Columbus Baseball

The Future of Baseball
In
Columbus
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Beginning
Current Situation
Baseball locations
Tournaments
Current Maintenance
New field Opportunity
New Field Location
New Field Detail
Project Planning
Funding
Other
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Columbus baseball began
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St. Bonaventure High School team pre 1950’s
Legion and town team baseball began pre 1940’s
Field Location
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There has been and still exists, 1 adult baseball field
for High School, Legion, and Town Team Baseball
which is the current Pawnee Park Baseball Field
This location and situation has not changed in the
last 70+ years
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Youth and Adult baseball participation has
evolved significantly in the past 20 years
Columbus High School Baseball Program
began in:
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Current teams
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Varsity-- 1999
Junior Varsity --2000
Reserves --2010
The Number of Participants is approximately 50
players for combination of the 3 teams
The 3 Baseball Teams consist of a Cooperative
between Columbus High School and Columbus
Scotus High School
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3 Columbus High School Teams
Limitations
 Only 1 Adult size baseball Playing Field in the City of
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Columbus
 No additional practice field exists
Game scheduling is an issue
Limited practices due to overlapping schedules
Limited game times due to not being able to play when
the football field is in use, via track meets and other
There are youth facilities for games but no field is
dimensionally large enough for High School Games or
practices
Weather:
 Spring is always an issue for the weather
 No artificial turf for quick field availability
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Game schedules (up to 75 games in the spring)
 Varsity Team---25-30 games
 Junior Varsity Team---20-25 games
 Reserve Team---15-20 games
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Legion Baseball enlists 3 teams each summer
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Less Home Games are scheduled due to limited field
availability
The 3 teams have approximately the same volume of
games as the High School has
Scheduling is also an issue at the Legion Level
Tournaments in Columbus
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Very few tournaments are run in Columbus
 Only one field for availability for both venues
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Columbus youth funneling to the High School
program consist of 2 select programs. Both
programs have youth teams starting at 8 years
old and play to the High School Level
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Outlaws Select Team Group
Mariners Select Team Group
Columbus City Youth Program
These youth practice, play and dream of one
time becoming a high school player and
beyond. The opportunity narrows at the High
School Level due to limited facilities
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Pawnee Park Baseball Complex
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City of Columbus
 Mowed by City
 Support by the City for buildings
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Columbus High School
 Support and direction of the High School Baseball
teams and program
 Preparing the field and concession stand support
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Columbus Baseball Association
 Support of capital improvements
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Columbus High School Booster Program
 Support of capital and other needs
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Keeping the current Baseball Complex at Pawnee Park
is a priority for an additional playing field location
Other Sporting Areas have already been upgraded for
the Columbus Public Schools
Upgrades are needed for the Columbus Baseball
Program:
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2 additional fields is the main focus, building one field at a time
In addition to the High School Program, the potential
of additional field(s) would benefit:
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The 3 Legion Baseball Teams.
 This program currently faces the same situation as the High
School Program
 Youth teams, College team and town team potential
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Opportunity for Tournaments
Field use would be up to 8 months per year
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New Fields Location
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Maintenance
Equipment
Batting Cages
Indoor
Facility
Concession,
bathrooms,
dressing,
press
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Organize the Project-- March 2017
Complete the Project needs Detail-- July 2017
Complete the Funding Drive -- December
2020
 Funding objective is $3.0 Million
Complete the Field and Facilities -- Fall of
2021
Play Ball-- Spring of 2022
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Create an advisory board and sub committees
Define the aspects of the project
 Project detail, funding, advertising, engineering, etc.
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Obtain and divide volunteers to lead and support each area.
Identify layout to establish capital needs
 Break down the cost of each detail of the project
 Total budget needs
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Funding
 Grants, Private Donations, City Funding, CPS Funding, other
 Large donations will have priority for naming the field,
advertising and other
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Project Management and bidding
Building of the project
PLAY BASEBALL
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Chairman
Directors
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Public Awareness
 Advertising
 Information to Public
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Funding
 Grants
 Private funding
 Public Funding
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Capital
 Field
 Other capital needs
 Construction
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Advertising through all outlets available
Presentations to the public
Presentations to the governmental
Organizations
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City of Columbus
Columbus Public Schools
Presentations to the service groups
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Grant writer support
Grant potential
ADM grants
 Casey’s
 Royals Charities
 Internet for Opportunity
 Other areas for grant potential
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Private Funding
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Baseball programs in Columbus
Baseball Alumni
Manufacturing
Financial Institutions
Sales Institutions
Public Funding
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Columbus City Funding potential
 This will be presented through the Parks Board, then to the City of Columbus
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Service Organizations
Columbus Baseball Association
Columbus Public Schools
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Columbus Booster Club
Columbus Public Schools
Scotus Booster Club
Scotus Schools
Columbus Chamber of Commerce
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CPS separate fund setup for donations
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Managed by the CPS Foundation for accounting
purposes
501-C3 has been set in place for donations
Columbus Baseball Association has set aside
$50K in this fund
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Field Location—supplied by the Columbus Public
School System
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Southeast corner of the new Columbus High School
 The land has been designated for the new field(s)
 Approximately 8 acres
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Need 3D vision detail
Landscape needs
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Leveling, dirt compound, compacting and drainage
Irrigation
Field(s) type
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Turf, natural or another combination
 The choice at this time is turf infield and grass outfield
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Turf the field at Pawnee Park if possible
 Turf lasts an average of 10 years
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Buildings
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Other Detail
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Design / build procedure
Maintenance
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Lighting, parking, fences, scoreboard, bullpens, field
maintenance equipment, bleachers
Construction
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Equipment shed, concession stand, bathrooms, 2 batting cages,
press box, dug outs, umpire facility, indoor practice facility
The Columbus High School has stated that they will maintain
the grounds and facilities
All capital requirements shall be defined in detail and a
cost attached
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Additional economic impact to Columbus through
tournaments and more home games
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High School, Legion and Youth
Potential College and Professional exhibition games
Potential Additional Youth Involvement
Fall Baseball Field Use
Fields will be utilized 8 months per year
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100+ games per year played on the Fields
 A minimum attendance would be put at 10,000 per year
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Top of the line Practice Facilities
Other Sports Complexes have been upgraded in
the City of Columbus. This will complete the
upgrade needed for Baseball.
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Title 9
 Columbus Public Schools not be able to
provide funding until they can build
the Softball Fields
Assurance that the Pawnee Park Baseball
field would be kept and maintained for
future use
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