EAST CLEVELAND Grassroots effort to give field a facelift is success

Shaw's low point came in 1995, when it had to forfeit a tournament game.
EAST CLEVELAND (AP) -- Two years ago, Shaw High School's baseball field at Forest Hill Park was so bad that the Cardinals preferred to play away games.
Trees were growing through the outfield fence, bleachers were collapsing and the field was a treacherous patch of dust and rocks.
"You had potholes, mud holes," said Tremayne Kellom, a former player who graduated in 1998. "We'd go to these other schools, suburban schools. Their fields would be all nice. Then we'd come home. I wished we had all away games."
Now, coaches, players and parents have turned the field into a source of pride for Cardinals and the community, which has been struggling economically and has seen its financially troubled school district taken over by the state.
Improvements
Volunteers planted infield grass, installed a sprinkler system and built dugouts of cinder blocks and wood. Coach Mike Dillon's brother, a contractor, commuted 70 miles from New Philadelphia to build a press box and concession stand.
An electronic scoreboard donated by the school board is expected to arrive soon. Dillon would like to have a dedication ceremony May 17, when Shaw plays a Parents Day doubleheader against Cleveland Central Catholic.
The district provided more than one-fourth of the $42,000 renovation expenses, but most of the balance was donated.
The baseball parents association gave $7,500. Players sold $4,600 in candy, and Dillon contributed more than $1,000.
Shaw has won two state championships, the most recent in 1968, but the program has slumped in recent years. The low point came in 1995, when the Cardinals ended the season with eight eligible players and had to forfeit in the opening round of the state tournament.
This year, Shaw has freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams and a total of 45 players.
"A lot of stuff that went into this was our own," said Michael Rankin, a junior outfielder. "We did a lot of work."