An alternative awaits CC baseball

This weekend, I walked the outfield of Nashua-Plainfield High School’s home baseball diamond. It was a little rutted here and there, which makes for an odd bounce from hard grounders or line-drives that drop just in front of you.

That adds a bit more adventure than I’d want. But I’m gray-bearded and slow these days. The teens who play there likely just shrug it off. Call it home field advantage.

Regardless, if the outfield needed fixing, it could be.

A few days after one of the recent heavy rains that rolled through Charles City, I stood at the edge of a smelly, moldy puddle on the corner of Sportsmen’s Park’s baseball diamond’s right field warning track. Water saturated roughly the back half of all three of the outfields the day after a heavy rain rolled through Charles City.  The infield, on the other hand looked great, ready for play.

By June 18, the field was still not ready and the Comets again went on the road for a home game. Perhaps they’ll be able to play at Sportsmen’s later this week. I’m not holding my breath, but I hope they can.

It’s a longtime problem that needs fixing, but only if this community chooses to give a darn.

If history teaches us anything, it won’t be fixed. There may be bluster and frustration, but in the end, the community will shrug. Another reason for families to live elsewhere will be preserved.

It’s not as if school district leaders have not tried to find a solution. But when they bandied this issue in 2014, there was an alternative that wasn’t really on the table. I’ll get back to that.

In 2014, the school district tried to pursue an ambitious plan to build a new sports complex altogether near the high school. Community as well as city government push back helped kill that idea and  no one seems anxious to make another run at it.

At the time that was happening, the district’s activities director, Todd Forsyth, asked the School Board to consider a plan that would put a back-up baseball diamond at the College Grounds —property the district owns smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood north of the high school.

He estimated it would cost $170,000.

His plan included a press box — which is kind of a misnomer because we don’t use it — a scoreboard, fencing and dugouts. Not included: bleachers, storage facilities, a permanent concession stand, restrooms or lights. So picture a ball diamond accompanied by portable toilets and a concession trailer.

Sportsmen’s Park would be the primary diamond. The College Grounds diamond would be a secondary option.

Although it was proposed only as a stop-gap, I imagine it would get a lot of use. It’s not going to stop raining during baseball season.

The idea went nowhere, and has not resurfaced.

Since then, the decision made by the School Board to dismantle  the Comets girls swim team and arrange for swimmers to join Mason City High School’s teams, really adds a new alternative. The community seems to be unable or unwilling to afford a competition pool, the same can be said for a baseball field.

Nashua, New Hampton, Rockford and Mason City have diamonds. Maybe they would be willing take a bit more of our future as well.

Contact Editor Chris Baldus at cbaldus@charlescitypress.com.

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