78-year-old structure and shut down the ball field was not even discussed.
Option Two considered was the demolition of the grandstand, creating a wooden entry, upgrades to the infrastructure and expanding the ball field by 15 feet.
This option priced in at $44,000 more and it meant the field would not be operational for a year.
Kober-McCubbing Cubbing said she was realistic about what to expect from Memorial Field.
“If Option Two helps in the long run to be able to host national events and stuff like that and then of course we would be all for it,” she said.
She said not being able to play for a year would be highly detrimental to the league.
“When he (Councillor Kim Robinson) asked where we would play there are no diamonds for us to play on. The ladies’ (fastball) and minor girls are snatching up everything there is.”
“We may take the year off then,” she said.
Taking a year off to allow Option Two’s more extensive renovations would likely kill the league. Especially after the hit from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Well, there are a lot of us on the verge of retirement. It would have a big impact. … before COVID we had 10 ladies’ teams and more faithfully. Since COVID we’re sitting at about six teams,” Kober-McCubbing said.
“Yeah, we lost four or five teams from COVID. Shutting down again would kill us.”
Mayor Clive Tolley, who played fastball for 25 years at Memorial Field, said he was happy with executive committee’s decision.
Tolley played fastball in the same league with his brother Lindsay who holds the season record of 15 home runs. He said he liked keeping Memorial Field’s tradition alive.
“I think it was built in 1946 by the veterans as a memorial to the veterans and I don’t think we should change that,” he said.
“It’s … [an] iconic park and we’ve been able to hold a lot of important events there … without having to change the dimensions.”
The mayor said he does not favour expansion and that “the ladies’ from slo-pitch just want to leave it the way it is. They don’t want to miss a season.”
He said the two remaining men’s fastpitch teams of a once high 12 local teams also would not like to miss a season.
“That’s one of the problems. It’s the same with the senior men’s fastball. If you lose a year you lose momentum and once something is done it’s done,” Tolley said.
Although Councillor Robinson favoured Option Two and two others — Councillor Jamie Logan and Councillor Doug Blanc — said they initially favoured Option Two, Mayor Tolley said the $44,000 in additional costs between the two options discussed just didn’t add up.
He said the $44,000 was significant because it was money that could be used for the myriad of facilities and infrastructure requiring repair.
“I think it’s a good idea just keep going the way it is and do the recommendations that are in Option One,” he said.
