Diamond in the rough

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Build it, and they will come.

Sounds very much like a line from "Field of Dreams," but for the Philadelphia Senators National 14-and-under travel team, it’s reality.

Youth baseball squads are coming from Maryland, New York, western Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware to play on their state-of-the-art field at 3501 Moore St. on the grounds of the Sunoco Refinery.

"Anybody who has come and played there has said it’s the best field in the tri-state area," team Manager Steve Koplove said.

Some might have trouble finding it on a map, but the University City exit off of the Schuylkill Expressway is the most direct route. With players coming from South and Northeast Philadelphia, Roxborough, South Jersey and Delaware and Chester counties to play for the Senators, it, indeed, has been built, and they have come.

The field is Kentucky Bluegrass, which is used at Citizens Bank Park. Its infield dirt also is the same used at Major League stadiums and there is a French drain under the diamond, helping to keep it dry.

"Our field is playable when everyone else is shut down," Koplove said.

The complex is landscaped with trees and the entrance features a paved-brick surface. The outfield includes an electronic scoreboard and there are bullpens for pitchers to warm-up, as well as a concession stand.

The Audenried High baseball and softball teams used the location, but both were dropped in 2000 due to the students’ lack of interest. The school is now closed.

In Summer 2001, the Senators were playing occasional home games at Ashburn Fields in FDR Park, but decided they needed a field to call their own.

Koplove approached the Department of Recreation in spring of ’02 to find out if there were any facilities available where the team wouldn’t interfere with other programs. When Southwest Philly-based James Finnegan Playground was suggested, the Senators started drawing up plans to present to the city, but the process took too long, and the team decided to seek out a different location.

A parent suggested checking out the little-used field behind the refinery. Koplove liked what he saw. "I had never known about it," he said, adding that after he took it all in, "it was perfect."

Koplove approached Sunoco and, within 24 hours, got approval to renovate and use the field. He said "outstanding" isn’t a good enough word to describe Sunoco, adding "they did everything they could to facilitate use of the field."

In April 2003, a new field with 70-foot bases and a 50-foot pitcher’s mound was ready.

Besides Sunoco, Local 98 helped out with the electrical work, while Joe Criniti handled the field construction other than the grass and turf.

The little diamond has since been enlarged to support the growing players and dimensions required by the Amateur Athletic Union and the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA). The bases are now 90-feet apart, while the pitcher’s mound is 60-feet from home plate. It’s 390 feet to dead center field, 280 feet down the lines and 240 feet in the gaps.

Now that they’re playing as a 14-and-under team, Koplove said the field is, again, too small for his players. "The kids have gotten so big and so good," he said.

Just look at their accomplishments this year: From February through early August, they played an 81-game national schedule and compiled a 69-9-3 record. In June, they won the USSSA state championship, beating Central Pennsylvania, 8-3, and outscoring the opposition 53-11 in five games. In August, they finished in a four-way tie for fifth at the USSSA Elite 24 World Series.

Having a state-of-the-art facility might have something to do with the success. For Koplove, the field is almost like a second home and he can usually be found cutting the grass or dragging the infield. Game days, team members and their parents play a role in maintaining the spot’s upkeep.

"After the game, the rule is no one leaves until the field is back to the way it was before the game," Koplove said.

The process includes cleaning the dugout, relining the field and dragging the infield. "What might take me two hours after a game now takes 35 minutes," he said.

Once a field of dreams, Koplove and the Senators have proven waking life can be just as rewarding.

"Anyone can do what we did," the manager said. "It just requires energy, perseverance and the desire to do it. If you need it and can do it, my philosophy has always been just do it."