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Youth baseball volunteers press Needham for Memorial Field renovation and short‑term diamond access
Summary
Needham baseball representative Corey Wilk told the Select Board the town currently has only three regulation 'big diamond' fields and urged funding and a 2027 timeline to renovate Memorial Field (turf/grassed outfield) while requesting short‑term field access plans during Warner Field staging for the Pollard project.
Corey Wilk, speaking for Needham baseball and softball volunteers, told the Select Board that Needham faces a pressing shortage of regulation baseball diamonds and that Memorial Field is often unusable in adverse weather.
“We desperately need assistance from the town with respect to field maintenance costs,” Wilk said, noting MBS has paid roughly $70,000 a year over the past five years for outside contractors and that Needham’s middle‑school and freshman teams lack suitable diamonds for regular practice and games.
Wilk summarized the problem: Needham has three large diamonds (down from four after McLeod Field’s conversion), Warner Field may be taken offline for Pollard Middle School staging within 12–24 months, and Walker Gordon does not meet varsity dimensions. He asked the town to complete Memorial Field rehabilitation by 2027, explore temporary third‑diamond options (e.g., Town Connections/Babson, Saint Sebs), and ensure Warner is returned to service after staging.
The board acknowledged the request and said staff would follow up to assemble a discussion and next steps. The petitioner provided a written letter and volunteer offers to work with town staff on funding, scheduling and short‑term field access.
Why it matters: youth sports facilities are a recurring budget and scheduling issue; if Warner goes offline for construction, Needham will face constrained space for high‑school and youth leagues. Wilk identified a targeted schedule (2027) and cited existing town/board processes needed to scope capital and operating support.
