Long-Awaited Revamp Of Bayside's Little League Field Complete

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — The $1.7 million ribbon was cut Friday on the long-awaited reconstruction of a little league baseball field in Bayside’s Crocheron Park.

The NYC Parks Department began construction on the park’s southeast ballfield — which it had planned to reconstruct since 2017, according to agency records — at 215th St. and 35th Ave in July of 2019, Patch reported.

“Baseball is a great way to get outside safely during these difficult times and our national pastime brings us together as we move towards a recovery” said Council Member Paul Vallone, who represents district 19 where the park is located, and first said that the project would wrap up after a year, Patch reported.

The new ballfield, which Vallone described as “top notch,” was completely reconstructed, including a new clay infield, natural turf field, bleacher seating, and new paths, dugouts, and fencing around the field.

The project was funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Member Vallone, and former Borough President Melinda Katz.

Current Borough President Donovan Richards has continued to support the project, describing the renovated fields as “a first-class recreational space where the Major League Baseball players of tomorrow can hone their skills and enjoy the fun that only the National Pastime can bring.”

In recent years, the park has been the site of community beautification efforts, and NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Michael Dockett, who was also at the event, said that the new amenities “will better serve athletes and the surrounding communities for years to come.”

Alongside these officials, the ribbon at the field was cut by Friends of Crocheron Park President Jessica Burke and Bayside Little League President Bob Reid — just in time for Bayside’s Little League’s Spring Season, which begins at 11 a.m. tomorrow, according to their website.