Editorial: This fishing expedition is about hooking baseball

• Baseball Field Site

Baseball Field Site

Talk about it

The promotional pitch is, ‘I helped build this field.’

And that’s just what’s happening. Individual and big corporate donors have given tens of thousands of dollars toward building a community baseball park with amenities that could hear the call of “batter up” by late next summer.

Located on the east side of Hoffman Park and bracketed by the Hwy. 35 bypass, the new stadium-style ballpark would be home for the River Falls Fighting Fish, the 2011 state amateur baseball champions.

Besides the Fish, other youth baseball games and tournaments — including those for the River Falls American Legion baseball team — would play many home games there. The stadium seating and field design will also allow the venue to host a variety of social events, such as concerts.

Lights will allow for the playing of night games; a covered grandstand will make for comfortable viewing; a tall left-field wall scoreboard will keep fans informed; and a pavilion along the third-base line will have bathrooms and concessions.

Hey, this will be big-time summer entertainment for River Falls. Hoffman Park has long been a hot spot for softball, but baseball has always gotten the short shrift.

That’s about to change, though financial contributors are still urgently needed so the ballpark’s scheduled construction can start this summer and cross home plate in a year.

To raise money, the newly formed River Falls Baseball Council (RFBC) is selling engraved paver bricks in sizes of four-by-eight inches and eight-by-eight inches. These will be installed at the new ballpark.

More about the pavers and sponsorship opportunities can be found at this website: www.riverfallsbaseball.org

Other questions about the ballpark project and donating can be made to these key RFBC board members: Josh Eiden, 651-335-0030, eidemj@gmail.com

and Ryan Bishop, 715-307-1393, ryan.bishop@rfsd.k12.wi.us

Hoffman Park is easily reached by walkers, bicyclists and autos. The surrounding wooded hills and bluffs lend a beautiful scenic backdrop to enjoy America’s pastime in River Falls.

Now RFBC organizers simply hope that enough people step up to the plate so ballpark builders can get into the swing of things.

The Journal’s online poll question this week asked: River Falls Area Hospital is now specializing in water births. If you or your partner were ever offered this opportunity, would you take the plunge?

Unlike the gay marriage question of the week before, the water-birth question has so far produced few responses. Early results:

--NEVER, 54.5%

--POSSIBLY, 36.4%

--DEFINITELY, 9.1%

To vote, go to www.riverfallsjournal.comm.

Tags: opinion, editorials, sports, baseball