PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Officials with the Phillies, along with city leaders, cut the ribbon Friday on an upgraded field at FDR Park.
The reopening of Ashburn Field coincides with Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Director of Youth Sports for Philadelphia’s Department of Parks and Recreation Mike Barsotti said the upgrades are designed to last.
“The All-Star Game will come and go, but a lot of us here will always remember this is where this came from. And we can’t wait to see how this next generation of young athletes really takes advantage of it,” Barsotti said.
The field now has astroturf to help prevent water from pooling so games don’t need to be canceled the day after a bad rainstorm.
Phillies amateur scouting director Rob Holiday said they host about 125 events on the field each year and lose about 30% of them because of rain.
“Here in FDR Park, the groundwater table is very high, and at times you can take days for the fields to dry after rain.”
City Council President Kenyatta Johnson told KYW Newsradio that he and his friends would refer to FDR Park as “the lakes” when they were young because the grass would get so wet after rainstorms.
“We need more of these fields all across the City of Philadelphia because every young person deserves high-quality recreational centers, but most importantly, safe space is for them to enjoy themselves as athletes as well,” Johnson said.
With rain in the forecast and the MLB All-Star Commissioner’s Cup (an annual 17U baseball tournament) scheduled for the next few days, the field will be put to the test.
Getting around
Major League Baseball's All-Star events are also bringing parking and road restrictions to the historic area.
On Tuesday, roads will close around Independence Mall for the MLB Red Carpet show, and the Autopark underground parking garage will be closed beginning at midnight Monday. The Fifth Street exit will be open for cars to leave, but the city said all cars must exit the garage by 5 a.m. Tuesday.
The Independence Visitor Center is also closing at noon on Tuesday.
And on Sunday between 9 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., streets around the Art Museum, including Eakins Oval, will be closed for a drone show.
Plus: Road closures to look out for
Plus: Road closures to look out for
