Greenfield’s baseball field in Oak Park is back in business and ready in time for the season after hard work from volunteers in town.
Dave Thimmel, the chairman of the town’s Oak Park Committee, said the restoration was done after the field fell into unsatisfactory conditions over a few years, in part due to a lack of participation in town recreation programs.
“Greenfield has always had a baseball field, though years ago, rec sort of dwindled in town,” he said. “It became more of a ‘Let’s just keep mowing the lawn.’”
This year, Thimmel said some local families became interested in participating in baseball programs and started to put together teams.
“In my way of trying to facilitate whatever I can, I just sort of immediately jumped on the opportunity to start getting the field back into shape,” he said.
It took weeks of work, he said, as the field was heavily overgrown and key components, like the infield lines, were gone. But with a lot of help from local volunteers, it was possible.
“We just sort of put together a grassroots effort,” said Thimmel. “We started banging the field back into shape.”
All of the labor on the restoration was through volunteers, including parents and people from local landscape companies.
“It’s part of a greater movement at the park as well,” said Thimmel, adding that more work has been done recently at the park, with more events being held than in prior years. “So now they have T-ball and rookies, starting this year. In theory, with more volunteer effort in the fall and the following spring, the field will be up to snuff.”