Roslyn Little League gets new ballfields

For aspiring professional baseball pitcher Michael Hutchinson, 8, Saturday was a perfect day to be at the beach.

Michael belongs to the Roslyn Little League, which Saturday unveiled two new artificial turf baseball fields -- at the Town of North Hempstead Beach Park, near the water, in Port Washington.

"I was pitching really well at the end of the game," said Michael, who helped his team win the last six-inning game of the season. "I was the one who struck them out."

Players and coaches said they welcomed finally having a home field after playing at other parks for more than 50 years.

"The way the league has always been is that we used a myriad of fields," said David Ozzer, 47, president of the league for the past four years. "Now we have our own field."

Including children with disabilities, the league has more than 1,500 players ages 4-15, who play boys baseball and girls softball.

"I love that the fields can't get messed up," said Michael, who began playing at age 6, adding he's not going to miss the grass and dirt fields.

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The fields replaced a dilapidated soccer field. Another, larger ballfield is scheduled to be completed next year. There will also be electronic scoreboards and stadium lights, officials said.

The field will be open to all town residents and local organizations, they said.

"They [Roslyn] will always get first dibs to their field," said town Supervisor Jon Kaiman, who was joined by town Councilman Tom Dwyer and Nassau County Legis. Wayne Wink Jr. (D-Roslyn), all wearing commemorative jerseys, at the ribbon-cutting for the fields.

The nearly $900,000 project was paid for mostly with town funds, $150,000 from the county and $100,000 in donations from the league, officials said. The idea for the project started a year ago, they said.

"I like the turf," echoed Dana Guggenheim and her friend Stefani Ozzer, both 11, who play on separate girls softball teams. "It's easy to run on because it is so smooth and leveled," Dana added. "I like that it is near the water."