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Cleveland Indians renovate baseball fields
Fields for the Future
Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center
8611 Hough Avenue
May 10,2018


The Cleveland Indians hosted the fourth annual Fields for the Future project on Thursday, May 10 at Thurgood Marshall Recreation on Cleveland's East Side.

Cleveland Indians community partners


In collaboration with the City of Cleveland, the Motz Group and Cleveland Indians Community Partners Minutemen, Pepco/Victory Park Ohio, Electronic Merchant Systems, Car Parts Warehouse and McDonald Hopkins, both baseball fields at this site were renovated: Johnny Roscoe Field and Fred Drake Field.

Cleveland Indians community partners


In addition to the field renovations, The Shelly Company has donated new concrete slabs for the dugouts and The Davey Tree Expert Company is donating 10 trees, which will be planted throughout the surrounding park with the help of volunteers from Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Davey Tree. The trees being planted are Bur Oak, Chinkapin Oak, Red Oak and Shingle Oak.

Volunteers fixing up the park

Volunteers fixing up the park


Volunteers fixing up the park

Volunteers fixing up the park

Volunteers fixing up the park

BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence helped to coordinate volunteers from the Cleveland Indians, McDonald Hopkins and Pepco to conduct several clean up and painting projects around the park. With support from MLB's Baseball Tomorrow Fund, a field maintenance clinic will also be provided to City of Cleveland staff who maintain the field to ensure the renovations will be maintained.

Indians catcher Yan Gomes and his wife Jenna, who made a financial donation to support the project, City of Cleveland Assitant Director of Public Works Kim Johnson, City of Cleveland Councilman Basheer Jones, State Representative Stephanie Howse, and staff from U.S. Representative Marcia Fudge's office were on hand to unveil renovations. Local youth then played a game on the newly renovated field.

"Our Fields for the Future program is a key piece of our long-term goal to improve the quality of youth baseball in Cleveland," said Indians Executive Director of Community Impact Rebecca Kodysh. "We work with a number of valued partners on the project, which could not happen without their support."

This program will serve as a precursor to Play Ball Weekend taking place May 26-27, which was launched by Major League Baseball and USA Baseball as the sport's largest effort to encourage widespread participation in both formal and informal baseball activities.

The Fields for the Future program began in 2015 at Luke Easter Park on Cleveland's East Side. In 2016, a field was renovated at Gunning Park and in 2017, a field was renovated at Halloran Park. According to the City of Cleveland, field usage improved tremendously after the renovations, with the number of games played at the field growing four-fold.

Rebecca Kodysh

Rebecca Kodysh


After a day of volunteering and renovation a ceremony was held. Indians Executive Director of Community Impact Rebecca Kodysh explained the program and thanked the sponsors and volunteers as well as Indians owner Paul Dolan and Indians catcher Yan Gomes and his family for their continued support of the project.

NOTE: All the images below with a white arrow in the middle are videos. (The other images are just photos) You can click on the white arrow to watch the video of whatever is described. Make sure your speakers are on and you can make the video full screen once it begins by clicking the icon in the lower right corner.

Paul and Karen Dolan with Yan Gomes and family

Paul and Karen Dolan with Yan Gomes and family




Next, Indians owner Paul Dolan thanked the sponsors and volunteers and Indians catcher Yan Gomes and his family for their continued financial and time support of the project.

Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan

Paul Dolan



Matt Kata, Manager, Youth Baseball Development for the Cleveland Indians spoke next and said that the project boils down to the opportunity for kids to play more baseball.

Matt Kata

Matt Kata




Kim Johnson, Assiatnt Director of Public Works, City of Cleveland

Kim Johnson, Assistant Director of Public Works, City of Cleveland


Ohio State Representative Stephanie Howse thanked the Dolans, Cleveland Indians and Yan Gomes and family.

Stephanie Howse

Stephanie Howse


She presented a plaque to Indians catcher Yan Gomes who told of growing up in Brazil with limited opportunities to play baseball so he and his wife are committed to renovating ballparks in Cleveland for youth to play.

Stephanie Howse presents plaque to Yan Gomes

Stephanie Howse presents plaque to Yan Gomes


Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes

Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes


Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes



Cleveland Ward 7 Councilman Basheer Jones also thanked the Indians, catcher Yan Gomes, sponsors and volunteers for their commitment to the people of Ward 7.

Councilman Basheer Jones

Councilman Basheer Jones




At the end of the ceremony, Indians mascot Slider posed with catcher Yan Gomes and the kids.

Cleveland Indians mascot Slider and kids

Cleveland Indians mascot Slider


Cleveland Indians mascot Slider with Yan Gomes and kids

Cleveland Indians mascot Slider with Yan Gomes and kids

Cleveland Indians mascot Slider with Yan Gomes and kids


Then Cleveland Ward 7 Councilman Basheer Jones threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Yan Gomes and they posed for a group photo.

Basheer Jones first pitch

Basheer Jones first pitch

Yan Gomes catching the ceremonial first pitch

Yan Gomes catching the ceremonial first pitch




Yan Gomes, Slider and kids

Cleveland Indians tent

Thank You Cleveland Indians






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