Three years ago, when Andrew Marino looked at an abandoned Soundview lot where mechanics were fixing cars and leaving the old parts behind, he saw a baseball field.
Today, with money from the city-funded Field of Dreams program developed under former Mayor David Dinkins, the lot at Pugsley and Randall avenues is on its way to becoming a major league-sized playing field for the Bronx Chester Amateur League. And even though the transformation from abandoned lot to baseball field is not yet complete, the first pitch will fly May 1 -- no matter what, according to the league president, Mike Scarantino.
"You can play for a season without grass safely," Scarantino said. "As long as we get it spruced up and we get rid of the larger stones and rocks out there, it'll be fine."
Last week, the field's surface was mostly bare dirt, the surrounding fence was lined with garbage, a ripped tire tread lay next to a bent serrated spoon in center field and cement blocks jutted from the dirt near third base.
Until now, the league's 18 teams -- all but two of them are based in the borough -- have played at smaller little league fields at Clemente State Park, Bronx Park East and Allerton Field. This will be the first year the league's 16- to 18-year-old players will have a field to call their own.
Scarantino said that over the past two years he has disagreed with the parks department on the field's safety.
"The first year they wanted us to play with no boundary fence, and I told them they were insane," he said.
So far, the parks department has spent more than $100,000 to spread about 40,000 yards of topsoil, set up fencing and seed the area. Still, Scarantino would like to see the hole in the outfield fence patched, the pitcher's mound rebuilt and garbage removed.
Marino, another league officer, lobbied for Field of Dreams funding. The Dreams program was designed to transform vacant lots throughout the city into playing fields. According to Nick Mansini, park official, four other finished Field of Dreams projects exist in the Bronx.
But, District 9 Manager Francisco Gonzalez said there is still a need for more park space in the district. "Parks are hard to maintain, particularly when the park's staff is so small now," he said.
Once completed, the new field shouldn't demand much maintenance from the parks department. The league agreed to take care of the field throughout the season.
Meanwhile, park officials are hoping for rain to encourage the grass seed to grow. But 17 year-old Danny Figueroa, a pitcher and third baseman for one league team, the Sluggers, says playing in the dirt doesn't bother him.
"I just want to play," he said. "The dirt's no problem."