From the sidelines
They're getting a fence.
Ever since my first day on the job nearly four years ago, I wondered why the fence was so long on the Marion High School softball field.
At 295 feet from home plate, it would take a pretty impressive swing to knock one out of the park.
I haven't seen it done by any Warrior or visiting player yet — and now I won't get the chance.
But that's a good thing.
A temporary fence, most likely 200 or 225 feet from home plate, will be placed in the middle of the outfield for Warrior games this season. (They will be played on C-field because B-field is being renovated).
The fence also will be on B-field during some summer league games to allow for more competitive action.
It will do the same at the high school level.
Currently, any ball hit over an outfielder's head travels nearly 300 feet, and in a lot of cases results in a triple or even an inside-the-park home run.
Outfielders are forced to play deeper, and speedsters can take advantage of hitting the ball in the gaps.
The new fence will allow for outfielders to play in a little bit, and learn to play the ball off the fence and hopefully hold runners to a single or double.
Also, some players now will record a few home runs on their resume, something that would not happen with the current fence.
Yes, it will help the opposing players as well, but it is how the game was meant to be played.
Plus, Haven and Marion are the only schools in the Mid-Central Activities Association without a temporary, or shorter fence.
The Marion-Florence USD 408 board of education voted Monday to help pay for the fence that will cost about $7,000.
The baseball/softball boosters club will pay $2,000, and corporate sponsors, who will have a sign on the fence along with the school district, will cover the rest.
The four-foot high fence comes in 20-foot sections, and is erected without the use of stakes in the ground.
I wasn't sure at first if a fence that nice was needed, but in the end I think it will be a great addition, especially because it is supposed to last indefinitely.
Most importantly, the softball girls and REC teams will be able to play the game they love the way it was meant to be played.
So batters, next time you hit one over an outfielder's head, set your sights on second, because reaching home plate is going to take a lot more work than before.
