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LEHI — Some softball sluggers in Lehi apparently don't know their own strength.
City leaders have shut down the city men's softball league due to balls being hit out of Veterans Park, damaging property and striking moving vehicles.
The decision has some residents scrambling for answers. Paige Albrecht said her husband Jeremy has played in and coached a team for the league for the past five years. She began attending city council meetings after she heard rumors that the league would be canceled.
"Three (council members) said they had never heard of the softball problem until we brought it up," Albrecht said.
One property owner recently sold 725 balls back to the city while others would regularly bring in full 5-gallon buckets of returned balls every two weeks.
City officials, however, insist there is a problem that needs to be addressed before play can continue at the park, located at 850 W. Main. Assistant city administrator Ron Foggin said that one property owner last fall saw $2,800 worth of damage and a "staggering" number of vehicles have been hit while passing the area.
Albrecht said balls have gone over the fence, but has some doubts about the severity of the issue.
"I wouldn't say 'staggering,'" she said. "I've been going for years, and I've seen one ball hit a car."
Foggin said that during the softball season, hundreds of balls go over the fences. One property owner recently sold 725 balls back to the city while others would regularly bring in full 5-gallon buckets of returned balls every two weeks. Halfway through last year's season, league rules were changed to allow only one home run hit per team for each game, but the balls kept sailing.
"It became a risk," Foggin said. "We couldn't have hundreds of softballs being hit into Main Street."
City officials have said that the cost of enclosing the softball fields with netting would be in the neighborhood of $100,000. Albrecht, however, said that in meetings with the city she was initially told it would require between $35,000 and $60,000. She has filed multiple public records requests to find where the $100,000 bid came from but has been told that it was from vendors the city is familiar with.
Regardless of which amount is right, Albrecht said costs could be limited by focusing on the fields that pose the greatest risk.
"We only need to enclose the ones around Main Street," Albrecht said.
Foggin, however, said that he has received complaints from property owners on all sides of the park. Some of the affected area includes animal pastures, and it was common for players to enter that land to retrieve runaway balls.
"I'm responsible for keeping balls out of property owners as much as I am Main Street," Foggin said. "The city is trying to be a good neighbor."
The softball league, in its 17-year run, has been increasingly popular. Last year drew a waiting list for the 40-team league, with each team consisting of 10 men. City leaders have said they intend to find a solution to reopen the league in the future, but the risk simply became too great and for now players are stuck looking to other leagues or no games at all.
"My recreation people want to put on recreation games," Foggin said. "They were very disappointed to not put on men's softball this fall."
Recreation staff members in nearby American Fork said the city is considering a fall men's softball league that would be open to residents of Lehi. Albrecht said if that's the case, her husband would take advantage of the opportunity, but many others wouldn't have the ability to play.
"It's still a shame that we wouldn't have it in Lehi," she said. "They all say it's going to come back but no one is saying how."
Foggin said he will be meeting with his recreation staff next week to discuss options for the league. The possibility of a wood bat league has been considered and if it proves reasonable, Foggin said there may still be time to have league play this fall. However, any capital cost, such as netting, will have to wait for another year, and another budget.
In the end, Albrecht said her intent is not to criticize city officials and she hopes that a solution can be found so her husband, and 399 other Lehi men, can get back on deck.
"We really like our city leaders," she said. "We're just really hoping the league comes back."
Email:benwood@desnews.com
