Donation Helps Put Finishing Touches on Baseball Diamonds

A $50,000 donation from the Strongsville Travel Baseball Organization helped put the finishing touches on baseball diamonds at the Youth Sports Park, 21225 Lunn Rd.

The fields were built, in part, with a $250,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which awarded the money for construction of an outdoor pool.

ODNR approved using the money to build baseball fields to replace ones that are on the pool site, near the Ehrnfelt Recreation Center.

“When we received the money from the state, we had enough for the diamonds but we didn’t have the money for the fences and the backstops. So the travel organization came up with the money to make this realty for our children,” said Mayor Thomas Perciak.

Carl Hoerig, of the travel baseball organization, said the intention of the group was to work with the city’s recreation department to improve the quality of the baseball diamonds.

“They are great fields. I’m sure the younger kids will enjoy playing on them. We were able to contribute and we knew these fields were on the drawing board for several years and it’s great we were able to get them built. It should be some great years ahead to play baseball,” he said.

 Perciak agreed and said, “This park was created for our children in a safe environment. It is off of the main road and they really are first-class diamonds. It wouldn’t have been done without a lot of work by a lot of people-- and the recipients are our children.”

The city celebrated the completion of the three on July 15.

More than 2,000 boys and girls use the fields for the summer baseball program.