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11/30/2021 01:56 PMIn an effort to make sure that both boys and girls can enjoy the field, Westbrook Little League is hoping to get permission to redo the ball field at Ted Lane ahead of next spring’s season.
Ted Lane is the site of many of Westbrook’s civic events like the muster and Carnival as well as a Little League field. At the Board of Selectman (BOS) meeting on Oct. 28, Westbrook Little League president Clinton Bonner presented to the board a request to convert the Ted Lane playing field from a grass infield into a clay-based infield. The request inspired nearly an hour of discussion but no resolution that night.
Bonner explained the Harbor News that there were two primary reasons for the request: safety concerns that the chewed-up grass and dirt on the field was causing balls to take too many bad hops, and the fact that the girls were forced to play softball at facilities that aren’t as good as Ted Lane.
Bonner told the Harbor News that with a new iteration of the BOS in office now, he wants to represent his case to the BOS sometime this winter to show that there is support for the proposal. He stressed that all communication between Little League and the town have been respectful and that both sides were committed to working together.
“I don’t want to raise any false concerns. I’m not trying to paint anyone as a villain or point fingers. Nobody here is acting in malice,” said Bonner.
Still, he held firm in his points. Bonner pointed out that the girls usually play at the Westbrook High School, or occasionally in Old Saybrook, which he said are “fine” fields, but the Ted Lane field has a better field, a public address system a concession stand, and is more prestigious to some.
“It’s a marquee place to play. Right now, they’re really removed from what the boys have,” said Bonner.
Furthermore, Bonner said he has concerns about the field itself.
“The current field isn’t in great shape. In my estimation, it’s a safety issue,” said Bonner.
Bonner recalled coaching Little League over the summer and noticing how many balls took bad hops or ricocheted off the ground harder than was normal. Bonner contended he wasn’t talking about routine unlucky bounces, but plays that could result in injury due to a poorly maintained playing surface.
“In summer ball when you get to 11 and 12 years old, some of these kids can really sting the ball and it can be unsafe if a ball catches the lip of the grass,” said Bonner.
The solution Bonner and Little League have in mind is to convert the infield into a clay or dirt infield. That way there wouldn’t be a worry about maintaining the grass and the field would be suitable for both softball and baseball. Bonner said that a clay mound could be brought in for Little League and removed as needed for softball. Bonner said other area towns do the same thing.
“We have the money. We wouldn’t be asking the town for a dime or anything other than permission,” said Bonner.
The matter was subsequently discussed at a BOS meeting on Nov. 9, where the town said that the Department of Public Works would work to come up with a maintenance plan for the field to alleviate safety issues.
“As a board, we decided let’s pause talk to other parents and then talk to the BOS again. I still think it’s the best thing for the town,” said Bonner.
According to Bonner, he said the fields wouldn’t offer any decrease in quality with the new infield or mounds. He also said that the fields could be watered ahead of big events to make sure there wasn’t too much dust kicked up by the new field.
“There really isn’t much grass on the infield to begin with; it wouldn’t be a drastic change,” said Bonner.
Bonner said that in order to get the new field in and ready for the season, work would need to begin by early April, but he added that he had no timeframe yet for when he would go back to the BOS, but confirmed it is something that the league is still very concerned with.
“The number one goal is giving the girls the same best field the boys have,” said Bonner.