Gedney Field Renovated in White Plains
When the new Little League baseball season opens in April in White Plains players will be competing in a newly renovated Gedney Field.
The field is temporarily closed.
White Plains Little League President Kevin Scully said last week the field is usually renovated every five to six years. A landscaper typically does such work as adding new infield dirt, over-seeding the infield and the outfield, aerating the grass infield and outfield areas. But Scully said the Little League Board determined major renovations were needed for the field due to all the use it receives. “It was time to invest in a major renovation that would enhance the Gedney Little League Field and rival or exceed the best Little League fields in Westchester County and the surrounding areas,” Scully said.
Gedney Field is a traditional grass field, built to Little League International specifications, Scully noted. “With grass infields it is critical to have the proper drainage and quality infield dirt/clay that provides a smooth surface and minimizes ‘bad hops’ of baseballs and softballs,” Scully said. “Having a high-quality Little League field benefits our league and our city. By hosting district and sectional little league tournament games we are bringing people from all over Westchester and the surrounding area into White Plains, which benefits the immediate merchants on Gedney Way, but also other businesses in White Plains that these visitors patronize.”
For this major renovation, the entire infield, grass and dirt were scaped and removed and replaced with new grass and a special mixture of clay. Home plate and the pitcher’s mound were raised in order to create the proper pitch that would enable rainwater to more easily drain off the field and minimize pooling and puddles. And new grass was laid around home plate to create the feeling of a major league ballpark. New sprinklers were added to improve the even watering of both the grass and dirt areas.
The field is scheduled to reopen with the 2020 Little League season in April. The White Plains Little League parade is slated for April 18 and the regular season will begin the week of April 20, Scully noted. “Depending on the weather, we may open the field to practices in April, but as of now, the field will be closed until the regular season begins,” he said.
Scully said the entire cost of roughly $40,000 was paid for by the White Plains Little League. “The City of White Plains did contribute by allowing the contractor to dump the old grass and dirt in the City recycling center,” he noted. The Little League White Plains used some of its capital projects funds and is conducting a series of fundraisers to cover the renovation costs, he said.
Scully said the Little League big fundraiser is a wine tasting scheduled for Jan. 24 at the Freebird Kitchen and Bar on Mamaroneck Avenue. The cost is $40 for individuals and $60 for couples. The Little League will hold other fundraisers throughout the year to replenish the capital projects fund, Scully said.
The renovations began immediately following the completion of the Little League fall season in late October, Scully said. Westwood, NJ-based Field Pro Enterprises, which was also hired by the White Plains School District last fall to renovate several district ballfields was hired by the Little League, Scully said, adding the company was highly recommend by the school district.
“The contractor fell in love with Gedney Field when he saw it and knew that a renovation would really make a difference for our facility, Scully said. “The contractor worked through November to get the grass laid so it could ‘take hold.’ His unique supplier for the clay had equipment issues and had to wait for replacement parts from Ireland before he could mix and deliver our clay”. Clay was delivered in late December and the contractor has been working around the weather to finish the project, Scully said. The contractor will return in late March to fertilize and seed the whole field and regrade the clay areas that might be affected by winter weather, he said.
Scully said the White Plains Little League has a positive relationship with the City of White Plains, which owns and the field. “The Little League is very grateful to and dependent upon the City of White Plains, particularly the Department of Public Works and the Department of Recreation and Parks, for the support they provide,” he said.
Although Gedney Field is a city field it nearly exclusively used by Little League for games and practices from April through November, Scully said. In addition, the Little League uses the field to host district and sectional tournament games in June and July, he said. “The field does get used by ‘Dads and kids’ when not being used by the White Plains Little League and for the most part, the community respects and takes pride in Gedney Field,” he said.
The field is officially referred to as “Gedney Little League Field,” Scully noted. “We are celebrating our 26th season as an official little league,” he said. The city created the field specifically for the Little League in 1998, he said. .
The Little League has named a walkway within the Gedney Field complex “Massaroni Way” for Rich Massaroni who was a past president of White Plains Little League and instrumental in getting the City to build Gedney Field for WPLL, Scully said. “He remains a valued resource for the current board to help understand the history of different issues and decisions,” Scully said, noted, adding Massaroni’s son, Patrick, is head coach of the Stepinac High School varsity basketball team and a White Plains Little League alumnus.
