Optimist Park in Litchfield played host to more than 2,000 baseball fans for the Region 12C tournament earlier this summer.
Last week, it became the target of vandals, who damaged parts of the grandstand and field on two separate occasions.
The first incident happened sometime Monday night, according to Zack Piepenburg, a Litchfield Baseball Association board member and groundskeeper, who arrived at the park Aug. 30 to a scene of destruction that included damage to a rear section of seats in the grandstand and water damage behind home plate caused by the field irrigation system being turned on to full capacity after supply lines to the field were broken..
“Disappointed that some people decided to vandalize our park earlier this week. Stomped down the entire back row of seats along with vandalizing our bathrooms and other things around the park. Not sure why some feel the need to destroy things for ‘fun,’” Piepenburg said via the Litchfield Blues Twitter feed.
Damage during that first incident was estimated to be greater than $1,000. It went beyond monetary damage, however. The damaged grandstand seats were purchased from famed Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, former home of the Atlanta Braves, before that stadium was torn down.
Additionally, barriers to enter the grounds were kicked down and appliances inside the restrooms were ripped from the wall. “The city (Litchfield) already fixed that,” said Piepenburg in an interview. “They kicked the railings loose (from the patio area next to the grandstand) and tore up the tarp for the mower,” Piepenburg added.
Vandals weren’t done, however, as Piepenburg on reported Saturday, through the Blues Twitter feed again, that he’d found the faucet turned on and gushing water, with both dugouts and sod flooded again.
“Do people really have nothing better to do than vandalize and cause trouble?” the tweet asked.
Litchfield Police are still investigating. Anyone who has information to provide investigators are asked to call (320) 693-5425.
Meanwhile, connections through the state’s amateur baseball community might help with replacement of some of the damaged seats.
In nearby Atwater, Anthony Holtz, a friend of Piepenburg, was quick to offer remnants of the old Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. Holtz has a collection of seats from the old home to the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Golden Gophers, and many other memorable events. The Metrodome hosted the Twins’ 1987 and 1991 World Series Championships and the NFL Super Bowl in 1992.
An understanding to sell the seats was quickly negotiated so they may be installed before baseball returns in the spring. "To see them step up and volunteer and get us seats to replace, it's really cool...it shows you what a tight-knit community town ball is,” Piepenburg said to Fox 9 News.
