JAYS CARE FOUNDATION HELPS WITH WALPOLE ISLAND FIELD OF DREAMS

Walpole fans get a hug from B.J. Bird

I stumbled across the following story quite by accident and thought that I would re-publish it on Wrights Lane for the edification of some old friends from my hometown of Dresden who, like me, spent many summers on nearby Walpole Island. I remember in particular one summer in about 1948, playing baseball on pasture-like grounds frequented by wild horses. Toronto Blue Jays fans may be interested too in how our favorite baseball team is reaching out to the community at large.

A future Blue Jay?
The stuff dreams are made of.

Up until last year, Lee Jacobs was embarrassed at the state of Walpole Island’s baseball diamonds on Austin Road. A dedicated volunteer, Jacobs was trying to get organized baseball and softball going on Walpole Island, but the diamonds were close to being unplayable.

“We had unsafe fences, we had pond sand in the infields which just hold water,” Jacobs said. A couple of years ago, Jacobs was forced to cancel 48 home games due to having a field that was destroyed after every rain storm.

With a $140,000 assist from the the "Jays Care Foundation" -- which is the Toronto Blue Jays charitable arm -- as well as contributions from other local sponsors, such as Union Gas and South Kent Wind Farm, the diamonds are now in tip-top shape due to major repairs and rehabilitation. Jacobs and other volunteers had worked tirelessly over the previous couple of years in the effort to upgrade the two baseball diamonds.

“My biggest concern was always the kids,” Jacobs said.

When he started minor ball on Walpole Island almost 10 years ago, Jacobs started with two lackluster diamonds and one team. Walpole Island minor baseball now has five teams and two top-notch fields. Jacobs said he hopes that the organization can only grow, especially with a dedicated group of volunteers that take care of a lot of the work in keeping the organization running.

The new diamonds were on display for the first time last summer during Walpole Island’s National Aboriginal Day Solstice celebrations on June 21. It’s a well-worn cliche, but for Jacobs, it was a field of dreams, as hundreds of people from Walpole Island and neighouring First Nations communities came out to the refurbished baseball fields to take part in a baseball clinic held by the Blue Jays organization.

Jacobs said it was like Christmas morning, as he was excited to see the baseball diamonds get their time in the spotlight.

“I grew up in these diamonds. I played on these diamonds when I was six, seven years-old. Me and my friends would meet up here every day in the summer and we would play games…,” Jacobs said.

Along with a new canteen and washrooms, the fields have been improved, fencing has been added, as well as other improvements. Jacobs said more improvements are in the works, including fixing up a third ball field in the park.

Robert Witchel, executive director for the Jays Care Foundation, said while the majority of young players eventually leave baseball for other pursuits in life, the game teaches "resiliency about ourselves and how to be better people,” adding that the Jays foundation was impressed with the Walpole Island minor baseball minor baseball organization and how the older players helped out with the young players.

Along with the baseball clinic, the Blue Jays welcomed close to 300 Walpole Island residents to one of their home games last June to celebrate National Aboriginal Day.

A most commendable initiative by Canada's one and only major league baseball organization. Makes me even more proud to be a Blue Jays fan!

Members of the Walpole Island Minor Baseball Association gather at home plate for a photo with B.J. Bird, the Toronto Blue Jays' mascot.