SUBMITTED PHOTO The Ferguson Bulldogs Little League team get into their places during a game on the home field. There is an ongoing effort to improve the complex, starting with a new scoreboard.

FERGUSON — Restoring the Ferguson ballfield is the mission taken on by the Ferguson Little League, and they have started by focusing on a new scoreboard.

Ferguson Little League mother Christina Jung Malcom said the scoreboard in the field is not reliable.

“With it being 33 years old, sometimes it turns on and sometimes it doesn’t,” she said.

A cable runs along the top of the field fence from home plate to the scoreboard in left field. Malcolm said the connections do not always work, and they need to constantly unhook and rehook through night games. Community members have indicated they are willing to do the necessary labor of moving posts and electrical lines, she said. The cost for the wires and the work totals $1,200.

Malcolm said the board will have a wireless controller and a blue background with yellow outlining.

“It can be used anywhere or the umpire can even do it to use as his counter,” she said. “It’s small enough to go in a pocket.”

The League is in the process of raising funds for the purchase and installation of the new $6,300 scoreboard. The plan is to relocate the site of the board from left field to center, and increase the size to 10x4x8.

“Our goal for this season is to get a new scoreboard for our facility,” she said.

Malcom said they are selling 4×4 Community Sponsorship signs, made by Sign Creations, to be hung around the fence in the outfield of the complex. The sponsorships are available for $300 and provide placement of a sign bearing the business name and logo for two years. Malcom said sponsors will be offered a sign renewal for $300 every two years.

The League has made $2,700 so far from the sale of signs to Triple E Insulation, Burchland Manufacturing, Runner Seed, Complete Ag, GNB, Jensen Ford-Lincoln, 1st Rate Real Estate, Reisetter Electric and Neuroth Trucking.

The League will also send letters to donors who provided funds for a new concession stand in 2011.

Grant applications were sent to various Marshalltown entities, such as Rotary and the Community Foundation of Marshall County. Malcom hopes the grants will bring them to the halfway mark of the $6,300 goal. Extra funds will be used to purchase new catching equipment.

Complex impact

Malcom said the intent of the complex has always been to serve as a social gathering place.

“Our field is beautifully located in rural Iowa, traveling on gravel roads to get there, surrounded by agricultural fields and landscape,” she said. “Night time games can be enjoyed with the sun setting in the outfield, the sound of corn rustling, children laughing and parents cheering. The outfield lights can be seen for miles, letting all know to come and enjoy the show.”

The upgraded board will be a boon to the community and to the teams which utilize the complex. The complex not only hosts the Ferguson Little League, but also games for the East Marshall Middle School baseball team and the Community Clean-Up Day for East Marshall High School students. Every August, it is the location for an adult slow-pitch tournament.

“It’s great to have the students at the field and doing volunteer work in the community,” Malcom said. “We have players from age 5 to 13 playing at the fields. It’s nice to have a variety of groups playing on the same field at night.”

Malcom hopes the complex will be the location for additional events. She would like to see adult league tournaments, family nights at the diamonds and any opportunities to benefit the community.

“Having families come together and make memories, realizing it is about celebrating the people and not the athletic achievement,” Malcom said.

She said it is fun to see the teams cheered on, one after another because they want the athletes to have the full experience — feeling celebrated, excited and confident in themselves and their abilities. Parents are encouraged to be involved, and serve as the coaches, scoreboard runners and concession stand workers.

“When we say it’s a team effort, we mean more than just the team on the field,” Malcom said. “It takes a team behind the scenes to make everything work and we are always grateful for that team and the community support.”

The scoreboard is the first step of the mission to restore the Ferguson field to its full potential and beauty. Malcom said their work will not be finished. More upgrades are planned, with the next one being the restroom facilities.

“We have been putting on [bandages] the last several years and hope to tackle that project soon,” she said.

DONATE INFO:

Anyone wishing to purchase a Community Sponsorship sign or donate for the new scoreboard, can mail checks to Ferguson Little League, 2815 Green Castle Rd., Gilman, IA 50106.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.