The Nationals Dream Foundation dedicated its second Legacy Field on Monday, introducing Iván "Pudge" RodrÃguez Field at the newly renovated Little League diamond at Mason District Park in Annandale, Va.
The first Legacy Field, in Washington, D.C, was named Ryan Zimmerman Field. Zimmerman brought his wife Heather and their daughter to Monday's ribbon-cutting event to honor RodrÃguez.
"You see the kids. My wife actually grew up right down the street. Her parents still live here," Zimmerman said. "She used to come to this park and this area all the time. Any time you can kind of redo a field, I remember Little League. As a kid if we had, like, a grass infield it was crazy. I think, more importantly, it's for the kids that have somewhere to come. obviously. To play baseball, but learn how to be a good teammate and learn lessons that go along with sports.
"Obviously, the player (RodrÃguez) speaks for itself, the teammate. He was only here for a couple of years, but what he taught me was work ethic, how to do things the right way. Obviously, his career is one of, if not the best for any catcher to play the game. I feel honored to play with him for a couple of years. I learned a lot from him."
The fully renovated field was enlarged to accommodate both 46/60 and 50/70 styles of youth baseball play and will serve the surrounding community by hosting Mason District Little League games for years to come. The renovation included a new scoreboard, covered and enlarged dugouts, outfield fencing, a new flag pole courtesy of American Legion Post 1976, enhanced batting cages, yellow foul poles, a storage shed, shade structures for existing bleachers, an extended irrigation system and a monument sign marking the entrance to the field.
RodrÃguez, inducted this year into the Baseball Hall of Fame in July, played two of his 21 seasons with the Nationals, catching Stephen Strasburg's epic 14-strikeout performance against the Pirates in 2010.
"It's always nice to be back and just to be here and donate this beautiful field. I think is great for the community and the way that it was before and now the way that is today is amazing," RodrÃguez said. "We are doing this for the best for the kids. The kids can have a better place to play. That's the main thing. Just to keep them positive, stay away from trouble, and come here and have fun."
But to get the measure of the before-and-after of this field, go to one of the actual Mason District Little League coaches, Rich Volin:
"It's such a huge honor, and it will make a such a big difference," Volin said. "It really will, day-to-day. It's not just the field. The field looks fantastic. They've pushed the fences back. They've given us clear foul poles so it's really going to help improve the game of play. But the dugouts! You look at any coach just lingering in these massive dugouts. Before they were perfectly adequate, but they were skinny, there was no place to put stuff. You couldn't really huddle. These are now expansive dugouts. Places for the gear. It really gives a sense to these kids that (the Nationals) care about them. They really are going to be associated with the Nats now. All these kids are so enthusiastic to be here. Everything has been done to such a high standard. It's really fantastic."
Penny Gross, Mason District supervisor of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Ronald Kendall, Mason District representative from the Fairfax County Park Authority, Phil Hadley and Tim Sample from Mason District Little League, Marla Lerner Tanenbaum, chair of the Nationals Dream Foundation, and RodrÃguez were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Through the Legacy Fields program, one youth baseball and/or softball field in the Washington, D.C. region will be renovated each year by the Nationals Dream Foundation.