The Chatham Sports Hall of Fame and Chatham Minor Baseball Association (CMBA) want to build our very own Field of Dreams in Chatham.
Interest in baseball has increased steadily in Chatham-Kent, with youth registration numbers reaching 725 players in 2023.
"I think the affordability of the game of baseball as well as the success of the Toronto Blue Jays in recent years have helped to grow the game locally," said Jason Chickowski of the CMBA.
From the Chatham Coloured All-Stars to Marion Watson Stanton, who played in the All-American Girls Baseball League, to Fergie Jenkins and other locals who have made it to the modern major leagues, Chatham-Kent has a rich history of baseball that has only grown with time.
Unfortunately, places to play the game haven't increased at the same rate.
Tournaments are a major part of youth baseball. They're fun, competitive, a showcase of talent and skill, and they serve as fundraisers for organizations like the CMBA.
"Running tournaments takes significant planning," Chickowski explained. "Having facilities in close proximity is the key to keeping teams from having to travel too far to play games and keep games on schedule in the shortened period of time we have to run these tournaments," he added.
The closest regulation-sized diamonds to Fergie Jenkins Field in Chatham are in Blenheim and Wallaceburg.
"The distance from Fergie Jenkins Field to those parks has caused timing issues in the past," Chickowski admitted.
CK's upcoming Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) team, the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers is exciting for much of the community, particularly for young baseball fans. However, with Fergie Jenkins Field being the club's home field that will add more restrictions to the use of the diamond.
On Monday, CK Council approved the Field of Dreams Committee and the municipality to begin looking for spaces within Chatham city limits to build a second regulation-sized baseball diamond.
"We will provide to the Municipality what we feel is the minimum standards for a senior-sized diamond that will provide the type of playing surface that all users will be satisfied with," Chickowski said of the CMBA's involvement. "We have watched neighbouring communities build fields and I believe we will take a bit of something from each of those locations to formulate a plan for our Field of Dreams."
The CMBA is hopeful that the proposal will be accessible from the ground up. Making the facility equally accessible to both able-bodied players and those who play in the Challenger Baseball program.
Lighting for the field would add significantly to the cost. Best estimates at this time put the cost of a new field in the area of $1 million to $1.5 million.
The committee will return to Council in May 2024 with plans, potential locations, and a feasible budget.