La Salle to form committee to address safety issues regarding men’s softball at Hegeler Park

The city of La Salle will form a committee to address safety concerns regarding players from the men’s softball league hitting balls into the little league field at Hegeler Park.

President of Baseball and Vice President of Softball Josh Busche said during Monday’s La Salle City Council meeting there are nets at the ballpark, but the men’s softball players are hitting balls over the net.

“If this ball was to hit somebody, there’s potential for a life altering event with that,” Busche said. “And the question should be how many times do we allow that to happen? Because at some point, it’s not an if it’s going to hit a kid, it’s a when it’s going to hit a kid.”

The issue was discussed during the public comment portion of the meeting, after La Salle Mayor Jeff Grove said he would like to continue it from the March 18 meeting. Grove asked Deputy Clerk Brent Bader to read correspondence provided to the La Salle girls and boys softball and baseball leagues, including the highlights from an email from Clay Caputo, president of the men’s softball league, because Grove didn’t think Caputo would be able to attend. Caputo, however, was in attendance.

Grove asked the council if they had reached out to men’s softball. They said no. The mayor said he was disappointed no one on the council reached out to the men’s softball league.

Alderman Bob Thompson said no one in the league reached out to him. He said his number is online and he would have been glad to speak to any of them at any time. Grove said as mayor, alderman or city staff, it’s their job to raise awareness and be transparent as possible. The mayor said that he believes there is a compromise that will make the park available for everybody.

“I haven’t heard any kind of compromise,” Grove said. “Our job is to try to come up with a solution for everybody.”

Alderman T “Boo” Herndon said he agreed with the mayor 100% there had to be a compromise and it seemed like an easy thing to do.

“I mean instead of coming to us with all the problems,” he said. “I believe we can probably work this out very well.”

Alderman Jordan Crane said he also agreed there should be compromise.

“That’s why we have both parties here (Monday),” he said. “To give us a comment on what they think and then we can move on it.”

Alderman John “Doc” Lavieri asked if the issue was a recent phenomena or if it was possible to fix the issue with a higher net. The nets were put up last year and the men’s softball players continue to hit balls over the nets.

Busche sent a video to the council of three balls hit in the direction of the field by the men’ssoftball players where children were playing.

“Two of them went into the crowd,” he said. “One of which a husband luckily blocked the ball from hitting the wife, he had seen it coming ... One ball that was clearly hit onto the field you can hear it in the video.”

Busche said he wanted to show the council the balls have gone over the net, because when it was discussed previously, the response was “we’ve never seen it.”

“It happens,” Busche said. “It doesn’t happen every game. But, it does happen.”

Busche said he didn’t want the men’s team to move out of La Salle, he just didn’t think it was safe for them to play at Hegeler Park and thought the solution would be for them to move to M&H Park.

“I just want to be clear, I don’t want the men to leave,” he said. “I don’t want the women to leave either. I just want them to move to a location that’s safer for everyone involved.”

Busche said the little league couldn’t move to M&H because it relies on the sales from the concession stand to pay for umpires and M&H would be a larger dimension for the children who play at Hegeler.

Busche said the men’s league would gain fencing all the way around.

Grove said the little league had the same opportunity as the men’s softball players at M&H, but it sounds to him like the concession stand was more important.

“Telling them to leave Hegeler Park, that’s not a compromise,” Grove said.

“We’ve given them a field,” Busche said.

“You won’t even go to a volunteer field,” Grove said.

“We need the concession to pay for our umpires,” Busche said.

“Is that more important than safety?” Grove said.

Caputo said he heard the concerns of the little league and they have implemented a new rule, if a player hits a ball over a net they will be out and forfeit the rest of their bats.

“Softball is a hitter’s game,” Caputo said. “It’s underhand. People come and they want to hit and the last thing someone wants to do is show up to a game and not be able to hit.”

Caputo said he thinks the idea of a higher net would be a great solution.

He also said the league played at M&H for some time and the right field is so small that with Carus Manufacturing in the background, any home run is a lost ball. The balls cost $17 to $20 per ball.

“We’d be willing to go to M&H, if the city was wants to compensate balls, but I don’t see that being a solution,” Caputo said.

The council agreed to form a committee with two elected officials and a member of the two groups to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

Caputo said he thinks the group will be able to work together and everyone can use the field to play on.

“Hopefully, we can come to a solution together with little league player safety as our top priority,” Caputo said.