Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Eagan new Baseball field Green Monster - 5/13/1990Build it, and they will come
WAL *MART
EAGAN
TOWN CENTRE
Staff Photo by Brian Pete son
Eagan's new baseball fie d features a 30 -foot wall in left field, a scaled -down version of the famed Green Monster at Boston's Fenway Park.
By Roman Augustoviz
Staff Writer
Eagan's new ballpark is u nlike any
in the state. In left field is a wall
only a mountain - climber could
scale, a wall modeled after the infa-
mous Green Monster a Fenway
Park in Boston.
Eagan's dark green wall s 30 feet
high, 152 feet long. Clear y it's the
Eagan putting together a field of dreams
most fascinating aspect of an unusu-
al ballpark that began as a dream of
three Wildcats coaches. Eventually
a whole community got involved in
a project that's still not complete.
"It's been an amazing community
effort," Eagan coach Bob Sadek
said. "Last spring we started talking
about how to build a different kind
of field. We had no tradition, then
our program was only in its second
year. We wondered what we could
do to make a more interesting park,
a fun place to play. We started
brainstorming and away we went."
The baseball team at Eagan, which
opened in 1990, played its first two
seasons at a community park called
Goat Hill about a mile off campus.
Sadek held a meeting of baseball
parents to discuss the dream of a
new park and a day later, Clyde
Thurston, called back with a sugges-
tion for a home run derby that
raised $500 for the project.
A retired engineer studied wind
problems and said the wall was fea-
sible. Dakota County community
service workers built the forms for
the concrete base. The National
Guard, using hydraulic lifts and
Eagan continued en page 6C
Soli
pagan / A suburban field of dreams
Continued from page IC
huge trucks, planted 20 huge power -
line timbers as supports for the wall
in February.
Parents of ballplayers, community
service workers and the National
Guard returned to put up the ply-
wood panels. Wildcats players helped
too, raking and picking rocks off the
field, painting the backside of the
wall and the ads on the base of it in
front.
Eight ads adorned the wall for Ea-
gan's first game at the new ballpark
on May 5; there were 11 more in
center and right, plus room for more.
Green Giant, naturally, had the first
ad down the left field line, 290 feet
from home plate. Among other ad-
vertisers were chains such as SuperA-
merica and locals such as GREGG
G. HIPPLE /ORTHODONTIST.
Other groups such as the area Lions
Club, American Legion and VFW
also helped with donations.
A scoreboard is built into the wall,
but isn't operational yet. Numbers
are being painted that will be inserted
into slots to designate runs per in-
ning. Street lights will be used for the
ball - strike count and the number of
outs. The holes are there, but the
lights haven't been installed. A mes-
sage board for the top of the wall also
has arrived but has not been erected.
Long -range plans call for bleachers
behind the backstop, a taller hitters'
background in center and maybe
lights.
"It's been a lot of hard work but
fun," Sadek said. "That's why the
kids are out there even though the
field is not complete. The seniors
wanted to play there."
Sadek is unsure what the cost of the
project is so far. He has heard the
figure $60,000, counting sweat equi-
ty: "We've had a lot of stuff donated,
a lot of labor donated."
Early reviews of the facility have
been mostly positive.
Left fielder Tom Hunter, who played
several caroms well, called Wildcat
Park beautiful after a 9 -6 triumph
over Wayzata: "It's a lot different
than other high school fields. They're
symetrical. Ours has a personality."
In the fourth inning that day, Andy
Lachenmayer hit Eagan's first homer
over the wall and couldn't help but
watch. "I kind of thought it was
going out," the senior third baseman
said. "I would have gctten in trouble
it it didn't. I was lookitg at it and not
running."
"It blocks out our sun," joked Eagan
softball pitcher Courtney Dully about
the wall that is adjacent to the school
softball field. "It's super nice and
they've worked hard to get it. I think
the players think they are in heaven."
About 130 fans saw Eagan's home
opener.
"Most parks are so antiseptic, this is
unique. I love it," said Dick Mingo,
former coach at Bloomington Jeffer-
son.
"It's a fine addition," said Daryl San-
born, a girls' softball umpire from
Prior Lake. "I like anything you can
do to generate interest."
One neighbor across the street from
the ballpark called it terrific, too.
Another, however, called it an eye -
sore: "I'd like to see it burn down... .
For a high school league, this is too
elaborate."
Said Sadek, "The comments we get
mainly are, that once the park is
done, people feel it will be a great
place to play. One oldtimer said he
enjoyed the ballgame here. That it
was fun to watch."
As the dreamer had tioped all along.