Monday, May 12, 2008

PSSBL season kicks off at the "Cox"

NBUA umpires Rick Marksbury and Joel Green were privileged to umpire the first PSSBL game held in the newly renovated Steve Cox Memorial Park between Sierra League foes the Beavers and the Black Sox.  

A sparse crowd of 18 watched the Beavers win the non-controversial game 11-7.  Formerly known as White Center Field, Steve Cox Memorial Park now has an artificial Field Turf infield, along with several other improvements, including raising the outfield so that it is now on the same level as home plate (it was once 4.5 feet lower than home plate) and improving the drainage, especially in the infield, which now has six rubber and sand layers under the artificial turf that not only improve the drainage, but also make the surface soft and safer.  The name, "Mel Olson Stadium", referring to the structure itself on the park grounds, will remain.

The field was re-named in honor of Deputy Steve Cox, who was a King County sheriff who had grown up in White Center and had played baseball at White Center Field.  Deputy Cox was killed in the line of duty while interviewing a witness to a crime in December 2006.  A former King County prosecuting attorney, Deputy Cox was a highly regarded community leader in White Center.  The park was dedicated to Deputy Cox on April 7, 2008.  Rick and Joel are pleased to have been a part of this first PSSBL game to be held in Steve Cox Memorial Park. Joel said that if you ever umpired the old field, you'll never lose the ball in the outfield nor have to worry about the third base side of the infield being a mud pond again.