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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.