'Moneyball' in Hillsboro: Don't strike out the kids

Where is Billy Beane when we need him?

Even the cost-saving Oakland A's general manager portrayed by Brad Pitt last summer on the silver screen wouldn't agree with a cost-saving method being discussed as a possibility by the do as we say, not as we do powers that be in Hillsboro.

Word on the street is there could potentially be big-time budget cuts headed to a couple friendly ball parks in Hillsboro, due to the ongoing (and going and going and going) "discussions" over what to do with the Hillsboro Fire and Rescue Department and current financial woes of the city.

I usually try to stay away from all the mess of press conferences, city public address announcements, etc. as that's not my idea of a good time; but when that crap starts creeping toward Shaffer and Liberty parks, it usually means a bad time will be had by all.

What makes my skin crawl is why Shaffer Park and Liberty Park are being brought up out of the blue as two of the potential sacrificial lambs because those who make the money decisions are spending (or have spent in the past) too much of our taxpayer dollars. Basically, to sum it up … the cash is (or will be) coming in much slower than it was spent.

Did you know five-time World Series champion Paul O'Neill watched his kids play at Shaffer Park? Did you know four former Hillsboro American Legion Post 129 players have made it to the Major Leagues – Dave Tomlin, Kip Young and Joe Crawford? Ask some of them what the ballpark means to this community.

From what I've read (and watched on video), everyone is blaming everyone else for the situation the city is in – which is setting such a wonderful example to our youth, don't you think? Honestly, though, it's what I've come to expect anymore.

Trust me, and I really mean trust me in the truest sense of the word "trust" … I don't have a side in this battle, one way or another. I also don't take political sides because I find them childish, so save all your pro-this, pro-that comments for the pages and groups of Facebook as neither political side offers me any peace of mind.

But what I do understand is this: If one penny is cut from the budget of Shaffer Park (I'm just focusing on Shaffer Park because I spend many, many hours of my spring and summer there), it is nothing but a full-fledged cop-out, a "solution" punishing those who had nothing to do with the problem to begin with. That's the bottom line.

How much, in the grand scheme of things, does the city actually pay for Shaffer Park?

It is probably in the same "ball park" as hiring two groups of lawyers for who knows what, adding additional folks in assistant positions and all the while increasing pay of some decision-making positions. I'm not good with numbers, but who is these days? (If those assumptions are off, let me know.)

I know the park and the people who run it do a pretty darn good job of raising funds, selling advertising, keeping the field and park cleaned and mowed, running concessions … all of which goes back into the park itself.

There is no way whatsoever with the annual Tournament of Champions (you know that big tournament that brings hundreds of visitors who spend their money at local and chain establishments each year) concessions, the fees to be a part of a local team, local sponsors, volunteer coaches, etc., that Shaffer Park is a major drain on the city financially.

It's almost, no it is laughable, that cuts are even mentioned in the first place about Shaffer Park.

Sure, there are the use of lights, umpires, water, grounds crew and those who run the park who need to be paid, but I find that more fiscally responsible (you know, putting money into the health of the community) than knowing how some of the city's money is spent on a daily basis. What do I know … I just watch games for a living.

From my understanding, budget cuts could come depending on whatever way the city council votes in the fire department situation. When they do have a vote, before making cuts at the ball park, consider that it bears the names of the late Dick Shaffer, along with fields named after the two original commissioners of the park in Dan W. Reed and Frank Collins, along with a softball field named in honor of Alice Cassner and a field that is the home of American Legion Post 129 baseball.

Though I never met any of these individuals, I for sure would like to have sat and talked baseball with them, and also, I wonder what their opinions would be on the potential cuts at the park and fields that bear their respective names.

Asking around away from the ball park, I found out this from former city auditor Rosemary Ryan: "When I was city auditor, most of the ballpark expense was offset by volunteers. Dick Shaffer worked long hours for very little pay, maybe $12,000 a year, if my memory is correct. Unless things have changed dramatically, I doubt the city could save much by eliminating the ballpark funds. I would suggest that the city consult with (former mayor) Betty Bishop."

Ryan added that the topic of cutting funds for the Hillsboro ballpark "never came up" during her 18 years in office.

Shaffer Park is about more than being a potential budget cut for those "decision makers" who can't make a decision on their fire department one way or the other.

Shaffer Park is Hillsboro. It's one of the few things left in the city not tarnished by the everyday politics, and I'm not going to be silent and watch all the bickering and politickin' happen to a place where games are supposed to be played. It's just not right.

Shaffer Park is about the youth of this city and county having a place to go and not only learn lessons of athletics, but lessons in life. They can learn both sides of sportsmanship. The youth can learn lessons on the ball diamonds they can take to the classroom and carry with them for the rest of their life. Maybe those in charge of this whole mess the city is in should take a stroll around the parks and relearn some of those lessons as well.

When I speak about youth playing baseball and softball at Shaffer Park, I'm speaking about those from 8 to 19 (and even younger with tee-ball at Liberty Park). Some kids are just learning the game, while others are playing what are probably their final games of a great sport.

There are many sides of the spectrum at Shaffer Park during the summer – rich and poor, young and old, male and female. That's what I love about the park … the diversity. I love how the park brings a community together and how it brings kids from all backgrounds together to play a game. What they are learning and achieving on those diamonds is more important than a few thousand dollars in a budget that seems so far in the red that it ought to have a bull charging after it. (Wait, that happened to the previous auditor, didn't it?)

With these potential cuts possibly looming, I hope whomever came up with this "grand idea" remembers the first time they wore a baseball glove and what it meant to them. I'd imagine that to the hundreds of kids who play on the fields currently and to the many thousands who have played there in the past 50-plus years, that feeling is the same – one of joy.

It could be a memory of past achievement and glory. When the memories of the first glove arrive … think back to playing catch with a family member, a teammate, a friend. Shaffer Park is that memory for many in the area.

The ballpark is about more than "making budget."

Don't make a future generation of leaders of Hillsboro suffer due to the mistakes of today. Show them how to overcome a tough situation by communication and working things out in a productive way.

Hopefully, one day, when the current group of youth athletes are in charge of this city, they won't look at a budget when they are in trouble and say, "Hey, let's not give our youth a chance to succeed. Let's not have a place in the summer for our youth to stay out of trouble and do something productive. Let's not give them the same opportunities we had."

Let's pray they don't say "We're running out of money … I know, if a vote doesn't go the way we want it, we'll cut funding from a place that is not 'that' important to our community."

In fact, from the overflowing parking lots on a nightly basis, I'd say Shaffer Park is one of the most essential places in the city.

Before any decision is made, just for fun, go ask the ball players and their families what Shaffer Park means to them. My guess is they would say it's a pretty important place to them and to the city. Just because the city can't keep its wallet in its pocket, let's not ruin this truly good thing in the city.

For the sake of the youth in the city and Highland County, let's hope those in charge of making the budget cuts don't strike out the kids, take their ball and go home.

Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com.