Editorial -- New Field Needed In Proctor
by Anthony Bush
I propose a committee be formed for the purpose of building a new baseball facility in Proctor.
There are a myriad of problems with Terry Egerdahl Memorial Field in regards to its use as a baseball field. Among them are the setting sun in batters’ eyes, a batting backdrop of a white bus garage and silver football bleachers, an uneven playing surface that includes a drainage hump in the outfield, crumbling dugouts, a view from the concession stand that is obscured by a dugout, a temporary fence in the outfield, and the field’s location near the wooded area along Kingsbury Creek causes many foul balls to become lost or wet.
Baseball cannot be played on Egerdahl Field in the month of August because it is converted for football use. The temporary fence is removed, a goal post is installed in the outfield, and bleachers are placed on the field. Because of this, Proctor has no baseball field for a third of the summer.
A new facility would allow for several events the Egerdahl site cannot accommodate. With a new baseball facility, Proctor could be a host site for ticketed events such as regional high school playoffs and the annual Lakeview American Legion Tournament. With a new facility, Proctor could host a variety of tournaments for youth leagues, VFW, American Legion, and adult amateur teams. A new facility could be used for the entire time there is no snow on the ground instead of only half of the time, and the Proctor Padres could host a tournament during the Hoghead Festival. All of these possibilities would provide benefits to the community by keeping youth active in an outdoor recreational activity for a longer period than is currently possible and would bring in visitors from across the region, including the Twin Cities and Wisconsin.
A new baseball facility would extend the renewed sense of pride and enthusiasm for baseball that Proctor has experienced over the past few years with the steady play of the Rails varsity squads (2007 Region 7AA Final Four participants), the reemergence of adult amateur baseball (the Padres were established in 2007), and the success of the 2009 VFW team (region champions, state tournament participants).
Please contact me at 218-393-9687 or proctorpadres@yahoo.com if you are interested in adding a new chapter to the story of Proctor baseball.
Anthony Bush
1519 Belmont Rd
Duluth, MN 55805
Anthony Bush is a 1994 PHS graduate and has been an assistant baseball coach at PHS since 2004. He is the player/owner of the Proctor Padres Baseball Club. The views contained herein are those of the author and may not represent the Proctor Baseball organization or those of individuals involved with Proctor Baseball.
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