MORGAN PARK — Night baseball and softball games will come to six Chicago Park District facilities with active youth programs this Spring.
The parks set to receive the lights include:
• Gompers Park at 4222 W. Foster Ave. in North Park.
• Hale Park at 6258 W. 62nd St. in Clearing.
• Kennedy Park at 11320 S. Western Ave. in Morgan Park
• Metcalfe Park at 4134 S. State St. in Grand Boulevard
• Piotrowksi Park at 4247 W. 31st St. in South Lawndale
• West Lawn Park at 4233 W. 65th St. in West Lawn
"These locations were chosen based on requests by the communities and demand for field use," said Jessica Maxey-Faulkner, a park district spokeswoman.
The lights will be programmed to come on prior to dusk on game day and for scheduled events that require additional lighting. Timers for the lights are web-based and can be controlled remotely, Maxey-Faulkner said.
Howard Ludwig says the lights will be big for these districts:
Thus, the lights will automatically shut off at the scheduled conclusion of a game or event. Most parks close at 11 p.m., so it would be rare for lights to remain on past that time, she said.
However, some parks may opt to keep the lights on later for public safety reasons, Maxey-Faulkner said.
"Having lighted fields means that there will be more time for youth baseball and softball games to occur, meaning more kids can play and more families can watch games this season," she said.
The average cost to install lights is $80,000-$100,000 per park, depending upon the size and number of fields being illuminated, the spokeswoman said.
The park district plans to minimize glare from the lights into surrounding homes in a variety of ways, Maxey-Faulkner said.
In the case of Kennedy Park, she said large, mature trees will help block the lights from shining into unwanted areas.
Chuck Kinnerk, of Morgan Park, has served as president of the Kennedy Park Little League for the past three years. He lives a few houses off of the park and has been involved with the youth baseball program for a decade.
"They've been fighting for this [lights] even before I was involved," Kinnerk said.
He believes the addition of lights in the 18-acre park will help his neighborhood league compete with travel teams throughout the area.
Indeed, the Kennedy Park league had nearly 800 players a decade ago. For the past three years, participation has hovered around 300 kids, Kinnerk said.
"Hopefully, it [the lights] will give us a little kick," he said.
Installation of the lights on the Far Southwest Side will begin on Monday. Kinnerk expects the project to be completed by his league's opening day festivities on April 25.
In Kennedy Park, the lights will illuminate Diamonds 1 and 2. Kinnerk expects to play night games on Fridays during the school year. He'd also like to add a mid-week game after schools let out in mid-June.
The lights at Kennedy Park will also be used for men's and women's softball leagues. The park anticipates hosting more softball-themed fundraisers as a result of the lights as well.
"I'm thrilled," Kinnerk said.
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