Bulldogs Victorious in First Game at New Home Field

“We are – one-two-three, Bulldogs!” coach Chris Padilla's baseball players chanted Sunday afternoon as they got ready for the season’s opening game. “We are Barnegat, we are Barnegat!” they yelled.

Even though they weren’t exactly playing in Barnegat anymore.

Because of , the Bulldogs and another local travel baseball team found themselves fieldless heading into the spring season. But Barnegat Township officials stepped in and, along with Ocean Township, : Barnegat’s travel teams can play at the 11th Street field in Waretown, at the Timothy J. Tuomey Memorial Park.

Debate over the issue wears on, but the players put those worries behind them yesterday as they faced their opponents, the Jackson Braves, and carried off a decisive victory in what started out as a close game.

“It was zero-zero until about the fifth inning, when we broke through,” Padilla said, grinning. “We’ve got some good pitches going on today.”

A.J. Mackay, age 13, impressed the lively crowd of supporters with six full winnings, and Matt Stoma, 13, had a two-run double.

“Despite the differences that we had and the problems that we had, it was a big success,” said player Aaron McLaughlin, 12, who is also a member of the Barnegat-Waretown Little League.

“Most of the fields we’ve played on, the grass has been infield,” said Max Ritner, 12, who does not belong to the Little League. “It’s been a pretty big adjustment, but we did really well."

The controversy over field use continues to frustrate Barnegat baseball families on both sides of the debate. The Little League's board decided late last year to allow only League members to play on the fields on Barnegat Boulevard, saying worries about liability and a need to protect its own interests is keeping them from extending use of the fields – which it leases for $1 a year from the township – to other baseball teams.

Two travel teams with players who aren't League members were effectively shut out of the ball fields they'd become accustomed to using, and it didn't sit well with coaches and parents. After a meeting with township officials, they worked out the 11th Street field agreement.

And while the travel teams are pleased to have a place to play, they have concerns about the long term. The Waretown field, usually used for softball practice, has the same sized diamond as the one these players are used to, but a much bigger outfield. Parents and the coach said the lack of lights would be a problem in the darker days of autumn. Missing fencing around the field was another concern.

But parents pitched in to make the best of what they were given.

Debbie Ritner, mom of team member Max, applauded the efforts of families who spent all day Saturday at the field, helping the coach to fix up the fencing, raking the grass and the sand, picking up the leaves and the sticks and getting rid of goose poop along the perimeter.

“Today, we are excited," Ritner said. "We are lucky to be here. We don’t have any other places to go, do we?”

“The coach bought his own pump to drain the field off excess water,” said Sue Fraim. “We had to mow the lawn, fix the netting, buy another pole for the fence. The kids were out here bagging leaves today. I feel like we at least have a place to play for now, but on the other hand I can’t believe we had to do all this just for us to play.”

“Look at our field,” said Lisa Schmalz, another parent. “I wish you could have seen it before. It did not look like a field yesterday.”

At the end of the game, the kids wandered off to shoot some baskets at the nearby park, and the parents worked on packing away what was left of the drinks and the hotdogs, while the coach reveled in the victory.

“I am happy – no, not happy – I am thrilled,” said Padilla. “Just to see their faces, their smiles, it was worth it. To be honest, it’s their loss,” he said of the League, and its decision to keep the traveling teams out unless the players are also League members. “They’re missing out on a great group of kids.”

Looking to the future, Padilla considered the adjustments that would need to be made. “We are going to have to close those dugouts,” he said, “and get more fencing. Hey, if we can get someone to donate some lights, then Barnegat will never have to hear from us ever again.”