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Rays

Field fixup starts Rays image repair

Renovating Oliver Field is one way the team's new owners plan to refurbish their community relations.

By VANESSA DE LA TORRE
Published October 21, 2005

Jim Oliver was only a kid when he first dug his cleats into the dirt and rounded the bases on the field at Campbell Park in St. Petersburg.

"Most of what I learned, outside of direct teaching, came from my experiences here in this ballpark," said Oliver, a teacher at Mount Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. "It was baseball, but it was also a cultural event each time we played, each time we invited teams from out of town. . . . Even though we were rivals, the camaraderie was such that once the game was over, we interacted just like brothers."

Oliver hopes a new effort by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to spruce up the field, named after his father, will revive those good times. James F. Oliver was a Negro Leagues baseball player and longtime St. Petersburg youth coach.

The Rays announced the renovation Thursday, marking the start of a multiyear field renovation program that covers ballparks outside St. Petersburg, including in Citrus and Charlotte counties. It also indicated a repairing of city and team relations, long awaited, under new principal owner Stuart Sternberg.

"One of our priorities is community outreach," said team president Matt Silverman. "We're moving quickly to make those investments."

The news conference was held between Oliver Field's pitcher's mound and home plate, with three Rays rookies and a row of City Council members applauding. Team mascot Raymond ambled about, giving pats on the back and an occasional kiss.

"It's a great partnership with the Rays," said Mayor Rick Baker. "They're committed to winning ballgames, but most important, they're committed to being part of our community."

Silverman, 29, touted the renovation as "a complete overhaul" of the historic field, now home to the local Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities League, a youth outreach program sponsored by Major League Baseball. Planned work includes a metal roof to shade spectators, an 18-foot chain-link backstop with netting, fresh paint and sod and an irrigation system upgrade.

Silverman said it was too early to know exact costs. Bank of America is a major partner in the project.

Harvey Brown, president of the Campbell Park Neighborhood Association, said he met with team and bank officials last week to discuss demolishing the concrete wall surrounding Oliver Field.

"It looked so bad in the neighborhood, it looked like everyone was in a corral," said Brown. Officials agreed to replace it with a chain-link fence.

[Last modified October 21, 2005, 02:15:38]