Susan McEachern Memorial Ball Park in Sydney gets upgrade

A 50-year-old baseball field in Sydney has been made over.

The renovation, which cost more than $750,000, will allow the Susan McEachern Memorial Ball Park to compete for a future Canadian senior baseball national championship tournament.

Work started last October and is expected to wrap up in May once the field dries, and bleachers and other items are installed.

The field is home to the Nova Scotia Senior League's Sydney Sooners. Head coach and managerJim "Rico"McEachern said the changes have taken an old ballfield and turned it into a professional playing surface.

He said the most noticeable change is the artificial turf.

"The playing surface, the fencing all the outfield fencing has been moved back on the foul lines. The distance down the foul lines left and right field, the previous format was probably 295 feet. We moved back 30 feet," he said.

"The playing surface obviously is that much bigger. The dugouts, the bullpens,we're quite happy with the job that's been done."

A daffodil tribute

One of the more noticeable features on the new artificial turf is the logo.Instead of putting the team's logo,McEachernhad adaffodil the official flower of the Canadian Cancer Society placed on the field.

SusanMcEachern, who was Rico's wife, died from cancer.

Funding for the project was cost-shared between all three levels of government.Enterprise Cape Breton contributed $385,000 while the province pitched in $125,000 and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality spent $240,000.

Cape Breton Regional CouncillorRay Paruch is upbeat about the new look.

"It's a win-win for all of the teams that will avail themselves of the opportunity to play baseball at a higher level on a real top quality field. It's also a win for people to like to view baseball," he said.

McEachern said the new professional field will be open to anyone who wants to use it;bookings can be made through the Cape Breton Regional Municipality recreation department.

He pointed out it's already getting attention from a group of former Toronto Blue Jays who will co-host a kids camp on July 1 along with Sydney and District Little League.

The field will officially open for the Sooners first home game in June.

The team is also going to put in a bid to host the 2018 Canadian Senior Nationals .