The Ruskin Slo-Pitch League, which has 500 members, is appealing for upgraded or new fields to play on, or more use of others.

One player in the league recently tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee while chasing a fly ball in the outfield at Ruskin B.

The league fears more such incidents in the future and claims the condition of the fields its teams play the majority of their games on is no longer acceptable.

Most league games are played on the Ruskin diamonds, A and B, as well as Selvey Park, all of which are class C fields – the lowest grade, and cheapest to use. The league wants them upgraded, dips in the outfield levelled, holes filled.

But those fields don’t have irrigation or drainage systems, according to the district parks department. They are older and in remote locations not serviced by municipal water or sewer systems, which means new grass wouldn’t take in the summer growing season. To repair the fields would require shutting them down for a season or two.

In the meantime, the league wants to play more at the Thomas Haney or Telosky fields. But other leagues, including minor softball, use those diamonds. The Ruskin and Selvey fields are also used for soccer.

So the parks department is saying, until more fields are available, slo-pitch players must risk their limbs for the sake of a little exercise, a little fun with friends?

It takes weeks to get an appointment with a sports medicine doctor, weeks more to get an MRI for a knee injury, then months waiting for surgery (which is elective, and with budget cuts pending, the wait could be even longer), and even months more recuperating after surgery.

That’s a long time to be on the disabled list.

That affects a person’s quality of life.

The players deserve better.

Why not shut down one field at a time for repairs? The league could up its fees to cover the higher cost for more use of higher grade fields at Thomas Haney or Albion Sports Complex.

At least the playing fields should be safe.

– The News