We can say without dispute that Revere Little League has one of the best ballparks in the region. Some of us, who played Little League Baseball in neighboring communities, always hoped that we could play a game in McMackin Park, the unique ballpark known affectionately as “Little Fenway.â€
And sure enough, Revere Little League officials welcomed other leagues for All-Star Tournaments at its famed diamond that was later named Guy Meli Field in honor of the longtime team manager and league official.
McMackin Park was a showcase for this city and anyone who played Little League Baseball in Revere has great memories of playing his/her games on that field.
Unfortunately, an unpleasant situation has arisen in regard to McMackin Park. The field is flooded with water at the current time and there will be no Little League games played there in the foreseeable future, at least for this season.
We know that former RLL president Ron LaQuaglia was very proud of the ballpark and the organization itself. Ron and so many other league officials, coaches, and parents worked hard to maintain McMackin’s status as a North Shore gem.
We are not engineers and thus do not know exactly what caused the field to be flooded and unusable this season. There are different viewpoints as to what caused the deterioration of this once great ballpark.
We do know that Revere Little League and the city must come to a solution so that boys and girls can once again play baseball at this facility. In our interpretation of the situation, the City of Revere cannot pay for repairs for a privately owned field – and the owner, in this case, is Revere Little League.
Mayor Dan Rizzo has presided over the construction of the new Harry Della Russo Stadium whose grand opening is anxiously anticipated by all. He has been a sponsor of Revere Little League teams and has always been present at the opening day ceremonies, which has included the honor of throwing out the first ball. The mayor is a strong supporter of all youth sports programs in this city and is no doubt dismayed, like the rest of us, about the condition of McMackin Park.
We ask that Little League officials and Mayor Rizzo convene and work out a solution so that our children can once again proudly call McMackin Park their home for the baseball season.
