City moving adult softball games from Trinity Bellwoods park over safety concerns

Thestar.com
August 27, 2018
Jenna Moon

Two of three softball diamonds in Trinity Bellwoods park will move to host youth players only after city staff received concerns from park user who fear being hit by home runs.

According to the city, the two diamonds “are not regulation size for adult softball and, as the use of the park has increased, the impact of having undersized diamonds has become more pressing.

Park users have complained saying they fear for their safety from home runs at Trinity Bellwoods.

“As a result, the city has committed to relocating adult softball leagues to other locations over time,” reads a statement from the parks, forestry and recreation department.

Three leagues have been moved this season, with conversations underway for 2019 bookings, the parks department said.

Councillor Mike Layton said softballs are consistently being hit outside of the diamonds, adding his office has received complaints about the games.

“Two of the three diamonds are undersized for the play that is going on on them,” said Layton, who represents Ward 19 Trinty-Spadina, where the popular west end park is located.

He said the smaller pitches will be transitioned to youth play only, with adult permits relocated to other parks.

Layton said he’s also heard from some players, who advocated to stay in Bellwoods as it’s a “marquee” park in the city, and highlighted that one of the diamonds will still be designated for adult players. But, as for the other two diamonds, he underscored safety as the main concern of city staff.

“The diamonds are just too small,” he said, explaining that significant changes would need to be made to the park in order to accommodate a larger-sized pitch.

Rob Davies, president of the Toronto Sport and Social Club, said his players would be willing to come up with alternative methods so that they can continue using the space.

“Until now the softball players and the non-softball players seemed to have been able to coexist,” Davies told the Star Friday.

“I do think more can be done to allow the softball diamonds to be used for their intended purpose. On our end, we’d be willing to use a (different) ball, limit the number of bats,” he said, in order to allow players to stay at Bellwoods.

“It’d be a shame to have these beautiful softball diamonds that can’t be used for softball.”