Minersville Borough Council members recently gave the green light to the construction of an indoor batting building to be located at the Little League field complex.
In a nearly unanimous vote at their April council meeting, members said OK to a plan to construct an approximate 2,880-square foot building on the grounds of the Little League complex in Minersville.
Only Jamie Kuehn voted against its construction. He said that he wasn’t opposed to the building, just its proposed location.
Council members heard of the plans from Little League Board President Jim O’Brien. O’Brien said such a building is needed in Minersville for several factors.
Part of it is keeping up with the proverbial Joneses. Numerous other local Little League organizations in Schuylkill County have similar buildings. In a conversation with The Canary recently, O’Brien said he feels as though Minersville kids are “behind the curve” with their inability to practice year-round, which the new facility will allow them to do.
Another reason the building is necessary, he said, is due to the earlier and earlier starts to the Little League season each year. The season runs from April 14 until June 10, with practices starting prior to that.
In a year with unpredictable early-Spring weather – and in what year isn’t that a reality? – Little League players are sometimes forced to practice outdoor in frigid conditions or practices have to be cancelled.
Having a heated, indoor facility, means those early-season practices can go on despite the weather.
O’Brien said the indoor building will be large enough to contain a batting cage, that he envisions could be lifted up to allow for the use of the entire building for other drills and workouts.
An indoor facility such as this has been in the works in Minersville for close to a decade, O’Brien said. A previous executive board made two attempts to get one constructed.
Though the League has gotten the OK from the Borough, it must now raise funds to get the building constructed. O’Brien said an estimated cost is about $125,000-150,000. Minersville Area Little League is looking to get funds from donors and will be having extra fundraisers to get enough money together to start construction.
Rendering submitted by Jim O’Brien/Minersville Little League
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