St. Pat’s field on Carpasian Road will begin to undergo renovations at the end of September following the end-of-season playoffs.
The upgrades will come just in time for the Senior Men’s Canada Championships on Aug. 21-25, 2014.
St. John’s Amateur Baseball Association president Mark Healy said the makeover will bring the field up to par with others across the country. “In terms of backdrop and history, our field is one of the nicest in the country, but we want to get some work done to the field in terms of upgrading the playing surface and some cosmetic stuff,” Healy said.
Healy said the bleachers will be replaced, as well as the mound and plates. In addition, the silt and sand surface will be replaced with clay.
Healy said the association was able to host national competitions at the field, but upgrades were desperately needed. “The field itself here hasn’t had a whole lot of work done since 1977 when the Canada Games [were] here,” Healy said.
The construction will also benefit the St. John’s minor baseball association. “The soccer pitch will be turned into a minor baseball field to support the lose of Wedgewood Park,” Healy said.
St. Pat’s baseball field was constructed by U.S servicemen stationed in St. John’s during the Second World War.