VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS: Growing old not good for ball parks

Growing old is tough for ball parks just like it is for people.|

Growing old is for the birds. Those of you who have seen me shuffle around town covering local sports have spotted what father time can do to a once semi-athletic body. “Pick up your feet,” my bride often scolds.

Anyway, my hobby of writing youth sports took me to West Sacramento last month to cover a talented Petaluma American 11-year-old Little League team in the Nor- Cal Finals. The local lads opened their final tournament at Memorial Park where they soundly dispatched McKinleyville, 10-0, in the tournament opener, and went on to be finalists against the best in the northern section of the state.

This story is not about the tournament. however. It is about the venerable ball park in the middle of a residential area in the older Sacramento area. Memorial Park has hosted Little League play for more than 50 years, but it might be headed down the boulevard of broken dreams. The place is slated to be taken out of service because of a lawsuit in 2010 claiming a lack of sidewalks, curbs, gutters and handicapped access.

Never mind that the playing field for the tournament was in pristine condition as the Park and Rec folks were getting it ready for the second game. It’s just that the place is old. Next season, it appears that 600 West Sacramento youngsters will have to roam the pastures somewhere else unless the community can rally the financial support of the city and possibly the Sacramento River Cats.

I spotted the shade of some trees outside the impressive 10-foot-tall chain link fence and hustled to get a prime seat before the start of the second inning. A few moments later, young Brody Ruoff of the Americans jacked one out of the place and it cleared the fence by plenty.

The cramped, but outstanding snack bar caught my attention a bit later because they were offering peach cobbler at early bird rates. The community was really into it, and everyone there was putting their best foot forward to welcome visiting fans and players. The outfield grass could not have been greener, but what immediately caught my attention was the old-fashioned sunken dugouts that I’m sure the Petalumans enjoyed. Maybe that is part of the problem. There is no modern-day access for handicapped folks.

After about an inning, an older silver-haired gentleman asked if he could join me. I said Sure, and a conversation began. He inquired about what I was doing with a 1930 model Peterson Scoremaster score book, and in return, I asked a few questions about the future of his ball park.

He told me that his coffee bunch of older puds about our age meets daily at a local eatery and the subject of Memorial Park often comes up. The community of West Sacramento is a proud one, and the residents don’t want to see this historic gem of a ball park shut down. The park is located squarely in the middle of an older residential neighborhood, and it’s part of the fabric of West Sacramento.

“We are doing all we can to keep it going for another season,” he said.

Many current West Sacramento Little leaguers are sad to see the place go, according to recent articles on line. They know the history of the yard, and it is comfortable playing there. Before I left, my new friend told me his coffee buddies called him “kid” because he is only 76 years old. He spotted one of his coffee-drinking buddies, and introduced me to a World War II veteran who is still a spry 92 years old. One ironic thing about that introduction was that the older vet was confined to a wheel chair. Somehow he had navigated his way to our location outside the right field fence. Go figure.

(George Haire can be reached at johnie.jackson@arguscourier.com)

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