Vandals damage West Seattle Little League fields, facilities on eve of new season

| Crime | How to help | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

Last weekend, a huge volunteer turnout worked at West Seattle Little League‘s home field, Bar-S Playfields on Alki Point, to get it ready for the start of the season next weekend.

They put in hundreds of volunteer hours, league spokesperson Kathy Powers says.

Then Monday, the league’s field maintenance director went to Bar-S – and discovered vandals had struck, in a big, heart-sickening way.

(Photos courtesy WSLL. We don’t show tags in their entirety, so the photo is cropped)

Buildings were broken into, and facilities were tagged.

Also, Powers says, “The infields, already in rough shape from all the rain, were trashed by a vehicle. Most frustrating was the damage done to the newly rebuilt pitchers’ mounds and batters’ boxes.”

They’re working to fix the damage – only part of which is shown in the photos – and you can help – in two ways.

For one, Powers says, “We hope the entire West Seattle community will join us in keeping watch and reporting behavior that tries to steal our kids’ opportunity to play baseball.” (Call 911 whenever, wherever you see a crime or possible crime in progress and it’s happening now, or has just happened.)

For two, you can join in one or both work parties planned to clean up and fix up at Bar-S:

*Thursday night (March 23), 5:30-7:30 pm

*Friday night (March 24), 5:30-7:30 pm

The fields and facilities are off SW Admiral Way a short distance west of 63rd SW [map].

P.S. Yes, the vandalism has been reported to police.

sgg March 21, 2017 (10:31 am)

I frequently walk in the Alki Playfields area. This last week, there are tire tracks from a vehicle that was able to drive onto the fields by the public restrooms at the Whale Tail. They were able to do this because the park service does not raise the bollards that block entrance to the fields / park area. If they used the bollards, this would be much more difficult to get your car in there. I am not sure about the access to Bar S, but in the case of the Alki Playfields at the Whale Tail, it seems as though it is laziness on the part of the parks department in not putting up the bollards that contributes to this kind of problem.

Kathleen March 21, 2017 (11:30 am)

Bar S has bollards on both its parking lots and access is diligently monitored by both the WSLL Board and volunteers, as well as by our neighbors in the Alki community. Both WSLL and the Parks Department have done a lot of extra work to restrict access to the fields and parking lot, by installing extra barriers and keeping things locked up tight. Sadly, as this illustrates, determined vandals can get around the best security measures. This is absolutely heartbreaking for our Little League Community. Our kids deserve so much better. Please everyone come down to help this week if you can!
Michelle M. March 21, 2017 (11:30 am)

The crew chief for the city is Carol Baker. She can be reached at 206-684-7457. If there are ways to prevent vehicles from getting on these fields, she needs to make sure they are working. I would encourage everyone to call her today to let her know how important this is to the community.
Peter March 21, 2017 (12:55 pm)

Wow. Some people will use anything as an excuse to attack the city and city employees. How low can you go?
Sea Jay March 23, 2017 (10:25 am)

Install spike strips.

Jeff March 21, 2017 (10:54 am)

This is just sad. A bunch of kids starting as young as 4-5, have to deal with this because some jerk wanted to do donuts.

Marybeth March 21, 2017 (11:17 am)

Very sad. For volunteers coming to help on Thurs or Fri – is there anything in particular they should bring with them?

OP March 21, 2017 (11:49 am)

I believe the league will supply all the tools needed. I’m a manager in the league. I’m beyond sickened by what’s happened. I’m furious!

Becky P. March 21, 2017 (11:48 am)

Too bad the idiot’s car didn’t get stuck or something.

Joan March 21, 2017 (12:05 pm)

Sounds like some security cameras are in order.

Dave March 21, 2017 (12:27 pm)

Some part of the state government needs to get tougher on penalties for crimes. For too long it has been catch and release while good citizens are left holding the bag. Cleaning up is necessary but in a way it’s just rewarding bad behavior. I seriously want to move. So sick of seeing this sort of thing (and worse) so frequently. So tired of getting involved to try and make this a better place and basically being ignored by city employees. My patience is at an end.

Peter March 21, 2017 (12:59 pm)

What evidence do you have that this was done by someone involved in “catch and release,” to use your phrase? If you know who did it, why haven’t you revealed their identity to authorities?
- ourLAWSsuck March 21, 2017 (11:23 pm)
  
  Get a clue, Peter- he’s saying people do these things (around here), because there is no consequence- and he’s right
- Rick March 23, 2017 (1:52 pm)
  
  Peter, you are not adding anything to the conversation. Show up tonight with a shovel and make your sorry posterior useful or go away.
  
  5:30 is it? I’ll be there! My daughter never got a hit, but had an OBP of .9 (90%) in her second season – many fond memories of the Bar-S field.
  
  I agree with Dave, Seattle isn’t improving with the years, quite the opposite. And I am glad that once I retire in a couple of years I can cash out of the insanity.

Dave March 21, 2017 (12:29 pm)

Carol’s email address Carol.Baker@seattle.gov

aRF March 21, 2017 (12:41 pm)

The color and style of the graffiti looks very similar to new graffiti that appeared in the last few days underneath the Admiral/Schmitz Preserve bridge at the southwest corner.

WsEd March 21, 2017 (2:32 pm)

The city should install security cameras in these areas. A license plate would go a long way. It’s public land so there is no guarantee of privacy.

eve March 21, 2017 (3:31 pm)

This is so disappointing. This is my 5yr old’s first year with WS little league and so I was there on Sunday helping out, getting the fields ready for the start of the season. I was SO impressed by the amount of families pitching in. Especially the young kids. I overheard a few tweens conversing with each other about how it was hard work, weeding etc. They were so proud of their efforts, it sickens me that the same very night vandals undermined their hard work.

But if I’ve learned anything about this community, I know we’ll all be right back out there working together to get this done for the kids. Maybe even those that don’t have kids in the league

flimflam March 21, 2017 (4:50 pm)

pretty pathetic that someone doesn’t have something better then this to do with their time.

anonymous March 21, 2017 (9:45 pm)

Eve I’m so sorry, I hope we can repair the field in time. I’ll be at one of the work parties.

With summer months coming up I worry we’ll see more of this behavior. I’d love to run into these POS some evening and teach them a lesson. Better yet, the whole field and play area should be gated and locked from dusk till dawn. I don’t pay this much in property tax to let some worthless punk mess up our facilities.

WS Guy March 22, 2017 (1:41 am)

Just awful. I agree, we need more camera monitoring.

My 6-yo and I were out there last weekend edging and weeding. It was great teaching him about pitching in to help your neighborhood. He plays there Saturday. I hope I don’t have to teach him about vandals.

acsmith March 22, 2017 (6:19 am)

Is there a time people can come help repair the damage and get it ready for the games? I live up in Greenlake but would like to come help out if possible! It seems like with enough people pitching in this could be remedied in no time.

WSB March 22, 2017 (7:16 am)

It’s in the story – the work parties mentioned at the end.
- acsmith March 22, 2017 (7:39 am)
  
  thank you! missed that part