Wasilla American Legion baseball field hit by vandals

WASILLA — Ken Ottinger will gladly spend his afternoon on the baseball field. But Wednesday, was not the ideal day at the park for Ottinger, the head coach of the Wasilla Post 35 American Legion baseball program,

Ottinger was among a group starting to clean up a mess at McManus Field. Within the last week vandals hit the baseball field, which sits right next to the Bumpus Ball Fields softball complex near Church Road in Wasilla. And this is just the most recent attack. Ottinger said the field has been hit several times in recent years.

“I’m no longer pissed off. I’m heartbroken,” Ottinger said.

The list of damage includes explicit graffiti sprayed across home plate and the home dugout along the third-base line. The door of the storage shed, which was locked with a deadbolt, was ripped out, and the frame was damaged. Gear used by the American Legion players was spread across the field and left in the rain. At least three buckets full of baseballs were all over the field, and are now soaked with water and ruined. Field equipment was stolen. The ignition was cut on the team’s riding lawn mower, which the team uses to maintain the field. The cost to repair the damage is adding up quickly.

“Not counting man hours, $4,000 to $5,000,” Ottinger estimates.

In recent years, Ottinger said the restrooms at the field have been hit, and porcelain sinks and toilets were smashed. Nearly two years ago, thieves broke into the small building behind home plate the doubles as the scorer’s booth and concession stand. The team’s public address system, valued at about $1,000 was stolen. Ottinger said he’s still trying to hunt down that PA system.

Ottinger said the most recent vandalism happened, most likely, Sunday or Monday, and team officials have reported the incident to police and are working with authorities. The team is also working to clean up the mess so the field can be ready for the legion program’s junior varsity team can host its first game Monday.

“I’m dead set on these kids having a place to play,” Ottinger said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com